Smashed Potatoes

It was love at first bite between us and this smashed potatoes recipe.

First, they are super easy to make, which you’ll love. Second, they get crispy on the outside and buttery tender on the inside, which you’ll love even more.

Third, this recipe is excellent for so many occasions. For example, you can serve them as a side dish as a substitute for roasted potatoes.

Or you can top them with fresh tomato salsa, homemade sour cream, and chimichurri and serve them as a snack or appetizer.

They are the perfect finger food, similar to nachos, and yes, you can even top them with cheese or dairy-free cheese if you like.

The secret to making the best crispy smashed potatoes is using small potatoes, boiling them first until fork-tender, smashing them, letting the steam go away, then baking them at high temperature until their skin gets super crisp and golden brown.

Take a peek at the “variations” chapter below to get many ideas on how to serve them.

Potatoes

Try to use baby potatoes; the smaller they are, the crispier they’ll get, and they are also easier to eat as finger food.

You can use red or yellow baby potatoes. Both work wonderfully for this recipe.

If you can’t find baby potatoes, you can use regular-sized Yukon Gold; however, try to pick the smallest you can find. Smaller potatoes tend to get crispier and cook faster.

Olive oil

We recommend extra virgin olive oil. It has a fruitier and nuttier taste and is more stable at high temperatures, thanks to its high antioxidant content; it is better for you.

You can substitute regular olive oil for EVO oil. We avoid melted butter in this recipe.

Salt and pepper

We season the potatoes with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Herbs

If you serve this recipe as a side dish, you can season the potatoes with rosemary, sage, fresh thyme, and garlic (or garlic powder) before roasting them.

You can also sprinkle them with parsley, dill, chives, or cilantro once roasted.

Toppings

If you are serving them as an appetizer or snack, we recommend omitting the herbs and adding one or more toppings once the potatoes are cooked.

Some excellent toppings for this crispy smashed potato recipe are chimichurri, cashew sour cream, salsa verde, fresh tomato salsa, and many more (see “variations” chapter below).

You can also top them with shredded cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, or shredded dairy-free cheese, then broil them until the cheese melts.

Wash the potatoes, add them to a large pot of water, and add the salt.

Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender (20 to 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking tray or sheet pan with parchment paper.

Next, drain the potatoes and let them cool down for 5 minutes.

This allows the excess moisture in the steam to go, heaping the potatoes crisp up in the oven.

Smash them with a sturdy fork or potato masher and arrange them onto the baking tray, on a single layer, without overlapping or touching.

Season each potato with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, and let them sit for 5 minutes to allow excess moisture to escape.

Note: here, you can add rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, and other spices if you like. We keep the recipe basic so that we can add toppings later on.

Bake at 400°F or 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes, are golden-brown and crisp up on top and around the edges.

Simple side dish

Smashed potatoes are an excellent side dish to most meals and can easily replace more traditional roasted potatoes. Sprinkle them with fresh parsley or rosemary, and enjoy. Try them with the following:

• earthy and delicious Tuscan soup
• easy tofu cutlets with mushrooms
• creamy and cheesy eggplant parmigiana
• tofu meatballs with marinara sauce

Variations

Another great way to enjoy smashed potatoes is as an appetizer or snack. They, indeed, are the perfect finger food and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Try our:

Green-top smashed potatoes

Arrange the potatoes on a platter without overlapping much, then drizzle with a green sauce like:

• Basil pesto: creamy, warm, basil-packed.
• Chimichurri: for a spicy, tangy feel.
• Italian salsa verde: for a fresh parsley and olive oil flavor.
• Green goddess dressing: for herb lovers, it’s a creamy and aromatic sauce.
• Cilantro lime dressing: for a tangy Mexican flavor.

You can also always add a side of marinara sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise or make our delicious and easy vegan mayo.

Loaded smashed potatoes

Load them up in layers with a drizzle of:

• Chimichurri: tangy, spicy, and fresh.
• Fresh tomato salsa (or pico de Gallo): make it with diced tomatoes, lime juice, chopped cilantro, jalapenos, red onion, salt, and pepper.
• Vegan sour cream: homemade with cashew nuts.

Other great drizzling options are:

• Chipotle sauce: a hot and smokey Mexican sauce we make with chipotle in adobo sauce.
• Chili oil: the easiest way to add heat to this smashed potato recipe.

Add the potatoes to cold water

Starting with cold water allows the potatoes to cook evenly throughout as the core of the potatoes slowly gets warmed up as the water heats up.

Also, this prevents the potatoes from breaking, which happens when they overcook on the outside and are still hard inside.

Allow vapor to escape

Drain the potatoes, then let them sit for 5 minutes to allow the vapor and moisture to escape. Then smash them with a fork or a potato masher, and let them sit for another 5 minutes before baking them.

Less moisture means crispier potatoes.

You can boil the potatoes up to 2 days ahead and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.

Shortly before your dinner, smash them and bake them for 30 to 40 minutes until crispy.

Storage

Refrigerator: store smashed potato leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The potatoes will lose the crunch.

Reheat in the microwave, or, to make them crunchy again, in a preheated oven or air-fryer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Note that smashed potatoes keep better without toppings.

If you love potatoes as a side or main dish, get fresh inspiration from these easy potato recipes:

• Roasted Potatoes with fresh herbs, soft inside, crispy outside.
• Potato gnocchi with 3 ingredients is Italian comfort food at its best.
• Mashed potatoes with fresh chives and parmesan cheese.
• Cauliflower and potato mash: the best way to enjoy potatoes in a lighter package.

Give your dinner a colorful and zesty upgrade with these vibrant veggie side dishes:

• Roasted eggplant: in slices or cubed.
• Shaved brussels sprouts salad: fresh and crunchy.
• How to cook artichokes in 9 different ways.
• Rainbow roasted vegetables: easy, tasty, and colorful.

For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.