Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

Crispy, creamy, classic. Garlic Parmesan Crusted Potatoes are one of our absolute favorite potato recipes. Is there any better taste sensation than biting through a crisp crust only to be greeted by pillowy soft insides? Only one thing comes to mind, and that’s when said crust is loaded with garlic and parmesan cheese.

Jump to:

• How to Make Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
• Recipe Notes and Tips
• Recipe Variations
• Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
• Ratings

I certainly enjoy trying trending recipes that boast new flavors, textures, or techniques, but if I’ve got to increase my efforts, then the output better be worth it.

There’s a certain recipe for parmesan crusted potatoes that’s trending on a certain clock app. And it’s good – real good. But it’s work – and in my very humble cooking opinion, it’s a lot of work for relatively little extra payoff. Personally, I’d much rather swap 15 minutes of extraneous knife work for 15 hands-free minutes of doing anything I want while my food is cooking.

Enter crispy parmesan potatoes, OSK style. No extra knife work. No parmesan cheese “marinades”. Just a simple toss, roast, flip, and crisp.

Because here’s the thing – when it comes to crispy potatoes seasoned with garlic and parmesan, there are two simple truths we can all embrace:

One, super simple prep work will always yield a delicious outcome. Our recipe stars, garlic and parmesan, do most of the heavy lifting all on their own. Grated parmesan cheese always gets crispy and delicious in a hot oven; and the right balance of garlic powder and Italian herbs is always crave-worthy – see our friends parmesan roasted cauliflower, garlic parmesan roasted broccoli, crispy parmesan asparagus, and parmesan zucchini fries for proof.

And two, temperature and space are the only true “must-haves” for mastering crispy oven roasted potatoes, so I promise it’s okay to skip the extra knife-work. The right amount of time in a hot oven and plenty of breathing room on the baking sheet yield crispy ranch potatoes, decadent roasted potatoes and carrots, and perfect parmesan roasted potatoes, too.

How to Make Crispy Parmesan Potatoes

Perfect parmesan roasted potatoes don’t require crafty maneuvers or classically-trained technique. Our straightforward recipe for parmesan crusted potatoes results in soft, buttery potato bites encased in a crispy shell of garlicky parmesan goodness. Use finely grated parmesan cheese for best texture, and season with the right combination of garlic powder and Italian herbs for balanced flavor.

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
2. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise (from “top” to “bottom” to expose the maximum amount of flesh) and place into a large mixing bowl.
3. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground pepper until evenly coated.
4. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese over potatoes, then toss again. Pro-tip: adding the parmesan after the potatoes have been thinly coated with oil and seasonings will prevent the cheese from clumping.
5. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer, cut side down. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, return the baking sheet to the oven, and roast 15 minutes longer.
7. Garnish parmesan potatoes with finely chopped parsley or basil, if desired. Serve right away, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Small baby potatoes work best – we prefer the mild and creamy flavor of baby yukon gold potatoes, but baby red bliss potatoes work well too.
• Don’t peel baby potatoes – their skins are thin, mild, and roast up to crispy tender perfection.
• Seasoning order matters. Toss the potatoes with olive oil and seasonings first, then add the cheese – this will prevent the delicate cheese from clumping too much.
• Use finely grated parmesan cheese, not shredded. There’s no need to grate your own, but if using a pre-grated cheese, make sure it’s just cheese with no additives, as the latter will prevent melting and browning.
• Roast cut side down first to achieve a good crust on the flesh side.
• Add more parmesan cheese halfway through roasting – this is where you get that crispy, crackling edge.

Recipe Variations

✔️ Make ’em in the air fryer! See our recipe for garlic parmesan air fryer potatoes.

✔️ Make ’em spicy: add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.

✔️ Make ’em smoky: add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.

✔️ Use what you’ve got: use baby gold potatoes, baby red bliss potatoes, or fingerling potatoes. Divide the potatoes in half lengthwise to expose as much of the interior as possible for coating and crisping.

✔️ Grate your own parmesan cheese: if you only have a block of parmesan cheese, you can finely grate your own:

• Option one: grate the cheese on the smallest holes of your box grater; then, run the cheese through your fingers to further crumble.
• Option two: shred the cheese using the larger holes on a box grater, then place the cheese into a blender or food processor (I use the smoothie cup attachment on my blender). Blend on high for 30-60 seconds or until the cheese is very finely grated.

Pro-Tip: grating your own cheese is much less expensive than buying pre-grated cheese! Pre-grated cheese can cost upwards of $20/pound while I can often buy a block of very good quality parmesan cheese for around $12/pound. Grated parmesan cheese freezes well, although we use it so frequently, I often don’t need to freeze it after grating in bulk.

Did you make these parmesan potatoes? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

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