Polenta roast potatoes, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, these baked crusted potatoes are a perfect side dish for any occasion.
These polenta roasted potatoes 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!
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.
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 to the potatoes, shake, and turn them well so that all the wedges are covered with the polenta mixture (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.
Expert Tips
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 FAQ
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?
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?
Polenta Roast Potatoes (Cornmeal Potatoes)
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes 2.2 lbs, 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 230°C/ 450°F. 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.
- 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.
- 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
- US: Yukon Gold UK: Buy Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes.
- 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
Tuesday 7th of February 2023
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
Tuesday 7th of February 2023
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
Tuesday 17th of August 2021
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
Wednesday 18th of August 2021
Nice to hear this. Thank you.
PineappleFox
Tuesday 11th of June 2019
>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
Friday 26th of October 2018
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
Friday 26th of October 2018
You are right, Fred. 1 kg are 2.2 lbs. Sorry about that.
mjskitchen
Wednesday 8th of February 2017
What a great twist on roasted potatoes! Love how the cornmeal yields that crusty exterior.