Crispy Smashed Potatoes
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Crispy Smashed Potatoes are an easy side dish sure to please even the pickiest eater. They are easy to customize and will make you feel like a pro in the kitchen even though they require very little cooking skills.
How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Here’s how you’ll get that glorious contrast of “moist in the middle and crispy on the outside” texture.
- Cook
- Squish
- Roast
First, you’ll need to cook your potatoes until tender.
Step 1 – Cook the potatoes
Here are some ways to cook Yukon potatoes:
- Boil the potatoes – You could easily boil them using this method.
- Use the Instant Pot – I cooked mine for 12 minutes at high pressure with a quick release in the Instant Pot. Here’s a cooking times chart for reference on other types of meals.
- Steam them on the stove top. Add about 1 cup of chicken stock or water and the potatoes to a pot. Cover the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and steam for 10-15 minutes.
Once you’ve cooked your potatoes, lay them out on a greased baking sheet and SQUISH THEM! This is a fun part for kids to do. I’ve found that using the bottom of a glass is an easy way to do this.
Tip
If the potatoes start to stick to the bottom of the glass, coat the bottom of it with a little oil.
Step 2 – Oil and season
Drizzle oil over the tops of them to help them get crispy in the oven. Your pan will get messy. Fret not. This is quite normal.
Now, add the seasonings that make you happiest in life. Some ideas:
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Fresh chopped thyme leaves
- Fresh minced rosemary
Step 3 – Roast the Potatoes
Next, you’re going to roast those puppies!
Beware. They smell SO good.
What to Serve with Crispy Smashed Potatoes
These make a great side dish for a lot of different types of main dishes. Here are some ideas:
Recipe FAQs
You’ll want to use a small variety of potato for this recipe. Yukon Gold baby potatoes have the smoothest texture and squish (that’s a technical cooking term) very easily!
The key to this recipe is boiling the potatoes and smashing them to expose more surface area. Then, you’ll roast them at a very high temperature in the oven (450°F) until crispy. If you’d like even more color on top, turn on the broiler and place the pan on the top rack for a few minutes (watch them closely!).
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Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Delicate Yukon gold potatoes are cooked, seasoned and roasted in the oven. Quite likely to become your next favorite side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes (recommended: Yukon gold)
- 3–4 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Recommended garnishes: Minced fresh herbs (chives, parsley, thyme), freshly grated Parmesan cheese, Avocado Aioli for dipping
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Instructions
- Boil: Add potatoes to a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cover a rimmed sheet pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Smash: Place cooked potatoes on the sheet pan. Use the bottom of a mason jar or glass to partially flatten the cooked potatoes. (Tip: Spray the bottom of the glass with cooking spray to prevent sticking.)
- Season: Drizzle oil generously over the potatoes and spread all over the top of the potatoes with your hands. Then, evenly sprinkle the seasonings over the top.
- Roast: Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden and crispy. (If you’d like them to be even more brown on top, turn on the broiler and broil for a few minutes on the top rack. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!).
- Serve: Top hot potatoes with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and minced fresh herbs. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as desired. Serve with Avocado Aioli on the side for dipping.
Notes/Tips
- Potatoes can be prepped in advance through Step 4 and can sit out a few hours before baking.
- Feel free to get creative with the seasonings. Other ideas: Italian seasoning, Lawry’s seasoned salt, cajun seasoning, Za’atar seasoning.
- Reheat leftovers in the air fryer or oven at 350° until warm.
Can these be frozen? I do a lot of prep cooking for lunches.. TY
Hi Kris. We have not tested freezing these. Let us know how they turn out if you give it a try!
I love how easy and delicious these potatoes are! And they’re a refreshing and fun change from mashed potatoes or french fries. Everyone in my family loves them.
Thanks Mary! So glad you found a fun potato recipe the family love. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Everything sounds easy to make and will taste good.
Thanks Vicki! They are so easy and yummy.
These are so easy and I love how crispy they are every single time I make them.
Question: do you flip the potatoes over to season both sides with the oil etc. before putting them in the oven?
Nope! One side will be enough 🙂
I just want to say thank you for your efforts and time in posting healthy recipes for families. I was praying to God about my eating habits and came across your blog-may God bless you in all you do!
Sincerely,
Valerie
Mom of two who wants to instill healthy eating habits in them.
Thanks for taking the time to leave this comment, Valerie. That’s exactly why we started this blog…to help and encourage moms just like you. I love how God answers prayers in very specific, practical ways sometimes. Warmly, Rachel
When I try to click on save to save the recipie to my zip list a pin it button comes up, just like with all the pictures. This makes it impossible to save the recipie. I can click print with no problem, I just can’t use the save button.
Thanks for sharing the recipie, those look awesome!
Thanks for the heads up, Sarah. We’ll look into the problem. So sorry for the trouble!