How To Reheat Roast Potatoes – I Test 4 Methods [Pics]

This article was updated on 29th August 2023 for clarity and freshness.

Leftover roast potatoes are too good to throw away, but how can you restore them to their former, deliciously crispy, glory? I tested four different reheating methods to find out.

You can reheat roast potatoes in the oven, air fryer, or skillet. To use the oven, preheat it to 400ºF (200ºC) with the greased baking tray inside and then heat the potatoes for 8-12 minutes, turning halfway through. Avoid using the microwave if you don’t want soggy skins.

How I tested reheating roast potatoes

I made a big batch of my famous roast potatoes over the weekend and set aside a few for my reheating experiment. I had to hide them behind the pickles in the fridge to make sure they didn’t get eaten!

The next day, I tested reheating them in four different ways:

• In the oven: A reliable method.
• In a skillet: Good for individual servings.
• In an air fryer: The best method if you have one.
• In the microwave: Not recommended.

I was looking for crispy skin, and a soft, fluffy inside. I also evaluated how easy and convenient each method was.

Related: How To Reheat Potato Wedges

Reheating roast potatoes in the oven

Time: 8-12 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Grease a baking sheet with a fat of your choice* and place it in the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) with the greased baking tray inside.
3. Carefully arrange potatoes in a single layer on the preheated baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd because this will lead to uneven heating.
4. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes periodically.
5. Enjoy!

Oil or butter are easy, but if you can use the fat you used in the initial cooking, that’s your best option to ensure a consistent flavor. I used goose fat for example.

Preheating the fat before adding the potatoes to the baking sheet prevents it from being soaked into the potatoes and results in crispier skin. Just be careful when handling the tray, because being splashed by hot oil is not a fun experience!

Top tip: Use tongs to flip the potatoes if you have them.

Results: The oven was the slowest method, but it gave reliable, decent results – the potatoes weren’t as crispy as fresh ones, but they weren’t soggy either. Overall I’d recommend this method, especially if you have a lot of potatoes to reheat.

Reheating roast potatoes in a skillet

Time: 4-6 minutes
Rating: 8/10

1. Add oil or butter to a nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmering (this indicates it’s hot enough).
2. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with water before putting them in the pan. Cover the pan with a well-fitting lid.
3. Heat for 1-2 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.
5. Fry the potatoes for 3-4 minutes, turning frequently so all the sides crisp evenly.

Covering the skillet with a lid for the first couple of minutes of cooking helps rehydrate the potatoes and heat the middle. I thought the lid might result in soggy skins, but this turned out not to be the case. Yay!

It’s important to heat the oil (or whatever fat you’re using) before adding the potatoes to the skillet. Otherwise, the potatoes will soak up the oil and get greasy. To test your oil, drop a breadcrumb into the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. If nothing happens, the oil is too cold.

Pro tip: If you have super-sized potatoes, cut them in half before frying them so you don’t end up with cold middles and burnt outsides.

Results: The skillet was my second favorite way to reheat roast potatoes. The insides stayed moist while the outsides crisped nicely. It’s very efficient too if you only have a few potatoes.

Reheating roast potatoes in an air fryer

Time: 5 minutes
Rating: 10/10

1. Set your air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC).
2. Optionally spray a light coating of oil on the potatoes before spreading them out in the fryer basket.
3. Heat for around 5 minutes, shaking halfway through.

A light coating of cooking oil helps the potatoes crisp up and also adds a bit of flavor. But if your potatoes already seem quite greasy, you can skip the oil. The residual oil in the potatoes’ skin will do the job fine.

Pay close attention to the potatoes as they reheat. It’s very easy to overcook things in an air fryer because the heat is so strong.

Results: This was my favorite way to reheat roast potatoes. The cook time was fast, and the potatoes were super crispy on the outside and moist on the inside – just like they should be. If you don’t have an air fryer yet… this is your sign to get one!

