What Is Russet potatoes and How Can I Use It?

Here's everything worth knowing about russet potatoes and how to pick it, what it are, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 170 recipes to cook tonight.

What are russet potatoes?

Russet potatoes are the big, oval, brown-skinned potatoes with rough netted skin and dry, fluffy white flesh. They are the standard baking and frying potato in North America, the variety behind a classic baked potato and most restaurant fries.

What sets them apart is starch.

Russets are high-starch and low-moisture, so they cook up light and mealy rather than firm. That texture is exactly what you want in some dishes and exactly what you do not want in others.

Starchy vs Waxy

This is the one distinction worth learning. High-starch potatoes like russets fall apart as they cook, going fluffy and absorbent.

Waxy potatoes, like red and new potatoes, are low in starch and hold their shape, staying firm and moist.

So russets are built for baking and mashing and for frying into crisp chips, where you want a dry, fluffy interior.

They are the wrong choice for a stew or potato salad where you need cubes to stay intact; there, a waxy potato wins. A salad like Japanese Style Potato Salad actually leans on a russet's tendency to break down into a creamy, mashed-style salad.

Cooking With Russets

For the fluffiest mash, this is the key move: russets soak up butter and cream beautifully because their loose starch granules drink it in. Boil them whole or in large chunks so they take on less water, then drain well and dry them over low heat before mashing.

For crisp roast potatoes and fries, their low moisture is the advantage.

Parboil, then rough up the edges or soak cut fries in cold water to rinse off surface starch, the trick behind Larry's Crispy Potatoes. They also crisp into a Breakfast Hash or melt into a Farm Market Soup Stew, where falling apart is a feature, not a flaw.

The big mistake is overworking mashed russets. Their high starch turns gluey and gummy the second you beat them with a mixer or food processor. Use a ricer or a hand masher, and stop the moment they come together.

Substitutes

For baking and mashing, Idaho potatoes are the same thing under a regional name, and any high-starch variety works. Yukon Golds are the best all-purpose stand-in: a touch waxier and more buttery, they mash well and hold up better than a russet in soups.

Where a recipe needs cubes to keep their shape, switch to a waxy red or fingerling potato instead. Do not reach for a russet expecting firm chunks; it will crumble.

Buying & Storage

Choose russets that are firm and heavy for their size, with no soft spots and no sprouting eyes. Green skin signals solanine, a bitter compound that you should cut away or avoid.

Store them loose in a cool, dark, ventilated spot, not the fridge. Cold turns potato starch to sugar, which makes them overly sweet and causes fries and roasties to brown too fast and burn.

Kept dark and dry, russets last several weeks to a couple of months.

Keep them away from onions, which speed up sprouting. Toss any that have gone soft or green throughout.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find russet potatoes: Russet potatoes are usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Russet potatoes are a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

黄褐色马铃薯

British (UK) term

Russet potatoes

en français

pommes de terre Russet

en español

papas al horno

How much do russet potatoes weigh?

Related

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Recipes using russet potatoes

There are 170 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Herbed Mashed Potatoes

Our family all love mashed potatoes, we try different kinds of mashed potatoes, this herbed ones are very nice too.

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes is and easy and quick dish to make, you can microwave the potatoes too, serve with some sour cream and freshly chopped chives or scallions.

Leslie's French Potatoes

Easy stuffed microwave potato that's no-fuss and doesn't heat up the kitchen by using.

Garlicky Cumin Oven Fries

Instead of deep-frying, these oven baked crispy-garlicky fries are much lower fat but will still well satisfy your appetite. Serve it with ketchup or any your favorite dipping sauce along with your grilled burger.

Mom's Potato-Leek Soup

Potato leek soup pureed silky-smooth from russets, sweet leeks, onions and chicken broth. A five-ingredient French bistro classic, no cream needed.

Stephanie Marquesano's Potato Latkes

Not exactly traditional, but these crispy latkes will make every night of Hanukah a delicious one!

