You make a beautiful main course. You plate it up. Someone at the table ignores all of it and goes straight for the potatoes.
That’s the power of crispy smashed potatoes.
They’re golden, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and honestly? They upstage pretty much everything else on the table. And the surprising part… they take almost zero skill to make.
I made these for a dinner party and someone asked me for the recipe three times during the same meal. Not at the end. During.
If you’ve never made smashed potatoes before, get ready. This one’s going straight into your regular rotation.
What Makes Smashed Potatoes Different (And Way Better)
Regular roasted potatoes are good. Smashed potatoes are on a completely different level.
Here’s why: when you smash the potato flat before roasting it, you’re dramatically increasing the surface area that comes into contact with the hot pan. More surface area = more crunch. It’s basically just science working in your favor.
The inside stays soft and pillowy while the outside gets this deep golden crust that almost shatters when you bite into it. 🤌
And the fact that each potato looks slightly different? That rustic, imperfect look is half the charm.
What You’ll Need
For the Potatoes:
- 2 lbs small baby potatoes (Yukon Gold or red potatoes work best)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for boiling water)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary (or fresh if you have it)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
For the Topping (Optional but Highly Recommended):
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Tools You’ll Need
- Large pot (for boiling)
- Baking sheet (rimmed, ideally two so you don’t crowd them)
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
- A flat-bottomed glass or a potato masher
- Pastry brush or a spoon for the oil
- Small mixing bowl
Pro Tips
These are the things I wish someone had told me the first time I made these:
- Don’t skip the boiling step. I know it’s tempting to go straight to roasting. Don’t. Boiling gets the inside perfectly tender so the outside can focus entirely on getting crispy without the inside being underdone.
- Dry them out before smashing. After you boil the potatoes, let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Steam evaporates, potatoes dry out, crispiness increases. This single step makes a noticeable difference.
- Don’t be shy with the oil. Enough oil to coat them generously is what creates that golden crust. A light drizzle will give you pale, sad potatoes. That’s not what we’re here for.
- Give them space on the pan. Crowded potatoes steam instead of roast. Use two pans if you need to. Space is everything here.
- Finish with flaky salt. Regular salt is fine during cooking. But that last-minute sprinkle of flaky salt right before serving? That’s the detail that makes people ask you what you did differently.
How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Step 1: Boil the potatoes.
Add the baby potatoes to a large pot of generously salted cold water. Bring to a boil, then cook for 15-20 minutes until they’re fork-tender all the way through. You want them soft, not falling apart.
Drain and let them sit on your baking sheet for about 5 minutes to dry out.
Step 2: Preheat and prep.
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle it with olive oil.
Step 3: Smash them.
Place the potatoes on the baking sheet with some space between each one. Use the bottom of a flat glass or a potato masher to press each potato down until it’s about ½ inch thick. They’ll look cracked and rough. That’s exactly what you want.
Step 4: Season.
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Brush or spoon this mixture generously over each potato.
Step 5: Roast.
Roast at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until they’re deeply golden and crispy on both sides.
Step 6: Add the garlic butter topping.
While the potatoes are in their last 5 minutes, melt the butter and mix in the minced garlic. Pull the potatoes out, brush them with the garlic butter, sprinkle over the Parmesan, and put them back in for 3-4 more minutes until the cheese is golden.
Step 7: Finish and serve.
Pull them out, scatter the fresh parsley on top, hit them with flaky sea salt, and serve immediately while they’re at peak crunch.
Substitutions and Variations
These are flexible. Here are a few ways to switch things up:
| Variation | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Dairy-free | Swap the butter for more olive oil and skip the Parmesan |
| Extra cheesy | Add shredded gruyère or white cheddar on top |
| Spicy version | Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne to the seasoning mix |
| Herb-loaded | Use a mix of fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano |
| Vegan | Use vegan butter and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan |
| Greek-style | Top with lemon zest, oregano, and crumbled feta after roasting |
Oil swaps: Avocado oil is a great alternative to olive oil and has a higher smoke point, so it handles the high heat even better.
Make Ahead Tips
Making these for a dinner party? You can boil the potatoes up to 24 hours in advance and store them in the fridge uncovered (letting them dry out a bit overnight actually helps the crispiness).
When you’re ready to serve, just smash, season, and roast.
Do not smash them ahead of time though. Once smashed, they’ll absorb moisture in the fridge and you’ll lose that crunch factor you worked for.
Meal Pairing Suggestions
Smashed potatoes go with almost everything, but here’s what they’re particularly good with:
- Grilled chicken or steak (the garlic butter ties everything together)
- Pan-seared salmon (surprisingly one of the best pairings)
- A big green salad for a lighter, vegetarian meal
- Roasted vegetables as part of a full veggie spread
- Fried eggs on top for a knockout brunch plate
Nutritional Info (Per Serving, Approximately)
Based on 6 servings with the full garlic butter topping.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~280 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 32g |
| Fat | 14g |
| Protein | 5g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Sodium | 480mg |
For a lighter version, skip the butter and Parmesan and just use the olive oil and seasoning. Still delicious. Still worth making.
Leftovers and Storage
Leftover smashed potatoes keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat them and actually get the crunch back, put them on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Do not microwave them. Microwaving turns them soft and sad, and they deserve better than that.
You can also reheat them in an air fryer at 375°F for 5-6 minutes, which does a fantastic job of bringing the crispiness back.
FAQ
Do I have to use baby potatoes?
Small potatoes are ideal because they smash evenly and get crispy all the way around. Larger potatoes can work, but cut them in half first so you’re working with smaller pieces.
Can I use an air fryer instead of the oven?
Yes! After boiling and smashing, air fry at 400°F for 15-18 minutes, flipping once. They come out incredibly crispy. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
Why aren’t my potatoes getting crispy?
Three common reasons: not enough oil, the pan is too crowded, or the oven isn’t hot enough. Make sure you’re roasting at 425°F and giving each potato enough room to breathe.
Can I make these without the toppings?
Absolutely. Just the seasoned oil version is already really good. The garlic butter and Parmesan just take them from great to unforgettable.
What’s the best potato variety to use?
Yukon Gold are the gold standard (pun intended). They have a naturally buttery flavor and crisp up beautifully. Red potatoes work well too. Russets are too starchy and fall apart more easily.
Can I freeze smashed potatoes?
Freezing is possible but the texture changes and they lose some of their crunch. Fresh or refrigerated is the way to go for best results.
Wrapping Up
If there’s one side dish that you start making and never stop, it’s going to be this one.
Crispy smashed potatoes are the kind of thing that make people think you spent way more time in the kitchen than you actually did. They look impressive, they taste incredible, and they go with just about everything you could put on the dinner table.
Give them a try this week and then come back and leave a comment below. Tell me how they turned out, what you paired them with, or any tweaks you made. I’d love to know! 👇
