These crispy smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish to compliment any meal. Seasoned lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, smashed baby potatoes have it all. They’re easy to make, crispy on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside, and flavorful without being overpowering. You can serve these crispy smashed potatoes with almost anything — I love it with grilled chicken and roasted vegetables, but your options are endless! And you can even use your instant pot to cook these potatoes before smashing them and popping into the oven.
Why You’ll Love Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Crisp on the outside. The secret to making these crispy smashed potatoes is boiling them before baking. This is what allows them to be smashed to perfection and crisp up evenly on the outside. The added layer of olive oil and spices is also essential for their signature golden-brown crust and delicious flavor.
- Tender on the inside. These twice-cooked potatoes deliver an ultra creamy center, with perfectly cooked potato. Under the crispy exterior, these smashed potatoes are soft, smooth, fluffy, and tender.
- Simple and versatile. Crispy smashed potatoes is an incredibly easy recipe. It is made with just a few ingredients, yet despite this, they’re not boring at all. Instead, they’re are flavorful and delicious, and are extremely versatile. Serve them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And you can pair them with anything! Chicken, beef, salmon, turkey, pork — you name it.
Ingredient Notes
To make easy Crispy Smashed Potatoes, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- baby potatoes - baby potatoes work best for smashed potatoes because they have the best skin to potato ratio and the perfect surface area for getting the crispy edges.
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
Smashed potatoes are completely customizable. You can witch up the seasoning with your favorite spices or seasoning blend. Try cajun spice, Italian seasoning, or chili powder. You can also sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top for serving, or bake it with grated cheddar for a cheesy version.
How to Make the Best Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Cook the potatoes.
- To cook on the stove: Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water. The potatoes should be covered in water by about one inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- To cook in the instant pot: Add potatoes in the instant pot and cover with water (about 3-4 cups). Add salt and stir well to dissolve. Seal the lid and set the steam release knob to the sealed position. Cook the potatoes on Manual pressure for 8 minutes until tender. Once the time is up, quick release pressure or wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped.
- Smash the potatoes. Drain completely and place the hot potatoes evenly spaced apart on a large baking sheet. Gently flatten the potatoes into approximately ½-inch thick discs with a potato masher or fork.
- Season. Brush or spray oil on each smashed potatoes and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Bake. Bake in a 400F preheated oven until golden brown and crispy, about 25-30 minutes. You can also broil on high for another 5 minutes to get the potatoes extra crispy. Serve immediately with chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional).
What to Serve with Smashed Potatoes
Crispy smashed potatoes are an incredibly versatile side dish that pairs with almost any main course entree. Some of my current favorites to serve with this are:
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Creamy Garlic Salmon
- Ribeye Steak
- Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- How to store: Crispy smashed potatoes can lose their crispiness easily if you don’t store them correctly. After baking, lay potatoes on a paper towel-lined plate and allow them to cool completely to room temperature. Then, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Allowing them to cool first ensures there is no condensation, and your potatoes remain crispy!
- How to reheat: Reheat cold smashed potatoes in a preheated 400F oven for 10-20 minutes. You can also reheat them in the air fryer at 400F for 5-8 minutes until warmed through and crispy.
- Tips for smashing potatoes: If you’re having a hard time smashing the baby potatoes with a fork or potato masher, you can also try using the bottom of a glass cup. To prevent sticking, add a little bit of oil to the cup.
More Potato Recipes
- 40 Best Potato Recipes
- Roasted Garlic Parmesan Baby Potatoes
- Mashed Red Potatoes
- Greek Lemon Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
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Recipe
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These crispy smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish. They’re easy to make, crispy on the outside, tender and fluffy on the inside, and so flavorful.
Ingredients
- 20 baby potatoes (about 2 pounds)
- 1 teaspoon salt (for boiling)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes.
- To cook on the stove: Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water. The potatoes should be covered in water by about one inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
- To cook in the instant pot: Add potatoes in the instant pot and cover with water (about 3-4 cups). Add salt and stir well to dissolve. Seal the lid and set the steam release knob to the sealed position. Cook the potatoes on Manual pressure for 8 minutes until tender. Once the time is up, quick release pressure or wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Drain completely and place the hot potatoes evenly spaced apart on a large baking sheet. Gently flatten the potatoes into approximately ½-inch thick discs with a potato masher or fork.
- Brush or spray oil on each smashed potatoes and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 25-30 minutes. You can also broil on high for another 5 minutes to get the potatoes extra crispy.
- Serve immediately with chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional).
Notes
How to store: Crispy smashed potatoes can lose their crispiness easily if you don’t store them correctly. After baking, lay potatoes on a paper towel-lined plate and allow them to cool completely to room temperature. Then, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Allowing them to cool first ensures there is no condensation, and your potatoes remain crispy!
How to reheat: Reheat cold smashed potatoes in a preheated 400F oven for 10-20 minutes. You can also reheat them in the air fryer at 400F for 5-8 minutes until warmed through and crispy.
Tips for smashing potatoes: If you’re having a hard time smashing the baby potatoes with a fork or potato masher, you can also try using the bottom of a glass cup. To prevent sticking, add a little bit of oil to the cup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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Kayla says
These look great! I was wondering if you could cook the potatoes ahead of time, then just do the remaining smash and bake parts right before serving? Thanks!