Garlic & Thyme Roast Potatoes

My garlic and thyme roast potatoes are a great addition to the dinner table. Crispy roast potatoes that are crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the centre. These herby potatoes are roasted in oil, with fresh garlic and thyme which add an extra layer of flavour.

What I love most about roast potatoes is that they go with just about any meat or vegetable based main. They are the perfect accompaniment to the Sunday roast, I love to serve them with roast chicken.

I cook garlic and thyme roast potatoes in the oven and it’s fair to say I never have any leftovers. I use oil rather than animal fat in this recipe, making these vegan roast potatoes ideal for anyone following a plant based diet.

Achieving the perfect crispy roast potatoes is a lot easier than you might think. In this recipe post I show you how to roast potatoes in a few easy steps.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• The perfect accompaniment to any meal, these tasty potatoes pair really well with any meat, and a whole variety of vegetable based dishes too.
• Herby roast potatoes are packed with flavour, as the garlic and thyme infused oil flavours the potatoes as they cook.
• A great vegan side dish as these potatoes are cooked in oil rather than animal fats.
• Gluten free as no flour is added to these roast potatoes.

Recipe ingredients

• Potatoes– I used Maris Piper potatoes which are a great flour potato, ideal for roasting.
• Seasoning – I season the water for boiling the potatoes with sea salt and add a little extra just before serving.
• Oil – use an oil with a high burn temperature like rapeseed or sunflower oil
• Fresh herbs – I like to use a whole bulb of garlic and a few sprigs of thyme, to flavour the oil while the potatoes cook.

How to make Garlic & Thyme Roast Potatoes

• Preheat the oven to 180CFan/200C/390F.
• Peel and chop the potatoes into 5cm chunks.
• Place the potatoes into a large pan, along with the salt. Cover the potatoes with cold water then bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 5 minutes.
• While the potatoes are par boiling, add the oil to a medium sized roasting tray, large enough so that the potatoes can lay flat without overcrowding the tray. Place the tray into the hot oven and allow the oil to heat up.
• Drain and toss the potatoes either in a colander, or shake in the pan with a lid on. This will fluff up the outside of the potatoes so that there is more surface area exposed to ensure a crispy outside crust.

• When the oil is hot, carefully remove the tray from the oven and place the potatoes in the tray, along with the garlic and thyme.
• Carefully tilt the tray and spoon some of the hot oil over the potatoes.
• Place the tray back into the oven and roast for 25 minutes, turn the potatoes over and cook for a further 15 minutes until the potatoes are golden and cooked through.

TOP TIP: The potatoes will sizzle in the oil, so take care not to dump the potatoes into the tray.

• Carefully remove the potatoes from the hot oil and place them in a bowl lined with kitchen paper which will absorb any excess fat.
• Serve immediately with a garnish of fresh thyme leaves.

Recipe variations

• Potatoes – I’ve used Maris Piper potatoes, but any flour potato is good for roasting. King Edward or Roosters are great alternatives, use Russets or Yukon Gold potatoes if you are in the US.
• Oil – I use rapeseed or sunflower oil when roasting potatoes as they have a high burn temperature. You could use goose or duck fat if not serving vegetarian or vegan diners.
• Herbs – Add other fresh herbs like rosemary or sage, or finish the potatoes with a garnish of freshly chopped herbs like parsley.

Serving suggestions

These herby roast potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to any roast dinner. They pair with any roast meat like turkey, goose or duck at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Try with my Slow Roast Turkey Leg, Roast Turkey Crown, or Roast Leg of Pork with Bacon & Cranberries.

They work just as well with the weekend roast, try them with my Roast Pork Belly with Crispy Crackling, Pork Fillet wrapped in Bacon & Thyme, or my Pan Roasted Chicken with Asparagus & Peas.

I always include 2-3 vegetable side dishes then serving any meat main. Add my Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Chestnuts, Braised Red Cabbage, or Easy Honey Roasted Vegetables.

Useful hints and tips

1. Season the water with salt when boiling the potatoes, as this will help season and add flavour to the potatoes.
2. Ensure the roasting dish and oil is really hot before adding the potatoes, it helps the outside of the potato become crispy. If the oil is not hot enough the potatoes will be greasy.
3. Take care when placing the potatoes into the hot fat it is very easy to burn yourself, so don’t toss them in and risk any fat splashing on you.
4. To avoid soggy potatoes, once cooked, remove the potatoes from the roasting dish and place them in a bowl lined with kitchen paper. The paper will absorb any excess oil and stop the potatoes becoming soggy.
5. Roast potatoes are a dish best served piping hot straight from the oven as that is when the crispy skin is at its best.
6. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

FAQs

Pin the recipe

Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my other easy potato recipes:

• Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Easy Boulangere Potatoes
• Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes
• Fried Potatoes with Garlic & Thyme
• Potato Pave
• Easy Fondant Potatoes
• Easy Hasselback Potatoes with Thyme Butter

Find all my favourite potato side dishes in my Best Potato Sides post, which contains lots of handy hint and tips.