Amish Roasted Potatoes and Onions Recipe (Sunday)
Tender roasted potato chunks and thick-cut caramelized onions, tossed in melted butter and kosher salt, then slow-roasted until golden and deeply flavorful. Reflecting Amish home cooking at its core, this four-ingredient Sunday supper side fills the whole house with the smell of buttery potatoes and sweet, caramelized onions long before dinner is served.
restaurant_menu Ingredients
Main Ingredients
hardware Essential Tools
Metal baking pan (8x11 or 9x13)
Cutting board and knife
Large spoon or clean hands, for tossing
Oven mitts
format_list_numbered Preparation
Prep and Season
Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a metal baking pan with a small pat of butter.
Scrub the potatoes and cut them into roughly 1-inch chunks, leaving the skins on if desired.
Slice the onions into thick, half-inch half-moons.
Add the potatoes and onions to the prepared pan, spreading into as even a layer as possible.
Drizzle with melted butter, sprinkle with kosher salt, and toss until evenly coated.
First Bake
Spread the mixture back into an even layer, nestling the onion slices among the potatoes.
Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes without stirring.
Finish and Serve
Remove the pan and toss everything well, scraping up the golden bits from the bottom.
Spread back into an even layer and return to the oven.
Continue roasting for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and the onions are caramelized in spots.
Taste, add a pinch more salt if needed, and serve hot straight from the pan.
favorite You Might Also Love
Browse All arrow_forward
Try These Variations
Extra Rich Version
Dot an additional tablespoon or two of butter over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking for a richer, more indulgent finish. This works especially well if you’re serving the dish alongside leaner proteins that could use the extra richness.
Colorful Mix
Use a combination of red and yellow potatoes for visual contrast, or swap in sweet onions for an even more caramelized, mellow flavor throughout the finished dish.
Feeding a Crowd
Increase the recipe by up to 1 extra pound of potatoes and 1 more onion, adjusting the butter and salt slightly, and use a larger pan to avoid overcrowding, which would cause the vegetables to steam instead of roast.
Chef's Pro Tips
Pat the potatoes dry after scrubbing them. Excess surface moisture can create steam in the pan during the early roasting stage, which slows down browning and keeps the edges from developing that deep golden color.
Use a metal pan rather than glass or ceramic for the best browning. Metal conducts heat more efficiently and helps develop crisp, caramelized edges on both the potatoes and onions more reliably than other pan materials.
Check for doneness by piercing a potato chunk with a fork. It should slide in with just a little resistance; if it meets significant resistance, give the pan another 5 to 10 minutes before pulling it from the oven.
Storage Guide
Room Temperature
These potatoes and onions are best served hot, straight from the oven, and shouldn’t sit out for more than about 2 hours before being refrigerated.
Refrigerator
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, reheating in a skillet or oven to restore some of the original crispness.
Freezer
While possible, freezing isn’t ideal, as the potatoes’ texture can turn slightly grainy once thawed; if freezing, store in an airtight container for up to 1 month and reheat directly from frozen in a hot oven.
Avoid These Mistakes
✕ Cutting the potatoes into uneven sizes. Pieces of varying sizes cook at different rates, leaving some chunks mushy while others are still firm in the center. Aim for consistent, roughly 1-inch pieces throughout the batch.
✕ Stirring too early in the baking process. Disturbing the pan before the first 25 minutes are up interrupts the browning that’s just starting to form on the bottom, resetting the process rather than building on it.
✕ Overcrowding the pan. Piling the potatoes and onions too deep traps steam between the pieces, which softens them through moisture rather than allowing the direct heat contact needed for proper roasting and caramelization.
nutrition Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 1 cup
Values are estimates based on 4 servings and will vary with exact potato size and pan used.
flag Conclusion
What makes a recipe like this one worth repeating every single week isn’t complexity — it’s the opposite. Four ingredients, a bit of patience with the oven, and a few key details around slicing and spacing produce something genuinely comforting, the kind of tradition that draws a whole family to the table, week after week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the onions need to be cut thick instead of thin? expand_more
Thick, half-inch half-moons have enough mass to survive the full 45 to 55 minutes of roasting without burning. Thinner slices dry out and turn bitter well before the potatoes have had time to fully cook through.
Why shouldn't I stir the pan during the first 25 minutes? expand_more
That undisturbed stretch lets the bottoms make direct, sustained contact with the hot pan long enough to start browning properly. Stirring too early disrupts that developing browned layer before it has a real chance to form.
Can I use a different type of potato? expand_more
Yes, both russet and yellow potatoes work well in this recipe. Russets give a slightly fluffier interior, while yellow potatoes hold a bit more of their shape and natural creaminess once fully roasted.
Why does the pan size matter so much for this recipe? expand_more
Spreading the potatoes and onions into a shallow, even layer prevents them from steaming instead of roasting. An overcrowded pan traps moisture between the pieces, softening them rather than allowing the direct heat contact needed for proper browning.
Can I prep this dish ahead of time? expand_more
Yes, the potatoes and onions can be cut, tossed with melted butter and salt, covered, and refrigerated right in the pan earlier in the day. Give everything a quick toss before roasting as directed, adding 5 to 10 extra minutes if going into the oven cold.
More Recipes You'll Love
Old-Fashioned Fried Potatoes and Onions: A Classic Skillet Recipe
Vintage Harvest Kitchen: Nostalgic 21 Grocery Store Photos Ap
4-Ingredient Amish Carrot and Potato Roast Recipe
Ultimate Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream
Egg Mayo Recipe (Creamy & Low-Calorie)
Community Kitchen