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. 😂
These are sooooooo good! Thanks Nagi!
I LOVE this recipe and so does my family. My secret to making it easier is using the mini potatoes you buy that microwave right in the bag. So much easier.
Why no flip? I feel it maximizes crispiness! Amazing recipe!
Serves 12, eh?
*Laughs Maniacally*
Roasted these in a charcoal oven. Holy shit! They were amazing. Flavour, crispness, it has it all!
OMG!! The most delicious!! Absolutely Craveable!!
Made these with a bag of assorted small potatoes – blue, red, honey gold, and another variety. I followed the recipe to the letter with two minor additions: a teaspoon of white vinegar to the boiling water, and a bit of sharp cheddar on each smashed spud. The results were as crispy and delicious as promised! Excellent recipe.
Love these! I add rosemary and garlic without issue.
I don’t understand why you shouldn’t flip them.
Do I peel the potatoes?
Little tip: Potatoes keep more flavor when you stream them instead of cooking in water. Time is same. You save energy too.
Two questions.
1. Can I prepare this up until oven time, transport, and finish at location 30 minutes away?
2. Can I substitute a portion of either the butter or olive oil with duck fat.
Thank you.
Perfect ! Just like you said crunchy outside , soft inside. I used a seasoning salt. Love the buttery taste too.
We’re having them again tonight with T-bone steaks. YUMMM !
Hello,
So many of your recipes look amazing. Can I boil the potatoes and smash them ahead of time and the bake them in the oven later in the day ?
Made these for Chrissy lunch. ‘Best potatoes ever’ was the review from everyone. I had to pass on the recipe to them all. So simple, so delicious.
Excellent! We served these as part of breakfast-for-dinner and they were perfect with the runny eggs. A new favourite in our house! Thanks!
can I boil the potatoes ahead of time and smash them cold?
Making these shortly but have a quick question…do you use just a sheet pan or line w/parchment paper??
I’ve just always oiled my pan first. No parchment paper.
hey! just for future reference for anyone reading, i’ve made these with both parchment paper and aluminum foil lining the pan which makes cleanup easier. but i definitely noticed a crispier bottom of the potatoes when using aluminum foil than parchment. I assume this would be the same case with a bare sheet pan. The ones I made using parchment paper came out great, just less crispy:)
The photo shows peeled potatoes but the instructions mention the skin. Please clarify: skin on or peeled?
Absolutely Delicious… highly recommend to everyone.
i melted the butter with some fresh parsley and used some small gold potatoes soooooooooo good thank you so much!