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Cheese & Chilies

Lots of great flavours in these twice baked potatoes. Really enjoyed the taste of this flavour combination. The black olives and green chills added more depth, and the cream and cheese enhanced the overall texture and flavour. I might add a bit sun-dried tomatoes next time to give it a Mediterranean take-on.

Potato Salami Cake

You will be hooked by this delicious and soufflé-like potato salami cake. Its airy and creamy texture is to die for. Salami adds a layer of deliciousness.

Roasted Porcini Gnocchi with Sauteed Mushrooms

Rehydrated Porcini mushrooms and parmesan cheese make these gnocchi taste cheesy, earthy and flavorful. Roast the gnocchi in the oven gives the nice flavor and texture. Serving them with the sauteed mushrooms and thymes.

Mama Delilah's Minestrone

A very hearty version of my favorite soup. Add crushed red pepper to turn up the heat. It's delicious!! Perfect comfort food for a cold winter's day!

Oven-Baked Herb Potatoes

Sliced russet potatoes brushed with oil and sprinkled with thyme and oregano roast into crispy-edged rounds in just 30 minutes for an easy side dish.

Garlic Topped Paprika Mashed Potatoes

Creamy and tasty. There are lots of flavors in this simply delicious mashed potatoes. Toasted garlic bits, smoked paprika... You will find these yumminess in every bite.

Oven Fries

So delicious and much less greasy than your deep-fried ones.

Baked Fish & Chips

These baked fish and chips have much less fat and calories than deep-fried ones, but it still tastes delicious, and this time you don't have to feel guilty about it.

Potato White Bread

Potato bread with pureed russets and the starchy potato cooking water for a soft, pillowy crumb that stays fresh for days. The classic American sandwich loaf with old-fashioned tender texture.

Best Roesti

This easy-to-follow recipe makes the most basic and the most delicious roesti.

Creamy Baked Potato Soup with Bacon & Cheddar

Creamy Baked Potato Soup with Bacon and Cheddar recipe

Roasted Garlic Potato Soup

Roasted garlic potato soup with crisp bacon, oven-roasted whole garlic heads, and russet potatoes simmered with onions and carrots. Lower-fat creamy soup with bold smoky-sweet depth.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Sliced potatoes tossed with garlic butter and Parmesan, then baked until golden and crispy. These cheesy roasted garlic potatoes are like scalloped potatoes without the heavy sauce.

Easy Potato Pancakes

This recipe is a winner! It can be a complete meal if you put some fruits or a green leaf salad and a cup of your favorite hot beverage on the table.

Baked Potato Skins

Turned out super crispy, loaded with cheese and bacon and seasoned to perfection.

Garlicky Shepherd's Pie

There are lots of flavor in both topping and filling, love shepherd's pie, then you should make this flavorful and delicious recipe!

Grandma's Potato Salad

This classic potato salad has been a family favorite for generations!

Smoked Cheddar & Herb Roesti

A mixture of parsley, oregano, and scallions is added into the shredded potato, sprinkle the smoked cheddar on top at the last a few minutes. Use regular cheddar cheese if you don't have smoked cheddar.

Easy Baked Potato Soup

Loaded baked potato soup turns the steakhouse appetizer into a creamy roux-thickened soup with russet potatoes, sharp cheddar, sour cream, crisp bacon, and green onions. Hearty, restaurant-style comfort in a bowl.

Jalapeno Potato Soup

This delicious and flavorful soup will for sure spice you up, feel free to reduce or increase the amount of jalapenos according to your own taste.

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

These easy to make mashed potatoes are very smooth and creamy. The garlic is boiled with the potatoes which embeds the garlic into the potatoes.

Cumin, Garlic & Paprika Oven Fries

Craving some fries? But don't want those deep-fried stuff? These cumin, garlic and paprika oven fries will definitely satisfy your craving with the delicious flavor and crispy texture but without giving too much fat.

Cheesy Crispy Potato & Zucchini Pancakes

An easy and delicious way to make zucchini into a delicious dish. Serve it with yogurt, sour cream or any your favorite sauce.

Indian Twice Baked Potatoes

Give twice baked potatoes an Indian twist with some delicious Indian spices.

