How to Make the Crispy ‘TikTok Potatoes’ People Can’t Stop Talking About

This method ensures perfectly crispy potatoes, every time!

Mashed or roasted, deep-fried or boiled, I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like. But there’s something extra tasty about the TikTok potatoes created by Jeremy Scheck. With their crispy, seasoned outside, and starchy, soft inside, it’s no wonder the original video has over 20 million views! His method includes boiling and baking the potatoes, so we tried the same and added our own touch for some guaranteed crunch as you go.

How to Make TikTok Potatoes

This recipe, inspired by Jeremy’s method, was developed in our Test Kitchen. It serves 6 people, about 1 potato per person.

Ingredients

Ingredients For Tiktok Crispy Potatoes Risa Lichtman For TohRisa Lichtman For Taste of Home

  • 3 pounds medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks (about 6 potatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Chopped fresh parsley
  • Parmesan cheese

Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven and boil potatoes

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the cut potatoes in a large saucepan with 2 quarts of water. Stir in the baking soda and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and cook uncovered until almost tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 2: Add olive oil and seasoning to the bottom of your dish

Prepare your baking dish by coating the bottom with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the garlic powder and pepper over it.

Step 3: Add potatoes to baking dish

Lay Out Potatoes For Tiktok Crispy Potatoes Risa Lichtman For TohRisa Lichtman For Taste of Home

Add the boiled potatoes with 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil to the baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and toss the potatoes around in the seasoning. Arrange the potato pieces about 1 inch apart.

Step 4: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle Cheese On Tiktok Crispy Potatoes Risa Lichtman For TohRisa Lichtman For Taste of Home

Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the potatoes.

Step 5: Bake the potatoes

Put Potatoes In Oven For Tiktok Crispy Potatoes Risa Lichtman For TohRisa Lichtman For Taste of Home

Roast potatoes for around 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until crispy and browned. Turn off the oven and let them sit another 10 minutes in the cooling oven.

Step 6: Serve and enjoy

Serve The Tiktok Crispy Potatoes Risa Lichtman For TohRisa Lichtman For Taste of Home

Remove potatoes from the baking dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Why are TikTok potatoes so crispy?

Plenty of roasted potatoes don’t require boiling first, but in this case the par-boiling is important. Cooking them in salted water before roasting gives them extra flavor, but it’s the addition of baking soda that makes the magic happen.

Taste of Home senior food editor Peggy Woodward explains that “adding baking soda to the cooking water creates an alkaline environment, which breaks down the exterior of the potato, creating a soft, pasty layer. When that pasty layer is baked, the moisture evaporates, leaving behind an extra crispy exterior.”

Tips for Making Crispy TikTok Potatoes

Up Close Of Tiktok Crispy Potatoes Risa Lichtman For TohRisa Lichtman For Taste of Home

How do you store leftover TikTok potatoes?

Store your potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in the oven at 400° for about 5 minutes until they crisp back up.

What other types of oil can you use to make crispy potatoes?

If you don’t want to toss your potatoes with olive oil, you have a few alternatives. Bacon fat or butter would be a good swap for the olive oil, or even duck fat if you have that on hand!

What other seasonings can you put on crispy potatoes?

Our recipe includes a fairly basic combination of seasonings, so feel free to spice it up. Scheck uses paprika, oregano and Old Bay seasoning, which would all be great additions. Dried rosemary, cumin and ground mustard would also be good choices.

What type of potatoes should I use?

Knowing which types of potatoes to use in different cooking methods is key to successful potato recipes. Using the wrong spud can result in a potato salad that falls apart when you stir it or mashed potatoes that become gummy when overworked.

We chose russet potatoes for this recipe, which are high in starch compared to red or waxy potatoes. This helps them absorb more water and allows the exterior to break down more than a waxy potato would.

What do you serve with TikTok potatoes?

Treat the crispy potatoes like you would fries and serve them with hamburgers, hot dogs or any other favorite grilling recipes. Otherwise, baked salmon or steak would serve as wonderful pairs for crispy potatoes. A green side salad would round out the meal well.

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Risa Lichtman
Risa Lichtman is a chef and writer living in Portland, Oregon. She is the owner/chef of Lepage Food & Drinks, a small food company featuring Jewish seasonal foods, providing takeaway all around Portland. She has previously published poems in Poetica Magazine, the anthology The Art of Bicycling, Maggid: A Journal of Jewish Literature, and The Dos Passos Review. She lives with her wife Jamie, their dog Isaac, and their cat Sylvia. Follow her at @risaexpizza, or find her delicious food offerings on @lepagefoodanddrinks.