These Duck Fat Potatoes have a deep golden crunchy outside with a soft fluffy inside. They are my go-to side dish for Christmas, Easter, or any Sunday roast when I have special guests, and they are always the first to go! Duck fat instead of oil gives a thicker, crunchier crust and a richer taste, and they don't taste of duck.
You can par-boil them a day ahead, or freeze them ready for the oven and save time when you're hosting a big roast dinner.
You only need a few ingredients, and duck fat does the trick for the ultimate golden crisp roast potatoes that are hard to stop eating! I made these in hotel kitchens for years, and I still use the same recipe at home.
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Why This Recipe Works?
- Duck fat gives you a crust that oil will never match.
- They hold up on the table instead of going soft a few minutes out of the oven.
- There isn't much to it, just potatoes, duck fat, garlic, rosemary and seasoning.
- Par-boil them the day before or freeze them ready to roast, so there's less to do when you're hosting.
- Swap the duck fat for olive oil and they're vegan.
- The step photos show you what each stage should look like.
Duck Fat
Duck fat is the fat rendered from a duck, and you use it the way you would oil or butter. It has a high smoke point, 190° C (374° F), so it takes a hot oven without burning.
Most supermarkets sell duck fat now. You can order it online, or render your own.
Duck Fat or Goose Fat?
There's very little in it. Duck fat browns a shade darker and a little faster, and the difference in taste is slight. Goose fat usually costs more. Use whichever one you can get.
Storing and Reusing Duck Fat
Pour the fat left in the tray through a fine mesh strainer into a clean jar once it has cooled. It keeps in the fridge for about a month, or in the freezer for up to six months.
Use it again for the next batch of potatoes, or for frying eggs and sautéing vegetables. Strain it every time, and throw it out if it smells sour or looks darker than it did.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Potatoes - You want a floury potato that goes fluffy inside. Maris Piper, King Edward and Desiree in the UK, Russets and Yukon Golds in the US, Sebago or Dutch Cream in Australia. Waxy salad potatoes stay dense and won't fluff up.
- Duck Fat - A jar or a tub from the supermarket is all you need. Use olive oil for a vegan version.
- Rosemary - Fresh sprigs, straight into the hot fat. Thyme, oregano or sage work the same way.
- Garlic - Use whole garlic cloves with the skin on them to prevent them from burning.
- Seasoning - Plenty of salt. I add paprika and black pepper, and you can leave those out if you prefer.
How to Make Duck Fat Potatoes?
Par-boil the Potatoes
Preheat your oven to 200° C (390° F). A hot oven is what gives them that thick golden crust. Gather your ingredients together as the oven heats up.
Start with peeling the potatoes and cutting them into even-sized chunky pieces.
Place them in a pan with plenty of cold water. Bring the water to a boil on medium heat and then cook the potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes, until they're slightly softened.
Roast the Potatoes
Drain the potatoes in a colander and then shake the colander to fluff them up. Let them cool down while heating the duck fat.
Place the duck fat in the roasting tray and heat it until piping hot in the oven. When the fat is hot enough, add the seasoning, garlic, and rosemary to the fat.
Transfer the potatoes to the tray and give it a good stir to cover the potatoes with fat and seasoning.
Place the tray in the hot oven and bake the potatoes for 30 minutes. Give them a shake, turn the oven down to 180° C (350° F), and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until they're golden and crispy outside.
Air Fryer Duck Fat Potatoes
The air fryer comes handy when the oven is full at Christmas. Par-boil the potatoes and rough them up exactly as you would for the oven.
Toss them in the duck fat, then cook them at 200° C (390° F) for 25 minutes. Shake the basket at 15 minutes and put them back for the last 10.
Work in batches rather than filling the basket, and keep them in a single layer. About 1 lb 5 oz (600 g) at a time suits most baskets, with three tablespoons of duck fat.
Make Ahead, Freezing and Reheating
You can get the potatoes to the roughed-up stage a day ahead. Spread them on a tray, let them cool, then keep them covered in the fridge. Roast them straight from cold and give them five to ten extra minutes.
For Christmas I freeze them instead. Par-boil, rough up, cool them completely, then freeze them spread out on a tray before you bag them up. They keep for up to three months. Roast them from frozen with no defrosting, straight into the hot fat, and add about 10 to 15 minutes.
Leftovers keep for three days in the fridge. I fry them for breakfast, or drop them into a bowl of Turkish Red Lentil Soup. Reheat them in a hot oven at 220° C (425° F) for ten to fifteen minutes, or give them eight to ten minutes in the air fryer.
If they're ready before the rest of the dinner, hold them in a low oven at around 100° C (210° F) for up to an hour.
What to Serve Duck Fat Potatoes With?
