Crispy, salty potatoes make the perfect side dish, appetizer, or snack, especially when paired with creamy garlic aioli. This irresistible combination is so easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser!
If you were to ask me what my favorite type of side dish recipe is, there’s a very good chance the answer would include potatoes and garlic. It’s a combination that was made for the ages. One that you absolutely cannot go wrong with, and these crispy potato bits paired with my lazy garlic aioli are no exception.
These diced potatoes are perfect to serve alongside a filet of fish, cauliflower steaks, or even a game-day snack. If you want more of a finger-food type appetizer, turn the potatoes into potato wedges and enjoy just the same with the creamy garlic aioli.
No matter when you choose to serve them, you’re going to love the minimal work it takes to prepare, and that the oven basically does all of the work.
Ingredients for Crispy Roasted Potatoes
This recipe is SO easy to make with a few simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: These potatoes are slighly sweet with a smooth texture and waxy skin – one that is thin enough that doesn’t require peeling.
- Salt: I recommend using kosher salt or a coarse sea salt for excellent coverage. Freshly ground black pepper is a good addition, too!
- Rosemary is a delicious garnish, just finely chop it and toss it with the potatoes after baking (not required though).
- Roasted Garlic Aioli: Once you make this aioli, you will be having it with just about everything. Here’s what you need for my shortcut version of aioli:
- Garlic: Roasting the garlic in the oven while the potatoes bake turns the garlic mellow, creating the most delectable flavor!
- Mayonnaise: This is my shortcut…check out my shortcut aioli post for my details about why. This is the creamy base of this quick aioli.
- Lemon Juice: Bright and a little acidic. I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
How to Make Potatoes with Aioli
The first step is to cut the potatoes. When making them for a side dish, I like to make small dice to encourage more crisping of the outside of the potato and it makes them the perfect size for grabbing them with your fork and dipping them right into the aioli.
Cut the potato into planks, about 4 planks per potato, depending on its size. Cut the planks into strips, then cut the strips into about 1/2 inch dice. Once you have the cubed potatoes, place them on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Make sure the potatoes are coated in olive oil evenly so they are able to properly crisp up!
Before baking them, prepare the garlic for roasting too, so they can both bake at the same time. You may even want to start the garlic first, depending on the size of your garlic bulb (if it’s huge, it’s going to take longer to roast).
Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and place it on a piece of foil. Lightly drizzle it with olive oil and a pinch of salt, then wrap the foil all around the bulb. Roast until the cloves are tender.
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the mayonnaise, with the lemon juice, and stir to combine, mashing the cloves as you go. Taste test for salt levels, then chill until you’re ready to serve it.
Once the potatoes are crispy, it’s time to enjoy!
Should Potatoes Soak Before Roasting?
When I’m making homemade french fries, I do soak the potatoes in hot water to remove some of the starch and encourage crisping.
However, I don’t find it necessary with this recipe, since we are dicing the potatoes small enough that they get crispy on their own. If you want to soak them before baking, you absolutely can!
What to Serve with Crispy Potatoes and Aioli
As I mentioned, this recipe is excellent served as a side dish with your favorite family dinners, but it’s also great as an appetizer or snack.
For dinner, they pair well with non-starchy main dishes…you know how the saying goes, good ol’ meat and potatoes. Potatoes go well with baked salmon or even teriyaki salmon, or spicy shrimp skewers.
For a full vegetarian meal, I recommend pairing them with whole roasted cauliflower, cauliflower steaks, or even stuffed portabella mushrooms.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to enjoy again, I recommend reheating them in the oven or air fryer to crisp them right back up again.
Store the aioli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, as long as there’s no cross-contamination (like any food pieces in it). Use it for leftover potatoes, turn it into a caesar salad dressing, or spread it on sandwiches. There are so many uses for it – you’ll be loving it with more than just potatoes!
Crispy Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Aioli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Yukon Gold potatoes , diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 – 1½ Tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt, more or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)
Roasted Garlic Aioli
- 1 garlic bulb
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Toss diced potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out evenly across a baking sheet. If potatoes do not seem to have enough oil, drizzle more; you want them to have a slight shine.
- Prepare the roasted garlic by cutting off the top of the garlic bulb. Place it on a piece of foil, drizzle a little olive oil on the top, and a pinch of salt. Wrap the foil around the bulb of garlic.
- Place the potatoes and garlic in the oven. Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes, without turning. Then, toss potatoes, using a strong spatula to scrape them up in order to keep the crisp edges intact. Cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove the potatoes once tender and crispy, and remove the garlic bulb at the same time, when the cloves are tender.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb and into the mixture, using a fork or kitchen shears to break them apart and stir them into the mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the potatoes with rosemary, if using. Serve with the aioli and enjoy! Store leftover aioli in the fridge in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.