The Unique Oil For Extra Crispy Roast Potatoes

A beautifully roasted potato is mouth-watering and delicious, not to mention versatile. Serve them alongside eggs and bacon for breakfast or as a side to fried fish or a pork chop at dinner. The roasted potato's crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior is enjoyable any time of the day and can be achieved with hot oil. But one oil stands out for its superior ability to add extra crunch to those roasted spuds.

Traditionally, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, and canola oil are used for roasting potatoes. But while not as commonly used, sunflower oil is an even better option for the roasted potatoes of your dreams. 

The taste of sunflower oil won't overwhelm the potatoes (although unrefined, as opposed to refined, can have a slightly nutty, buttery flavor) and when used instead of oils higher in saturated fats, like coconut oil or palm oil, high oleic sunflower oil is believed to help reduce the risk of heart disease, per Healthline.

More importantly? Because sunflower oil has a smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit, potatoes are less likely to burn and will turn out perfectly golden and crispy.

When it comes to roasting potatoes in sunflower oil, it's important to use enough to coat the potatoes and to fill the pan, or a crunchy crust might be too thin or never created. It's also key to make sure the oil is hot enough to create that crispy exterior. One way to heat the oil is to pour some into a pan and place it in your preheating oven. After about 5 minutes, the pan can be removed and the potatoes placed in the hot oil (they should sizzle upon meeting the oil). When the potatoes go back in the oven for roasting, they will already be wrapped in hot oil to make the cooking process seamless. 

Next time you want to make the ultimate crunchy roasted potato, push the canola oil to the back of the pantry and reach for the many benefits of sunflower oil.