If you love potatoes with crispy edges and fluffy centres, these Crispy Smashed Potatoes are about to become your new favourite side dish.
Made with simple pantry ingredients and baked until perfectly golden, they’re easy enough for a weeknight dinner yet impressive enough for entertaining.
Whether served alongside roasted meats or enjoyed as a snack with dipping sauce, smashed potatoes deliver big flavour with minimal effort.
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What Are Crispy Smashed Potatoes?
Crispy smashed potatoes are whole potatoes that are boiled until tender, gently flattened, then roasted until addictively crispy. This technique creates maximum surface area, allowing the edges to turn golden and crunchy while the inside stays soft and creamy.
The concept of smashed potatoes has roots in rustic European cooking, where boiled potatoes were often crushed or pressed before being cooked again to improve texture and flavour.
In modern kitchens, smashed potatoes gained popularity as a hybrid between roasted potatoes and mashed potatoes, offering the best of both worlds. Today, they’re a staple on pub menus and home dinner tables thanks to their simplicity and irresistible texture.
Why You’ll Love Smashed Potatoes
- Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Naturally gluten-free
- Easy to customize with different spices and toppings
- Perfect for weeknight dinners, holiday meals or as a snack with dip
How to Make Smashed Potatoes
- Boil the potatoes: Place yellow potatoes in salted water and boil until fork-tender. Drain and let them steam dry.
- Smash: Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet and gently smash each one using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
- Season generously: Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Bake until crispy: Roast in a hot oven until the edges are deeply golden and crisp, flipping once if needed.
Smashed Potato Cooking Tips
- Let the potatoes dry after boiling to remove excess moisture.
- Use enough oil, this helps the potatoes crisp rather than steam.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan so heat circulates evenly.
- Finish with flaky salt for extra crunch and flavour.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve alongside roast chicken, beef or pork
- Top with sour cream, Greek yogurt, or garlic aioli
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or dill
- Add grated Parmesan during the last few minutes of baking
- Enjoy as a snack or appetizer with dips like Caramelized French Onion Dip, Spanakopita Dip or Creamy Whipped Paprika Feta Dip.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Large pot
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 lb Small Yellow Potatoes
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 4 tbsp Canola Oil divided
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Fresh Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes clean if dirty and rinse under running water. Remove and discard any nubby sprouts. Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven.
- Fill the pot with water until the potatoes are submerged and covered by 1 inch of additional water. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and continue cooking until the potatoes are very easily pierced through by a fork (smaller potatoes are done around 20 minutes, and medium around 25 minutes).
- While the potatoes cook, preheat oven to 425 F and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over a large, rimmed baking sheet. Brush the oil so it’s evenly distributed over the sheet.
- When the potatoes are done, drain in a large colander and let them cool for about 5 minutes, until they can be handled safely.
- Evenly distribute the potatoes over the prepared baking sheet, and use a potato masher or a serving fork to gently smash each potato to a height of about ½ inch.
- Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over the smashed potatoes. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over the potatoes. Finally, sprinkle them lightly with freshly ground black pepper.
- Bake until the potatoes are nice and golden on the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and enjoy on their own as a snack or with your favourite dip.
Nutrition
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