Introducing your new favourite potato recipe – buttery, crispy SMASHED POTATOES! Crazy crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, there’s a serious risk that only half of these will make it to the dinner table….
Smashed Potatoes
Let me introduce you to your new favourite way with potatoes.
SMASHED!
CRISPY!
BUTTERY!!
Buttery CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES!
Best ever potato recipe!
If you are yet to experience the joys of crispy smashed potatoes, and my first experience was only 3 years ago when I was introduced to them by Claire from Sprinkles and Sprouts, a fellow Australian food blogger, these are going to change your potato game forever.
These taste like buttery french fries, albeit they are look completely different. “Rustic”, I declare loftily. They’re fluffy on the inside, and ultra crispy on both the underside and on the surface. All those ridges are the best! Forget squashing them neat and flat – the more nubbly the surface, the better the crunch!!!
Tips to make ultra crispy smashed potatoes
Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes are straight forward to make – boil, squish, drizzle, bake – but there are two little tips I’ve discovered along the way:
Let the potatoes steam dry a bit after smashing them. This ensures optimum crispiness!
Use butter and a touch of oil. Because butter = flavour, oil ensures more even and better browning and crispiness. Can’t use just butter because it burns in the oven at high temperatures.
Also, you can totally feel free to add flavourings like garlic and dried herbs, but they do burn a bit so you’ll get little black bits on the surface. In all honesty, these are so tasty as they are, they don’t need anything more! (In my personal, potato-opinion)
How to serve Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes
I would be totally happy just munching on these as a snack. And if I had a larger oven, or multiple ovens, I would make loads of these and serve them as a snack at gatherings. Because if you make these with small potatoes as I have done, they are perfect finger food snacking size.
But I typically serve these on the side of mains. It will go with pretty much any Western dish, from pork chops to fish, chicken to steak. Try it on the side of this Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce, these Lemon Garlic Marinated Pork Chops, these Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs or this Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast.
However you plan to serve these Crispy Smashed Potatoes, it has your name written all over it. Do it, do it, do it! – Nagi x
More potato recipes
Crispy Parmesan Crusted Potatoes (side dish or to nibble)
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sometimes it helps to have a visual, so watch me make these Crispy Smashed Potatoes!!
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Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Potatoes – choose:
- 700g / 1.4 lb small potatoes (12 – 14) (Note 1)
- 1 – 1.2kg / 2 – 2.4lb medium potatoes (6 – 8)
Cooking:
- 1 tbsp salt (for boiling)
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp salt (for sprinkling)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Finely chopped parsley , optional garnish
Instructions
- Cook potatoes: Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 1 tbsp salt. Cook potatoes until soft – small ones should take around 20 to 25 minutes, medium ones might take 30 minutes. It's ok if the skin splits. Alternatively, steam or microwave them.
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan).
- Steam dry: Drain the potatoes and let them dry in the colander for 5 minutes or so.
- Smash! Place on the tray then use a large fork or potato masher to squish them, keeping them in one piece. Thin = crisper. Thicker = fluffier insides. (Both good!) More nubbly surface = better crunch!
- Steam dry again: Leave on the tray to steam dry for 5 minutes or so – makes them crispier!
- Drizzle: Drizzle with butter, then olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake: Bake for 45 minutes (small potatoes) to 55 minutes (medium) or until deep golden and crispy. Do not flip!
- Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
When I travel, Dozer stays with a golden retriever boarder. Rumbling with his friends, a whirlwind of fur chasing each other around the backyard, somersaulting across the lounge room as they tumble.
I’m told he’s internally fretting about me. 😂
Hi Nagi, Thank you for the recipe…looks fabulous and belongs in the Mindfulness Camp of Blissful Eating — my kind of food. Thank you also for sharing your travelling tales of humanity and vulnerability — with just a touch of denial thrown into the mix. All essential elements for survival. And yes, Dozer hides his internal pain well. I suspect he was torn up good & proper inside…did he come home reluctantly, I wonder?
You’re so welcome Tricia! Glad you found it amusing!!! And yes Dozer is thoroughly torn up inside… I’m sure…. 🤣
Oh Nagi! I literally laughed out loud at your luggage adventures. You poor thing. Enjoy the rest of your holiday, I’m sure Dozer will be enjoying his.
It’s ridiculous. My life is ridiculous!
Hey Nagi thanks for the giggles. I’ve done smashed potatoes before and they are fabulous. If you do the small ones serve them with a side of ranch dip!!
Yes! They’re like the most amazing chips ever! 🙂 N x
Oh Nagi, what an interesting life you lead with all these little escapes and hitches. Life is never dull with you around, ha ha.
I can’t wait to try those potatoes, they looked so good.
We just had to have our dear old dog of 15 years put to sleep so I will be watching and reading about Dozer and enjoying his antics like he was mine.
