Crispy smashed potatoes are going to be your new favorite way to enjoy potatoes! They are deliciously seasoned, perfectly crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. Plus, they are super easy to make!
Potatoes are probably one of the most popular foods. They are super versatile, taste amazing, are very nutritious, and can be served in a variety of ways.
I absolutely love to make fried potatoes and onions, batata harra, Turkish dill potato salad, and my herbed mustard potato salad. But it was time to add a new potato recipe to the blog (and to my cooking rotation).
Say hello to this crispy smashed potatoes recipe. Although I usually try to stick to recipes that are quick to make, I had to write up this potato recipe for the blog (it does take some time in the oven, but it’s so worth it!).
These crispy oven-baked potatoes taste seriously amazing! They are super flavorful, buttery, and baked to golden perfection. You can enjoy them as a filling side dish or as an appetizer with tasty sour cream.
Plus, these crispy smashed potatoes are very simple to make! You just need some extra time as they need to bake in the oven for a while. But the process itself is super hands-off and very easy. So be sure to give this recipe a try!
Crispy Smashed Potatoes Ingredients
To make these crispy smashed potatoes, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Baby potatoes: To make the perfect crispy potatoes, you’ll need baby potatoes. As they are smaller in size, they crisp perfectly around the edges and the outside while still being soft on the inside. Larger potatoes don’t work very well here.
- Olive oil and butter: Olive oil and butter are both needed to make the smashed potatoes crisp up nicely. They also lend the potatoes a delicious buttery and olive oily flavor.
- Dried herbs: You’ll need dried thyme and dried rosemary for these crispy smashed potatoes. You can make them without the dried herbs but they taste so much better when you use them!
- Parsley (optional): You don’t necessarily have to use parsley. But it’s great to garnish the roasted potatoes! So feel free to use some if you have it on hand.
How to make crispy smashed potatoes
Making these crispy smashed potatoes is super simple! Follow these steps:
- Boil the potatoes: First, place the potatoes in a pot and fill it with hot/boiling water. Salt the water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and let the potatoes cook for 20 minutes until tender. Then drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- Prepare the marinade: Next, melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Add the olive oil and dried herbs to the melted butter. Whisk until combined.
- Marinate: Now place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and herb marinade but make sure to save some of it. Season with salt and pepper. Then toss until evenly coated.
- Smash: Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then smash the potatoes with a potato masher, glass, or fork. Drizzle the remaining oil and herb mixture over the smashed potatoes.
- Bake: Bake the potatoes for around 40 minutes until golden brown.
- Garnish and enjoy: Garnish with parsley (optional) and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
Here are a few notes that I recommend checking out before making these crispy smashed potatoes.
- Don’t add fresh garlic. Fresh garlic is going to burn in the oven if baked for this long. So if you want to add some garlic flavor, use garlic powder for this recipe. It tastes great and won’t burn.
- Don’t omit the olive oil. If you use only butter, it may burn and develop an unpleasant taste. So make sure to stick to a combination of olive oil and butter. Plus, olive oil tastes really delicious and is great for adding healthy fats.
- If you want the potatoes fluffier, don’t flatten them too much. You decide how flat you want the potatoes. I don’t smash them too much as I like them soft in the center.
- There is no need to flip the potatoes. In case you wonder whether you should flip the potatoes while they are in the oven, there is no need to do that. They will crisp up nicely from all sides without being flipped.
Variations
There are many different ways to season these crispy smashed potatoes! It’s really a matter of preference. So here are a few more ideas for you if you want to switch things up.
- Spicy seasoning: You could add some cayenne pepper, paprika powder, red pepper flakes, and even tomato paste or Turkish red pepper paste to the potatoes. It’s a great way to make the potatoes taste spicier.
- Garlic powder: As already mentioned, fresh garlic unfortunately doesn’t work with this recipe. But if you love that garlicky flavor, you can add some garlic powder. It’s really delicious and adds some extra flavor to these crispy smashed potatoes.
- Cajun seasoning: Cajun seasoning is one of my favorite seasonings for crispy baked potatoes. You can use some after baking the potatoes or use it before you bake them. It’s a great seasoning blend to switch things up!
How to serve crispy smashed potatoes
You can serve these crispy smashed potatoes in a variety of ways! Here is some inspiration for you.
- Protein: If you want an extra comforting meal, you could make crispy and delicious parmesan crusted chicken. Another option is preparing air fryer shrimp or air fryer/baked chicken breasts to serve alongside these smashed potatoes.
- Salad: I almost always make a quick side salad for dinner. I often use whatever vegetables I have in the refrigerator and make a classic balsamic vinaigrette (like the one in this summer pasta salad recipe) for it. I also like to make these Greek-style chicken bowls and substitute the rice with crispy smashed potatoes (or just serve both 😃).
- Dips: You could also serve these crispy smashed potatoes with delicious dips as an appetizer. Sour creamy is a great option and tzatziki both taste really great!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Just skip the butter and only use olive oil. It works totally fine and tastes just as delicious.
I don’t recommend doing this. They are going to burn and also taste burnt. Use fresh parsley to garnish the potatoes or add it right before the potatoes are done and bake it shortly. As for the garlic, use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can reheat them in an oven, air fryer, or microwave.
More simple and tasty side dishes and appetizers
Here are a few more recipes that you might be interested in checking out. They are all super delicious and very easy to make!
- Batata Harra (Spicy Potatoes)
- Cig Kofte
- Fried Potatoes and Onions
- Turkish Dill Potato Salad
- Herbed Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby potatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter melted
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- chopped parsley (optional) for garnish
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a pot and fill it with boiling/hot water. Add some salt. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and let the potatoes cook for around 20 minutes until tender. Then drain and set aside in a colander.2 pounds baby potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- While the potatoes cool a little bit, prepare the marinade. Add the butter to a small bowl and melt it in a microwave. Then add the olive oil and dried herbs. Whisk until combined.1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 ½ tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- Now place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and herb mixture to the bowl but make sure to save some of it, you'll need it later. Then season with salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure there is enough space between the potatoes.
- Now smash the potatoes with a potato masher, glass, or fork. Drizzle the remaining olive oil and butter mixture over the smashed potatoes.
- Bake until golden and crispy for about 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!chopped parsley (optional)
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