Crispy Duck Fat Roast Potatoes are the ULTIMATE roast dinner side dish and once you have made these you will never make roast potatoes any other way again. Perfectly crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Read on for our secret tip for seasoning roast potatoes and the mistake that everyone makes.
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If you haven't made roast potatoes in duck fat before, then you are seriously missing out. The most perfect roast potatoes every time and totally fool-proof.
Not only do roast potatoes with duck fat have a much nicer flavour, but the crisp that they get on them is like nothing else. It's the best fat to use, and you still get those light and fluffy insides.
The only roast potato you should make for a special occasion like Christmas or Thanksgiving.
We are also sharing our tip for our salted rosemary seasoning that gets added AFTER the potatoes are cooked. Seasoning the potatoes before is a mistake most people make.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Potatoes - You need to use floury potatoes for making roast potatoes, as that is what gives the crispy edges and they are the best potatoes for roasting. Maris Piper, Yukon Gold or King Edwards are best.
- Duck fat - We used store bought (most supermarkets stock it all year round), but it can also be collected from a roasting duck halfway through cooking. Why not try our Roast Duck recipe?
- Herbs - We used fresh rosemary, but thyme would work too. Dried herbs would work in a pinch, but fresh herbs are always best.
- Salt - You need a generous amount of salt for these duck fat roasted potatoes.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Roast Potatoes in Duck Fat
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters.
- Step 2: Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and parboil for 5 minutes. Once par boiled, drain and put back into the pan to steam for 5 minutes.
- Step 3: Put the duck fat onto a baking sheet and spread out. Put the tray into the oven while the potatoes are steaming.
- Step 4: Shake the potatoes in the pan to fluff up all the edges. Once the fat is hot, remove the tray from the oven and add the potatoes in a single layer. Use a spoon to coat the potatoes in the hot fat.
- Step 5: Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the potatoes over, basting each one in the fat. Return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes.
- Step 6: Transfer the cooked potatoes to a bowl. Add the salt and rosemary and toss the potatoes to coat them.
What To Serve with Duck Fat Roast Potatoes
Is there anything that roast potatoes don't go with? They are the perfect addition to a roast dinner. The obvious choice would be to serve with Roast Duck, but we have plenty of other options too.
Why not try our Air Fryer Turkey or Slow Cooker Beef Brisket for something easy and hands off?
When it comes to extra side dishes, our Honey and Mustard Parsnips, Air Fryer Stuffing and Air Fryer Carrots are a must. All smothered in some homemade Onion Gravy. For something a little more indulgent, Cauliflower Cheese is the way to go.
Rosemary Salt
Our top tip for seasoning roast potatoes is to salt them AFTER they are cooked - not before they go in the oven. This is to avoid drawing out moisture while they cook, which can make the outside of the duck fat potatoes tough.
If you want the perfect crunch on your roast potatoes, then salting them after is the way to do it.
We mix together a generous amount of salt and chopped fresh rosemary and then spoon the hot potatoes into a bowl and toss with the salty herbs before serving.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Always make sure to steam dry your potatoes when they have been drained, as this removes extra moisture and helps them get super crispy.
- To get really crispy potatoes, once they have steamed dry, you need to put them back in the pan and rough them up around the edges by shaking them around.
- Do not add salt to your potatoes before they go into the oven. We always salt them just before serving.
- You can reuse the duck fat that is left in the pan after roasting the potatoes. Just make sure to strain out any bits of potato left in it, and then allow it to cool before scooping it into a jar. You can store in the fridge for up to a month.
- You can use goose fat instead of duck fat and still follow this recipe the same.
- Make sure to turn and baste your potatoes half way through so all the sides get nice and crispy.
- The nutritional information for this recipe won't be accurate, and will be an overestimate. This is because they don't absorb all of the fat that has been added to the pan.
Storage
Make ahead: You can peel and chop the potatoes the day before and then keep them in a pan of water overnight. We always do this on Christmas Eve to just save a bit of time.
Store: Any leftovers duck fat potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: These freeze really well. Allow them to cool and place them in a freezer container and they will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost: You will need to defrost them in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: You can either reheat duck fat roasted potatoes in the air fryer or the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some roast potato recipes will say that you need to toss them with flour before they go into the oven, however we have tried it both ways and found that if you are using duck fat they come out perfectly crispy without flour so we skipped it to save an extra step. It keeps them gluten free too.
This recipe doesn't use a whole jar of duck fat. So if you aren't making any more roast potatoes with it, you can use it for frying chicken or fish or making homemade chips with it.
Cooking time will depend on how hot your oven cooks and the size you have cut your potatoes. Ours took about 40 minutes in the oven, however small ones could be done in 30 minutes and larger ones might take up to an hour.
More Side Dish Recipes
If you've tried these duck fat roast potatoes, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Duck Fat Roast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 800 g (1.75 lb) of Potatoes
- 65 g (3 tablespoon) of Duck fat
- 1 teaspoon of Sea salt
- 3 sprig of Fresh rosemary - leaves only; finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Peel 800 g of Potatoes and cut into quarters.
- Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and par-boil for 5 minutes.
- Once par boiled, drain and put back into the pan to steam for 5 minutes.
- Put 65 g of Duck fat onto a baking tray and spread out. Put the tray into the oven while the potatoes are steaming.
- Shake the potatoes in the pan to fluff up all the edges.
- Once the fat is hot, remove the tray from the oven and add the potatoes. Use a spoon to coat the potatoes in the hot fat.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the potatoes over, basting each one in the fat.
- Return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked potatoes to a bowl. Add 1 tsp of Sea salt and 3 sprig of Fresh rosemary and toss the potatoes to coat them.
Recipe Tips
- Always make sure to steam dry your potatoes when they have been drained, as this removes extra moisture and helps them get super crispy.
- To get really crispy potatoes, once they have steamed dry, you need to put them back in the pan and rough them up around the edges by shaking them around.
- Do not add salt to your potatoes before they go into the oven. We always salt them just before serving.
- You can reuse the duck fat that is left in the pan after roasting the potatoes. Just make sure to strain out any bits of potato left in it, and then allow it to cool before scooping it into a jar. You can store in the fridge for up to a month.
- You can use goose fat instead of duck fat and still follow this recipe the same.
- Make sure to turn and baste your potatoes half way through so all the sides get nice and crispy.
- The nutritional information for this recipe won't be accurate, and will be an overestimate. This is because they don't absorb all of the fat that has been added to the pan.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Kathryn says
These potatoes were so delicious! The duck fat made such a difference- so glad I tried this recipe!
Dina and Bruce says
My first time having these was in France. Wow, what memories these brought back. Thank you.
Carrie Robinson says
Everything is just a little better when cooked in duck fat! :) I love how simple, yet delicious these potatoes are.