I Finally Tried the World’s Best Potatoes (You Only Need 4 Ingredients)

You can prep them faster than it takes to preheat the oven.

As someone who cooks often, I can confidently say that cooking for one is daunting after a long day. So, I look for simple dishes and quick-cooking ingredients. While I’m a huge potato lover, I rarely have the time or energy to try any of the trendy potato recipes that require two rounds of cooking, like twice-baked potatoes and smashed crispy potatoes.

However, this viral potato recipe, which calls itself the “world’s best potatoes,” immediately caught my eye as a super approachable dish, whether you’re cooking for one or a crowd. They require only four ingredients and one round of baking, can be assembled in the time it takes to preheat the oven, and are packed with flavor. Plus, these salty, oven-baked potatoes have a gorgeous, crispy, seasoned Parmesan crust.

They even make delicious leftovers—a big bonus when cooking for one. You can re-crisp them in the oven to enjoy as a side dish or dice them up to add to breakfast hash.

How To Make the World’s Best Potatoes

Here’s what you need to try these potatoes at home:

• 1 1/4 pounds red potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter, dairy or plant-based
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons Dan O’s Original Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning salt)

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Melt the butter and add to a baking dish. I used an oblong ceramic dish measuring 12 inches across. Then, mix your Parmesan and seasoning into the butter until it forms a paste. Spread that paste evenly across the bottom of the baking dish.

Cut the potatoes in half and score the cut side in a diamond pattern, making sure not to cut through the potato. Arrange them cut side-down in the baking dish.

Bake the potatoes until tender and a golden crust forms on the bottom. For me, it took about 40 minutes. Don’t be surprised if the butter is still bubbling. Let them rest for five to 15 minutes to ensure the crust adheres to the potatoes and doesn’t scorch your mouth.

I serve mine with plain Greek yogurt and Greek yogurt mixed with sriracha, as I almost always have those ingredients on hand. However, sour cream would be perfect.

Tips for Trying These Viral Potatoes

To help this process go smoothly on your first try, here are my tips:

1. Choose your potatoes wisely: Choose potatoes that are about the same size. This ensures that your potatoes will cook evenly and at the same rate.
2. Use a paring knife to score your potatoes: While your everyday chef’s knife is ideal for halving the potatoes, I found it to be a dangerous tool for scoring. Instead, opt for a small paring knife to safely make the cuts.
3. Don’t crowd the baking dish: Don’t overcrowd the pan to ensure that your seasoned Parmesan crust sticks to the potatoes. If the cut side of the potato isn’t making contact with the seasoned paste, it’s unlikely to stick.
4. Season to taste: Two teaspoons of Dan O’s original is my recommendation. If you like your potatoes to have a little more zing, you can add up to a tablespoon of this popular seasoning to your dish.