James Martin Christmas Roast Potatoes Recipe

This easy Christmas roast potatoes recipe is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Cooked with garlic, rosemary, thyme, and rich beef dripping, these golden potatoes are perfect for holiday dinners or roast meals.

Ingredients Needed:

• 2½kg large Maris piper potatoes peeled and cut into quarters (roughly the same size)
• 10 sprig/s rosemary
• 14 sprig/s thyme
• 18 clove/s garlic, bashed with a knife
• 500g beef dripping
• 500g olive oil

For the herb salt:

• 20g salt
• 5 leaves sage
• ½ sprig/s rosemary, left picked
• 1 sprig/s thyme
• 2 juniper berries

How To Make Christmas Roast Potatoes Recipe?

1. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 180˚C.
2. Rinse the potatoes: Wash the peeled, cut potatoes under cold water for 5 minutes to remove starch.
3. Boil the potatoes: Put them in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 2 rosemary sprigs, 6 thyme sprigs, and 2 garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25–30 minutes until very soft. Drain and let them cool in a colander.
4. Heat the fat: Add beef dripping and olive oil to a large roasting tray. Place it in the oven for 15 minutes until hot and melted.
5. Roast the potatoes: Carefully add the potatoes and remaining garlic cloves to the hot tray. Stir gently to coat them in the fat. Roast for 1 hour, turning every 20 minutes.
6. Make the herb salt: Grind together the salt, sage, rosemary leaves, thyme, and juniper berries into a fine powder.
7. Finish roasting: Add the remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs. Roast for another 20–30 minutes until golden and crispy.
8. Season and serve: Drain on paper and sprinkle with 4 tsp of herb salt while still hot.

Recipe Tips:

• Boil the potatoes until very soft: Don’t stop when they’re just cooked. Let them get so soft they almost break apart—this helps create those crispy edges in the oven.
• Let the potatoes dry fully after boiling: Leave them in the colander to steam dry. Any extra moisture will stop them from crisping up in the fat.
• Use a large roasting tray with space: Make sure the potatoes aren’t stacked or touching too much. Space between them helps every side go crispy and golden.
• Get the fat hot before adding potatoes: Heat the beef dripping and oil until it’s sizzling—this gives you that instant crust when the potatoes hit the tray.
• Season while hot with herb salt: Sprinkle the herb salt as soon as they come out of the oven so the flavors stick better and melt into the crispy surface.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

• Refrigerate: Let the leftover roast potatoes cool down completely at room temperature. Once cooled, place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Set the air fryer to 190°C. Reheat the potatoes for 5–7 minutes until hot and crisp again.

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Total Fat: 28g
• Saturated Fat: 13g
• Cholesterol: 35mg
• Sodium: 360mg
• Potassium: 940mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 42g
• Dietary Fiber: 5g
• Sugars: 2g
• Protein: 5g

Try More James Martin Recipes:

• James Martin Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
• James Martin White Bread Recipe

James Martin Christmas Roast Potatoes Recipe

Course: Side DishCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Calories

420

kcal

This easy Christmas roast potatoes recipe is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Cooked with garlic, rosemary, thyme, and rich beef dripping, these golden potatoes are perfect for holiday dinners or roast meals.

Ingredients

• 2½kg large Maris piper potatoes peeled and cut into quarters (roughly the same size)

• 10 sprig/s rosemary

• 14 sprig/s thyme

• 18 clove/s garlic, bashed with a knife

• 500g beef dripping

• 500g olive oil

• For the herb salt:

• 20g salt

• 5 leaves sage

• ½ sprig/s rosemary, left picked

• 1 sprig/s thyme

• 2 juniper berries

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 180˚C.
• Rinse the potatoes: Wash the peeled, cut potatoes under cold water for 5 minutes to remove starch.
• Boil the potatoes: Put them in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add 2 rosemary sprigs, 6 thyme sprigs, and 2 garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25–30 minutes until very soft. Drain and let them cool in a colander.
• Heat the fat: Add beef dripping and olive oil to a large roasting tray. Place it in the oven for 15 minutes until hot and melted.
• Roast the potatoes: Carefully add the potatoes and remaining garlic cloves to the hot tray. Stir gently to coat them in the fat. Roast for 1 hour, turning every 20 minutes.
• Make the herb salt: Grind together the salt, sage, rosemary leaves, thyme, and juniper berries into a fine powder.
• Finish roasting: Add the remaining rosemary and thyme sprigs. Roast for another 20–30 minutes until golden and crispy.
• Season and serve: Drain on paper and sprinkle with 4 tsp of herb salt while still hot.

Notes

• Boil the potatoes until very soft: Don’t stop when they’re just cooked. Let them get so soft they almost break apart—this helps create those crispy edges in the oven.
• Let the potatoes dry fully after boiling: Leave them in the colander to steam dry. Any extra moisture will stop them from crisping up in the fat.
• Use a large roasting tray with space: Make sure the potatoes aren’t stacked or touching too much. Space between them helps every side go crispy and golden.
• Get the fat hot before adding potatoes: Heat the beef dripping and oil until it’s sizzling—this gives you that instant crust when the potatoes hit the tray.
• Season while hot with herb salt: Sprinkle the herb salt as soon as they come out of the oven so the flavors stick better and melt into the crispy surface.