These go with any roast dinner. At Christmas they sit next to Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken, or with my Turkey Leg Recipe if it's a small table.
A day later, the leftover meat goes into a Leftover Turkey Pot Pie with Homemade Shortcrust. For a Sunday roast, try them with Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, Braised Chuck Roast, or Beef Sirloin Tip Roast, which all give you plenty of gravy. They're just as good next to Rice Stuffed Chicken.
On the side, Cauliflower Cheese and Swede and Carrot Mash are the two I make most often with them. Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans adds something green to the plate, and Homemade Mini Pigs in a Blanket go on at Christmas.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Cut the potatoes to the same size so they finish at the same time.
- Let the drained potatoes steam dry in the colander before they go into the hot fat. Wet potatoes won't crisp.
- Don't skimp on the duck fat. It's what gives them the flavor and the crust.
- Get the fat properly hot in the oven before the potatoes go in.
- Shake the colander hard enough to rough the edges up. Those rough edges are what turn crunchy.
- Go by color rather than the clock. Ovens vary, so start checking once they look deep gold.
- Give the tray room. Potatoes packed tight steam instead of roasting, so use two trays if you need to.
- Salt them again as they come out of the oven.
Recipe FAQs
The usual reasons are wet potatoes going into the fat, fat that wasn't hot enough, or too many potatoes on one tray. Any of the three leaves you with a pale, soft skin instead of a crust.
You can, and they will taste fine, but the outside stays smooth and much less crunchy. A raw potato has no softened surface to rough up, and those rough edges are where the crunch comes from.
I use 2 ½ oz (70 g) for 2 lbs (1 kg) of potatoes. Having enough to coat every piece matters more than the exact weight.
It tastes richer than oil, and it doesn't taste of duck. The potatoes just taste like very good roast potatoes.
Yes. There's no flour and no dairy in them, so they work for gluten free and dairy free tables. Check the label on the jar if you're cooking for someone celiac.
Related Recipes
More potato recipes to try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these crispy and perfectly roasted Duck Fat Potatoes as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
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Duck Fat Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lbs potatoes (1 kg)
- 2 ½ oz duck fat (70 g)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200° C (390° F).
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into even-sized chunky pieces.
- Place the potatoes in a pan with plenty of water and bring to a boil on medium heat.
- Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are slightly softened.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and then shake the colander to fluff them up.
- Let them cool down while heating the duck fat until piping hot in the roasting tray.
- When the fat is hot enough, add the seasoning, garlic, and rosemary to the fat.
- Transfer the potatoes to the tray and give it a good stir to cover the potatoes with fat and seasoning.
- Place the tray in the hot oven and bake the potatoes for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, give them a shake, turn the oven down to 180° C (350° F) and cook for another 15 minutes until they are crispy and golden outside.
Notes
- Cut the potatoes to a similar size so they all cook at the same rate.
- Par-boil until the surface is just starting to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. That rough edge is what turns into the crust.
- Drain them and let them steam dry in the colander before they go into the hot fat.
- Don't skimp on the duck fat, it adds flavor and crispiness to the potatoes.
- Go by color rather than the clock. Ovens vary, so start checking once they look deep gold.
- Floury potatoes give you the best crust. Maris Piper or King Edward in the UK, russets or Yukon Golds in the US.
- Goose fat works in exactly the same way if that is what you have in the fridge.
- You can par-boil the potatoes a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, or freeze them on a tray once dry and roast them from frozen with an extra 10 minutes.
Doran Morgan says
Can you parboil these potatoes the day before? Thanks
Ayla Clulee says
Hi Doran, you can parboil the potatoes, cover them with duck fat and keep them refrigerated overnight in a container with a lid.
Doran Morgan says
Thank you very much for your reply! I’m cooking these for a rehearsal dinner. These are a big hit with my family and have made them many times! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Ayla Clulee says
I am so pleased to hear that, Doran!
Best wishes
Ayla x
Elena says
Sooo good! Straight to my favourites! Thank you 🙂
Chris says
Delicious ! Came out perfectly
Carl says
These are hands down the best roast potatoes I have ever made. This recipe is perfection and a new family favourite. Thank you!
Sammy says
They came out perfectly! So delicious and crispy.
Hannah says
Delicious, I make these potatoes often. They’re always a hit!
Kelly says
These are seriously CRISPY! If you want extra crispy potatoes, this is how you do it. Very tasty.
Lizzie says
Just made this and turned up absolutely perfect!! My husband and my son loved it. Thanks!
Gemma says
Amazing recipe! Perfect roast potatoes each time, thank you for the recipe.
Lucia says
So light and crunchy, thank you very much for sharing.
Ayla Clulee says
My pleasure, thanks for sharing your experience Lucia!
Best wishes
Ayla