Golden Potato Pancakes

These pan-fried cakes are bursting with the oniony flavor of fresh snipped chives. Serve with sour cream and/or apple sauce.

Cheesy Bacon Potato Skins

These cheesy bacon potato skins will for sure make everyone who tries it give you a big wow.

Awesome Ratatouille Sherherd's Pie

Mashed potatoes on top, several kinds of vegetables, give this pie a tasty flavor.

Cheesy Potato, Leek & Mushroom Gratin

A delicious combination of leeks, mushrooms and potatoes topped with cheese and baked until crusty on top yet creamy underneath.

Sorrento Lemon Chicken & Potatoes

Sorrento lemon chicken and potatoes, bone-in chicken and crispy russet wedges roasted with oregano, then drenched in a tangy lemon-garlic-parmesan broth and broiled until golden. A zesty Italian dinner.

Easy Italian Sausage Vegetable Soup

The flavor was amazing, the aroma during the cooking filled up our entire house. We used chicken broth instead of beef broth and water, and it made a very tasty base for the soup. A few slices of good bread was all we served with this soup. YUM!

Phyllo Chicken Pot Pie

An excellent way to use up leftover chicken or turkey meat. The recipe uses phyllo instead of a carb-dense and high-fat pie crust, which significantly reduces the amount of calories.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

This is a very basic beef stew. It’s easy, delicious and inexpensive to make. While there are hundreds of variations of this traditional recipe, it’s hard to improve on this version’s savory and comforting goodness.

Potato, Carrot & Bell Pepper Stir-Fry

An easy and tasty classic Chinese dish. Slice potato, carrots and bell pepper into matchsticks, quickly stir-fry with a Chinese sweet-sour sauce. Serve with steamed rice.

Japanese Style Potato Salad

Japanese-style potato salad with russet potato, cucumber, onion, ham, and creamy mustard-mayo dressing. A sweeter, softer Asian-style take on the classic potato salad.

Larry's Crispy Potatoes

Larry's crispy potatoes: oven-roasted cubes tossed in green onions, Italian seasoning, and Hungarian paprika. A low-fat crispy potato recipe made with stock instead of oil.

Trenette with Pesto, Potatoes & Green Beans

Authentic Italian trenette pasta tossed with fresh basil pesto, tender potatoes, and crisp green beans. A Ligurian classic using one pot for everything, ready in 40 minutes.

Potatoes Thermidor

Potatoes Thermidor with russet potatoes baked in a rich cream sauce of shallots, mushrooms, dry sherry, egg yolks, and cayenne. A French classic reimagined as an elegant side dish.

Asian Stir-Fry Topper

Crunchy topping mix combining crispy noodles, toasted almonds, and sesame seeds with savory seasonings. Sprinkle over stir-fries, salads, or rice bowls for instant texture and Asian-inspired flair.

Champ Potatoes

Champ is the traditional Irish mashed potato side, fluffy russets beaten smooth with milk, butter, and chopped scallions. This microwave version delivers the classic in 25 minutes flat.

Lobster & Roasted Corn Chowder

Lobster and roasted corn chowder with bacon, smoked ham hock, and a Southwestern kick from jalapeño and green chiles. A creamy bowl built from a lobster-stock base and pan-charred corn kernels.

Cheddar Baked Potato Slices

Sliced russet potatoes layered with cheddar cheese and cream of mushroom soup, baked until fork-tender and bubbly. A 5-ingredient side dish that pairs with just about everything.

Vichyssoise Creme Glacee'

Classic chilled vichyssoise made with leeks, potatoes, and cream, puréed until velvety smooth and garnished with fresh chives. The quintessential cold summer soup.

Carrot & Sweetcorn Baked Potatoes

Great for using up any vegetable leftovers like carrots, peppers, tomatoes, and spring onions. Also, try baking sweet potatoes for a change.

Favourite New England Clam Chowder

New England clam chowder with clarified butter, leeks, celery and Idaho potato in fresh clam juice and heavy cream. Topneck clams give the proper briny depth. Restaurant-style at home.

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