Last Updated on 09/08/2024 by Adina
The polenta roast potatoes are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside; these baked crusted potatoes are a perfect side dish for any occasion.
Make some delicious polenta potatoes; they are so good! They are a simple yet impressive side dish or light main dish. All you need are potatoes, a bit of polenta (cornmeal), a little olive oil, and some spices. And less than an hour of your time.
And if you like polenta as much as we do, learn How to Cook Polenta (Mamaliga), make an Italian Polenta and Spinach Bake, or make the Best Polenta Orange Cake ever!
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Recipe ingredients
Baking/roasting potatoes. They are floury and perfect for making roast potatoes or mashed potatoes.
- US: Yukon Gold
- UK: Buy Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes.
Olive oil to help the cornmeal adhere to the potato wedges and for the flavor.
Polenta (cornmeal): Creates a deliciously crunchy crust.
Spices: Fine sea salt (or Kosher salt), garlic powder, sweet paprika, and smoked paprika.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to roast polenta-crusted potatoes?
- Prepare potatoes: Wash and peel them. Halve and cut each half into 3-4 thick wedges. Place them in a large bowl and rub them well with olive oil.
- Mix the spices and cornmeal in a small bowl (1).
- Add the polenta mixture to the potatoes, shake, and turn them well so that all the wedges are covered with it (2).
- Arrange the wedges in a single layer on the baking tray (3). Don’t stress about arranging the potatoes on the baking sheet the way I did; I don’t even know why I did it, probably because I thought it would look nice in the pictures. But actually, I rarely have the patience for that.
- Roast the polenta potatoes for about 40 – 45 minutes, flipping halfway through or until the potato flesh is very soft and the crust is crispy.
Good to know!
Use other spices. Whatever you like, either a mix of your own or a store-bought spice mixture. I like them with Cajun spices, Ras-el-hanout, or Italian herbs.
Make sure that the polenta roast potatoes have enough room on the baking sheet, arrange them in a single layer, and ensure that they don’t touch each other too much. If you make a large batch, it’s better to use two trays.
Recipe FAQs
I never do this for this recipe; it’s an extra step that I don’t find necessary; the polenta potatoes are perfectly crunchy and fluffy as they are without the extra trouble.
Sure, melt it before adding it to the potatoes.
Your oven probably needed to be hotter. Ensure that you place the polenta potatoes in the preheated oven and that the temperature is 230°C/ 450°F.
Polenta roast potatoes are best served immediately.
However, you can reheat the leftovers in the preheated oven at 200°C/400°F for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
How to serve them?
Side dish for any kind of meaty dish. We love them with this Balsamic Beef (in the Dutch Oven), Butterflied Roast Chicken, Pan-Fried Marinated Chicken Breast, Spicy Pork Roast, Brats in the Oven, Easy Veal Roast, and so on. Try them on Thanksgiving or Christmas with Dutch Oven Turkey, Slow Cooker Turkey Legs (with Gravy), or Red Wine Turkey.
Main dish with a salad, roasted or pickled vegetables, yogurt, or chili dip. Or serve them with Creamy Cheesy Leeks.
More roasted potato recipes
Recipe
Polenta Roast Potatoes (Cornmeal Potatoes)
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs potatoes 1 kg, Note 1
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons polenta (cornmeal)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder Note 2
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F/ 230°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut potatoes: Wash and peel them. Halve them and cut each half into 3 or 4 thick slices, depending on the size of the potatoes. Place them in a large bowl, add the olive oil, and mix well to coat.2 lbs potatoes / 1 kg + 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Polenta mixture: In a small bowl, mix together the polenta, salt, garlic powder, and paprika powder. Sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes and shake the bowl thoroughly to ensure that all the potatoes are covered with polenta.3 tablespoons polenta + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon paprika powder + ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- Roast: Arrange the wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for about 40 – 45 minutes or until the potato flesh is very soft and the crust is crispy. Check with a fork; they should be completely tender.
Notes
- Potatoes: Use Yukon Gold in the US and Maris Piper or King Edward in the UK.
- Use other spices. Whatever you like, either a mix of your own or a store-bought spice mixture. I like them with Cajun spices, Ras-el-hanout, or Italian herbs.
Silvana says
Hi - I used bobs mill polenta and I think it might be the wrong grind. I also saw medium grind at the store, but it was finer. Is that the right one?
Adina says
Hi Silvana. It's difficult to say about bobs mill polenta as I can't buy that brand where I live. The polenta I buy says medium grind on the packet, and it needs about 15-20 minutes of cooking time; the rougher polenta I can buy here needs about 30-40 minutes of cooking time. The medium grind is rather fine (like fine sand) but not as fine as polenta flour.
Imi says
Wow, this was a really nice reciepe.I first boiled by potatoes before putting them in the oven just to speed up the process. But regardless it was awesome.
Just found your page and so far so great.
Adina says
Nice to hear this. Thank you.
PineappleFox says
>If you use organic potatoes (and if you like it), you can leave the potatoes unpeeled
You do realize that organic doesn't mean no pesticides right? Organic produce usually has more dangerous pesticides on it than non organic. Yikes.
Fred says
The quality of potatoes you call for...which is it 1 Kg (which is more like 2.2 lbs) or 1.1 lbs? I assume you mean 2.2 lbs, but you specify both quantities in the recipe.
Adina says
You are right, Fred. 1 kg are 2.2 lbs. Sorry about that.
mjskitchen says
What a great twist on roasted potatoes! Love how the cornmeal yields that crusty exterior.
Brie says
Loved your whole polenta series, Adina! I thought the crispy chips were my favorite but these potatoes look awesome. Your spicy potatoes recipe was delicious so I know these will be fantastic too, pinning!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I'm a real potato girl and this recipe is one I'll definitely be trying soon. I've pinned it.
Anca says
They look delicious!
Marvellina says
I'm loving your Polenta series and this is another one to add to my list. I'm guilty of not having cornmeal/polenta around because we don't use it much (if at all) in Asian cooking. But I"m so intrigued to try out your sweet and savory polenta recipes
Sissi says
What a fantastic idea! I bet they are much crisper than without the cornmeal. I must finally take out my cornmeal and cook with it!
Denise Browning says
It sounds super delicious, Adina! I have never tried to sprinkled my baked potatoes with cornmeal but I will do it from now. It is a real great idea! It gives them a light crunch.
Evi @ greenevi says
This is a genius idea! I love to use cornmeal for oven baked tofu and tempeh, but never ever thought of preparing potatoes this way too. Seriously amazing, thanks for the idea!!!
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
Oh, yes! Love those baked cornmeal potatoes! As Italians, we love polenta and we eat it a lot! Actually, we just had it 😉 . They would be so crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside, pure deliciousness! It's funny that you said you used regular teaspoons and tablespoons to measure, because in every Italian recipe when you read "cucchiaio" o "cucchiaino" they just mean the one you use for soup, or the one you stir your coffee with 😉 .
Nammi says
yumm, my favorite vegetable, potatoes!!! Its hard getting cornmeal here in Maldives, :). this looks so good ! have a nice week