Crispy Sliced Potatoes (Oven)
I was supposed to bring a “side dish” to dinner. I brought these. They were gone before the main course hit the table.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes 900g; the best variety for this. Creamy inside, crispy outside.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika always
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley for serving
- Optional: grated parmesan, fresh rosemary, or ranch for dipping
Method
Slice
-
Slice the potatoes about 3-4mm thick. A mandoline makes this fast and uniform — every slice the same thickness means every slice cooks at the same rate. No mandoline? A sharp knife and steady hand work fine, just try to keep the thickness consistent. Too thin and they’ll burn. Too thick and the centres won’t get creamy before the edges char. The goldilocks zone is about the thickness of a coin.
Season
-
Toss the slices in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Make sure every slice is coated — the oil is what crisps them, and the seasoning is what makes people unable to stop eating them. Use your hands. Get messy. This isn’t the time for a delicate spatula approach.
Arrange and Roast
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the potato slices in rows, slightly overlapping like fallen dominoes. Don’t pile them — overlapping slightly is fine, but stacking means steaming instead of crisping. Roast at 220C / 425F for 25-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until the edges are deeply golden and crispy and the centres are tender.
Finish
-
Sprinkle with flaky salt, fresh parsley, and parmesan if using. Serve immediately. These don’t wait well — the crispness fades as they cool. Which is never a problem, because they disappear within minutes.
Crispy Oven-Roasted Sliced Potatoes — Golden, Crunchy, Addictive
I was supposed to bring a “side dish” to dinner. I brought these. They were gone before the main course hit the table.
Crispy sliced potatoes are what happens when a baked potato and a potato chip have a meeting and agree that life is better as a team. You take potatoes, slice them thin (but not too thin — they need some substance), toss them in olive oil and seasoning, fan them out on a baking sheet, and roast until the edges are golden and crispy while the centres stay creamy and soft. The contrast is what makes them addictive. Crunchy outside, soft inside, seasoned all the way through.
This recipe went viral on Pinterest for a reason, and unlike most viral recipes, this one actually delivers. I’ve brought these to three potlucks in the past year and every single time someone grabs my arm and says “which one is your dish?” in that desperate way that means they’re going back for thirds and want to look me in the eye while doing it. I now get specifically requested to bring “the potatoes” to every gathering. I could bring other things. I could showcase my schabowy burgers or my air fryer onion ring chips. But the people have spoken. The potatoes are my assignment.
Why These Potatoes Are Different
Most roasted potato recipes cut them into chunks or wedges. These are sliced thin — about 3-4mm — and fanned out so each slice gets direct contact with the hot baking sheet. More surface area means more crust, more crust means more crunch, and more crunch means people lose control around them. It’s the same principle behind smash burgers — maximum surface area, maximum Maillard reaction, maximum deliciousness.
In Poland, we worship potatoes. Kopytka, placki ziemniaczane, boiled potatoes with dill — there’s barely a Polish meal that doesn’t involve a potato somewhere. These crispy sliced potatoes are my American adaptation of that Polish potato devotion. They’re less effort than kopytka, less messy than placki, and they pair with absolutely everything. My babcia would say they’re “too simple” and then eat the whole tray. That’s how it always went with babcia.
Ingredients
- • 2 pounds (900g) Yukon Gold potatoes — the best variety for this. Creamy inside, crispy outside.
- • 3 tablespoons olive oil
- • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika — always
- • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- • Salt and pepper
- • Fresh parsley for serving
- • Optional: grated parmesan, fresh rosemary, or ranch for dipping
How to Make Them
Slice
Slice the potatoes about 3-4mm thick. A mandoline makes this fast and uniform — every slice the same thickness means every slice cooks at the same rate. No mandoline? A sharp knife and steady hand work fine, just try to keep the thickness consistent. Too thin and they’ll burn. Too thick and the centres won’t get creamy before the edges char. The goldilocks zone is about the thickness of a coin.
Season
Toss the slices in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Make sure every slice is coated — the oil is what crisps them, and the seasoning is what makes people unable to stop eating them. Use your hands. Get messy. This isn’t the time for a delicate spatula approach.
Arrange and Roast
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the potato slices in rows, slightly overlapping like fallen dominoes. Don’t pile them — overlapping slightly is fine, but stacking means steaming instead of crisping. Roast at 220C / 425F for 25-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until the edges are deeply golden and crispy and the centres are tender.
Finish
Sprinkle with flaky salt, fresh parsley, and parmesan if using. Serve immediately. These don’t wait well — the crispness fades as they cool. Which is never a problem, because they disappear within minutes.
Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ Yukon Gold potatoes are the best choice. They have the right balance of starch and moisture — crispy outside, creamy inside. Russets work but are drier. Red potatoes stay too waxy.
✓ Consistent thickness is key. Uneven slices mean some burn while others are undercooked. A mandoline is the most reliable tool for this.
✓ High heat, single layer. 220C / 425F and enough space between slices. Low heat or overcrowding = steaming = soft, sad potatoes.
✓ Parchment paper saves your sanity. The potatoes will stick without it. Parchment means easy release and easy cleanup.
Variations
• Parmesan crusted: Sprinkle grated parmesan over the slices in the last 10 minutes of roasting. It melts, crisps, and forms a cheesy crust.
• Loaded: After roasting, top with sour cream, bacon bits, chives, and more cheese. Basically loaded potato skins in flat form.
• Rosemary garlic: Toss with fresh rosemary and minced garlic before roasting. Classic, elegant, crowd-pleasing.
• With schabowy: Serve alongside a breaded pork cutlet and mizeria for the ultimate Polish dinner with an American potato twist.
How to Store
Honestly, there are never leftovers. But if you somehow have restraint: fridge for 2-3 days, reheat in the oven at 200C / 400F for 8-10 minutes to re-crisp. Don’t microwave. Microwaved crispy potatoes are a crime against the potato community and I will not be an accessory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I prep these ahead?
You can slice and season them up to 2 hours before roasting. Keep them in the fridge in a sealed bag. Don’t go longer — the salt draws moisture from the potatoes and they won’t crisp as well. For a potluck, roast them right before leaving and transport them uncovered so they stay crispy.
Why aren’t mine getting crispy?
Three culprits: not enough oil, overcrowded pan, or oven not hot enough. Each slice needs contact with the hot pan surface and space for steam to escape. If they’re piled up, they steam each other. Spread them out, crank the heat, and don’t be shy with the olive oil.
What do these taste like?
Imagine a roasted potato that decided to get its life together. The outside is crispy like a chip — thin, golden, slightly oily in the best way. The inside is creamy and soft like a baked potato. The seasoning (especially the smoked paprika, which I will never stop putting on everything) coats each slice with a warmth that’s savoury and slightly smoky. They taste like something from a restaurant side dish menu, except they cost $2 worth of potatoes and take 10 minutes of actual work. The oven does the rest. The oven is the real hero of this recipe and I give it full credit.