Reheating roast potatoes in the microwave

Time: up to 2 minutes
Rating: 3/10

1. Line a microwave-safe plate with a paper towel.
2. Arrange potatoes on the plate in a single layer, making sure to keep some space between each potato.
3. Microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through (up to 2 minutes).

The paper towel on the plate will help absorb any excess grease that might seep out of potatoes from the initial cooking, so they’re not sitting in a puddle of oil.

Once the potatoes are hot, aim to eat them as soon as possible. After the potatoes started to cook down, they got really dry and chewy. It was kind of like eating cardboard!

Results: The microwave was fast, but didn’t result in pleasant reheated roast potatoes at all. The insides were moist, but the outsides were soggy, limp, and gross. I definitely don’t recommend using a microwave.

How to store roast potatoes

It’s very easy to store roast potatoes, but you have to take a couple of steps to make sure you don’t end up with super soggy potatoes when you go to reheat them.

Store leftover roast potatoes in an airtight container lined with a paper towel. The paper towel will absorb any extra moisture that may seep out of the potatoes (even if they’re completely cool, this can’t be completely avoided). They’ll last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Before storing, make sure your potatoes have cooled to room temperature. Otherwise, condensation will build up inside the container and drip back down on the potatoes.

Also, avoid letting the potatoes touch each other too much. Points where the skins touch will become soggy much quicker than potatoes that have space. 

Can you freeze roast potatoes?

Roast potatoes freeze well for up to 6 months.

How to freeze roast potatoes:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (to prevent sticking) and spread the potatoes out on it.
2. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for one to two hours.
3. After 2 hours, the potatoes should be frozen solid and you can transfer them to a freezer bag.
4. Remove all air, or as much as possible, from the bag before sealing.
5. Place in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Getting rid of the air in the bag is a crucial step for preventing freezer burn. Squeezing the air out works okay, but a cool trick a friend taught me is to fill a bowl with cool water and slowly submerge the bag until the potatoes are underwater. 

This essentially vacuum seals the potatoes, as the water forces all the air out. Seal the bag before taking it out of the water, and you’re ready to pop it in the freezer.

If you happen to have a FoodSaver or similar vacuum sealer, this is another great option for longer storage of your leftover roast potatoes in the freezer.

The first few steps involve ‘flash freezing’ the potatoes. This prevents them from sticking together in the freezer, so you don’t have to thaw a huge batch only to use a few potatoes. If you freeze, thaw, and then refreeze roast potatoes repeatedly, they’ll become soggy and flavorless over time.

How to reheat frozen roast potatoes

There’s no need to thaw your roast potatoes before cooking them. I recommend using the oven to reheat frozen roast potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) with a greased baking tray inside. Then arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet and heat them for 20-25 minutes, flipping periodically.

I don’t advise thawing the roast potatoes before you reheat them because this can leave you with mushy skins. But, if you do decide to thaw your potatoes before reheating them, make sure you put them in the fridge to thaw and do not thaw at room temperature.

How To Reheat Roast Potatoes [Tested Methods]

Leftover roast potatoes are too good to throw away, but how can to restore them to their former, deliciously crispy, glory? I tested four different reheating methods to find out.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 minute min

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 11 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine British

Servings 1 person

Calories 142 kcal

Equipment

• baking sheet

Ingredients

  

• 1 portion roast potato
• 3 tbsp oil/butter/fat

Instructions

 

• Grease a baking sheet with a fat of your choice* and place in the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) with the greased baking tray inside.
• Carefully arrange potatoes in a single layer on the preheated baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd because this will lead to uneven heating.
• Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes periodically.

Notes

*Oil or butter are easy, but if you can use the fat you used in the initial cooking, that’s your best option to ensure a consistent flavor. 

Preheating the oil before adding the potatoes to the baking sheet prevents it from being soaked into the potatoes and results in crispier skin. 

Just be careful when handling the tray, as being splashed by hot oil is not a fun experience. 

Top tip: use tongs to flip the potatoes if you have them.

Keyword how to reheat roast potato, roast potato