Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Let me introduce your new favorite side dish, my Crispy Smashed Potatoes recipe. These twice-cooked potatoes are first boiled until tender. Then they’re crushed and brushed with olive oil and fresh herbs followed by baking in a hot oven until the edges are crispy and golden brown.
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Coming up with interesting side dishes is always the hardest part of planning a meal, isn’t it? I mean, really, you can only eat so many canned green beans.
Well, how about something completely different? These Crispy Smashed Potatoes are the perfect combination of crunchy, crispy, and just plain yummy. I might have eaten one (ok, two) straight out of the oven.
These lovelies are everything you want from a potato. A crunchy exterior with perfect creaminess on the inside. They’re a huge step up from French fries and plain baked potatoes. Give them a try alongside my marinated pork loin, butter roasted chicken, or the perfect grilled ribeye steak.
Ingredient Notes
- Small Red Potatoes (Use any kind of small potato that you like. I chose red skinned potatoes because they’re inexpensive and always available.)
- Olive Oil (Choose a good extra virgin olive oil since its taste is prominent in the finished recipe.)
- Fresh Rosemary (My herb of choice for this recipe. Any fresh herbs that you like may be used.)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Boil the Potatoes
Place the potatoes in a large pot with salted water and bring them to a boil.
Cook until fork tender. Remove from heat and drain.
Smash the Potatoes
Generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan.
COOK’S TIP
Line the baking pan with foil to make cleaning up easier. You can also use parchment paper or no liner at all. If you have a dark baking pan and use it unlined, the potatoes will crisp up even better.
Place cooked potatoes on the sheet pan leaving a good amount of space between them.
Using a potato masher or the bottom of a measuring cup, gently press down on each potato until it slightly mashes.
Brush with Oil
Brush the top of each potato generously with olive oil. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper and fresh chopped rosemary.
Bake until Golden Brown
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Variations
- Use half oil and half melted butter.
- Substitute any fresh or dried herb. Thyme, oregano, basil, chives, and dill are all good choices. Dried herbs are generally substituted at 1/3 the quantity of fresh (i.e., 1 tablespoon of fresh herb is equal to 1 teaspoon of dried).
- Use oregano and add a drizzle of lemon juice after cooking.
- Use fresh or dried thyme and add crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add finely diced garlic (or garlic powder) and finish with a dusting of Parmesan cheese.
- Make a version topped with sour cream, parsley, and dill.
- Make fried smashed potatoes by cooking them in oil in a frying pan instead of in the oven.
Tips
- Line the baking sheet with either parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- If you have a dark baking sheet, use it unlined to encourage even more crispiness while baking.
- Any kind of potato works for this recipe. However, starchy potatoes will have a fluffier inside and waxy potatoes are more creamy.
Storage
These are best served hot from the oven. However, they can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 400 until warm. Freezing is not recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions
To get a head start on making crispy roasted potatoes, you can do all the preliminaries in advance. Go ahead and boil and flatten the potatoes up to 8 hours in advance. Store them on the pan in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, let them come back to room temp, coat with oil and seasonings and bake.
You can make your potatoes in an air fryer. Place the seasoned, flattened potatoes evenly in the basket and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Depending on how large your fryer is, you may need to do them in batches.
There are two basic broad types of potatoes – starchy and waxy. Starchy potatoes are one that have a fluffy interior when cooked (russet, yukon gold, and Idaho potatoes are examples). Waxy potatoes hold their shape better and have a creamier interior when baked (red-skinned potatoes, and fingerling potatoes are good examples of waxy potatoes.)
Recipe
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound small red potatoes or other small round potatoes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot with salted water and bring them to a boil. Cook until fork tender. Remove from heat and drain.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a foil-lined sheet pan.
- Place cooked potatoes on the sheet pan leaving a good amount of space between them.
- With a potato masher or the bottom of a cup, gently press down on each potato until it slightly mashes.
- Brush the top of each potato generously with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh chopped rosemary.
- Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- Use any kind of small potato that you like. I chose red skinned potatoes because they’re inexpensive and always available.
- Choose a good extra virgin olive oil since its taste is prominent in the finished recipe.
- Fresh rosemary is my herb of choice for this recipe. Any fresh herbs that you like may be used.
- Use half oil and half melted butter.
- Substitute any fresh or dried herb. Thyme, oregano, basil, chives, and dill are all good choices. Dried herbs are generally substituted at ⅓ the quantity of fresh (i.e., 1 tablespoon of fresh herb is equal to 1 teaspoon of dried).
- Use oregano and add a drizzle of lemon juice after cooking.
- Use fresh or dried thyme and add crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add finely diced garlic (or garlic powder) and finish with a dusting of Parmesan cheese.
- Make a version topped with sour cream, parsley, and dill.
- Make fried smashed potatoes by cooking them in oil in a frying pan instead of in the oven.
- Line the baking sheet with either parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- If you have a dark baking sheet, use it unlined to encourage even more crispiness while baking.
- Any kind of potato works for this recipe. However, starchy potatoes will have a fluffier inside and waxy potatoes are more creamy.
These are best served hot from the oven. However, they can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 400 until warm. Freezing is not recommended. Make Ahead — To make ahead, Go ahead and boil and flatten the potatoes up to 8 hours in advance. Store them on the pan in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, let them come back to room temp, coat with oil and seasonings and bake. Air Fryer — Place the seasoned, flattened potatoes evenly in the basket of the air fryer and cook for approximately 20 minutes. Depending on how large your fryer is, you may need to do them in batches.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.