Thanks for all those fabulous recipes and enjoy your stay in Japan. Come home safe xxxxx
Oh Coral! 😭 I’m so sorry to hear that, I’m so sad for you. Sending hugs from both me and Dozer – N x
Can you make these in an Air Fryer?
Hi Karen, I must say I haven’t tried but would be curious to know!
Yes! I do these in the air fryer all the time. I microwave, cool, smash and then place into a airfryer baking tray and then douse with butter oil and salt pepper and garlic powder 🙂
WOAH!!!!!
Excellent potatoes! Very high praise, given that I’m an admitted life-long potato fiend. I need potatoes in my diet regularly or I undergo an unfortunate personality transformation. My potato addiction is secondary only to my caffeine addiction, but I must have both to retain my reason and equanimity! For some people it might be Xanax, chocolate, or maybe weed, but for me it’s potatoes and caffeine! 🙂
I read this message and though – jeez, that sounds just like ME! Potatoes and coffee. Two of my favourites ever!
Oh Nagi, you do make me laugh! I am thinking your “antics” are caused by your delicious cooking thoughts and ideas always cramming and churning around in your mind and not letting much additional thought space! As for Dozer……. we worry ourselves silly when we leave our furbabies while they usually have an absolute ball!! And those crispy smashed potatoes look so yummy I’m going to try and make them to go with our BBQ tonight 👍👍😃😃
My life is ridiculous!! 🤣 I like to think I’m a pretty organised person, then I go and do something like that??
Nagi, Nagi what are we gone do with you?? Am glad it was suitcase and NOT BABY…. Enjoy cold weather, bring us some snow. Watched last night opening of Winter Olympics. Fantastic!! So are you potatoes, always loved roast potatoes, YUMI.
I KNOW!!!! I’m out of control Vera!!
Hi Nagi, those potatoes look so so so goooooddd!!
And I am going to Japan in July, so I cant wait to read more about your Japan story… in the mean time enjoy your trip!
Then you’re going to LOVE hearing that we’re putting together a travel guide…. that’s one of the reasons I’m here!!!
Nagi, another go to recipe! Love all of your recipes. Enjoy Japan.
Thanks Linda! Having fun here – always do! 🙂 N x
Those travel cracked me up and sound like things that would 100% happen to me. I walk off without bags and stuff all the time. I’ve made these potatoes so many times before though and should have known I didn’t invent the recipe. They’re sooooo good!
Glad to hear it’s not just ME that this sort of things happens to me!! 🤣
have you ever tried with sweet potatoes?
Hi Ashley! Nope but instinctively I don’t think it will work quite the same as sweet potato doesn’t roast as crisp. You could try with small sweet potatoes if you can find them – the skin part should go crispy. 🙂
I fully sympathise with your travel woes as just took 6 hours to get home to London from Paris on Eurostar after an overnight stay this week, due to freak snow falls over there….only to find my darling husband hadnt picked up my bathroon/cosmetic bags….! Having temporary trouble with oven to bake these wonderful looking potatoes and relying on stove top frying/heating at present. Any thoughts on how long I may need to dry fry for?? Hope the return trip not so eventful.
YIKES!!!! Not the toiletry bags!!!! NOT YOUR MAKE UP!!!🙊
I’m laughing with you about the suitcase, because I do the same thing – but with my PURSE. My 10lb purse that I somehow forget once in a while as I’m wondering why I feel lighter and more carefree than usual. It generally takes me several minutes (or when I have to pay) before I figure out I left my purse somewhere.
These smashed potatoes look amazing!!! I’ll have to try them out soon!
Also, internally fretting Dozer… you gotta love our furry friends! 🙂
10lb?? TEN POUNDS!!!????!!!
Hey Nagi! You must be the Australian version of me! Sisters on different continents!
Sometime I will have to tell you the story about calling animal control on a vicious trash bag 🙄
I have made these often, sometimes when they are nice and crispy, I take them out of the oven and put cheese and crumbled bacon on top, and put them back in the oven until the cheese melts. They are so good, my daughter calls them “dangerous potatoes “.
Dozer is just putting a good show on, I’m sure he’s pinning away for you. Have fun skiing!
Ba ha ha!! So glad it’s not just me!!!
Nagi I watched the smashed potato video on YouTube before reading the Japan travel back story, and got to wondering hmm mm NAGI must have needed a stress reliever..then I read the Japan story and cracked up laughing at your hilarious “travel mishaps “..but the spuds look delicious. Sunday is almost here spud time
DOZER REALLY LOOKS INTERNALLY FRETFUL😂😂
Ba ha ha! You totally got it right Gillian! 🤣 N x
“Small ones – size of a gold ball or smaller”
Oh how I wish I had a gold ball the size of any potato!! 🙂
Seriously, I tried to eat one of these off the screen it looked so good!!
BA HA HA!!!!! It’s my subconscious making me type!! Thanks for that 🙂 N x
These potatoes look so scrumptious, Nagi! I love reading your stories. Enjoy your stay in Japan!
Thanks Precious! Having a GREAT time over here! N xx