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If you’re looking for an easy, crowd-pleasing side dish that goes with absolutely everything, these Crispy Parmesan Potatoes are it! They’re perfectly golden and crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and packed with irresistible parmesan flavor.
This simple recipe turns ordinary baby potatoes into something special. The secret? You spread a layer of parmesan cheese, herbs and spices, and olive oil on a sheet pan before placing the potatoes cut-side down. As they roast, the cheese melts, caramelizes, and forms a deliciously crispy crust. Every bite is buttery, savory, and just a bit addictive!
Whether you’re serving them alongside rotisserie chicken, or lemon pepper salmon, these potatoes will be the first thing to disappear from the table.
Why You’ll Love These Parmesan Baked Potatoes
- Crispy and cheesy: The parmesan forms a golden crust that adds a salty, nutty crunch.
- Simple ingredients: Just a handful of pantry staples and 10 minutes of prep!
- Oven or air-fryer friendly: works beautifully either way!
- Perfect side dish to any meal: Easy enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for holidays!
How to Make Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
- Gather up your easy ingredients! Just baby red potatoes or baby gold potatoes, olive oil or avocado oil, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, onion powder, paprika, and sea salt.
- Prep the oven by preheating to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the parmesan, oil, spices and herbs in a small bowl. Spread the mixture evenly over the parchment paper.
- Arrange the potatoes. Slice each potato in half and place them cut-side down directly on top of the parmesan mixture.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the papers are tender and the bottoms are golden and crisp.
Tips for Success! And the Air Fryer Method
- Use parchment paper! It prevents sticking and ensures the cheese crisps properly instead of burning.
- Try other cheeses such as asiago or pecorino for different flavors.
- You can easily re-heat these in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes at 350. I would place them parmesan side up and cover with foil.
- Air fryer method: Cook at 400 F for 15 – 18 minutes. This method works best if your oven has an air fryer setting.
Crispy Parmesan Sheet Pan Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs baby gold or red potatoes, , halved
- 3 tbsp olive oil, (divided)
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This helps prevent sticking and makes cleanup easy.
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp oil, parmesan cheese, minced garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly over the parchment paper. A potato half will sit on the the parmesan crust.
- Place each potato cut side down on top of the parmesan. Brush the top of each potato with a little more oil, and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes (depending on oven), or until potatoes are tender and bottoms golden and crisp.
- Let the potatoes rest for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan. This also allows the crust to get firm. Then gently use a spatula to gently lift each potato from the pan and serve. Top with parsley if using.
