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Smashed Potatoes are the ultimate crispy side dish! Made with tender baby red potatoes that are slathered in a garlic butter and roasted until crispy, these smashed red potatoes are irresistibly good!
Looking for more red potato recipes? Don't miss No-Peel Mashed Red Potatoes, Parsley Potatoes and Roasted Red Potatoes.
When it comes to simple side dishes, I find myself turning to potatoes again and again! From creamy Mashed Potatoes to flavorful Potatoes O'Brien, to Crispy Baked Oven Fries, potatoes can be prepared in endless ways and make an affordable, hearty side dish. But when I have baby red potatoes on hand, I often turn to this Smashed Red Potato recipe.
Boiled before roasting, the potatoes become buttery and creamy on the inside. But what makes this humble potato side dish stand out is the crispy exterior they achieve when roasted. Before being popped into the oven, the potatoes are literally smashed then slathered with garlic butter. They become crispy, crunchy, and oh-so flavorful.
This easy potato recipe not only makes a great side dish to honey garlic pork chops or chili lime baked salmon, but smashed potatoes also make a party-favorite appetizer.
Ingredients at a Glance
How to Make the Best Smashed Potatoes
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Boil the potatoes before roasting. Simmering the potatoes in salted water until just fork-tender will help the potatoes soften just enough to be smashed.
- Evaporate excess liquid. Once the potatoes are tender, strain them and return the potatoes to the hot pan. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes until the excess moisture is evaporated. This is key to letting the potatoes crisp up beautifully when baked.
- Space the potatoes out on the baking sheet. This will give them enough room to roast, not steam. It is better to use two pans rather than crowd one pan with the potatoes.
- Gently smash the potatoes. I find that it works best to lightly flatten or smash the potatoes using a flat-bottomed cup or coffee mug, using gentle pressure. Too much pressure will cause the potatoes to burst open and likely not stay intact.
- Brush with garlic butter. Use a pastry brush to brush the butter mixture over the surface of each potato. This adds intense, irresistible flavor to the smashed potatoes.
- Roast, but don't flip. Smashed Potatoes can be rather fragile. Simply let them roast until they are nice and crispy. The greased pan and the addition of garlic butter to the tops of the smashed potatoes will ensure each side is nice and crispy.
Flavor Variations
While the rich garlic butter is unbelievably delicious, feel free to change up the seasonings on the Smashed Baby Potatoes with one of the suggestions below.
- Add Parmesan: After the potatoes have roasted, grate parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the potatoes and let the cheese melt before serving.
- Italian: Replace the butter with olive oil and mix with ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried oregano, kosher salt, and dried Italian seasoning.
- Cajun: Replace the garlic powder, salt, and pepper with ½ tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning.
- Southwestern: Replace the garlic powder, salt, and pepper with ½ tablespoon Taco Seasoning.
- Swap the Potatoes: Feel free to use any variety of baby potato in place of the red potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
Whether served alongside Burgers or Baked Chicken Tenders for a kid-friendly dinner, or alongside a Ribeye Steak or Baked Cod, you can't go wrong with Smashed Potatoes.
As for the dipping sauce, garlic butter smashed potatoes have been infused with so much flavor, they don't need to be dipped into anything. If you were to pair them with anything, I would recommend sour cream.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow the potatoes to cool slightly and then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Rather than microwaving the crispy potatoes to reheat, which will cause them to lose their crispy exterior, reheat them by baking on a greased baking sheet at 425 degrees F for 8-10 minutes to warm through.
More Favorite Potato Recipes
- Air Fryer Potatoes
- Cheesy Funeral Potatoes
- Easy Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
- Homemade Oven Fries
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Potatoes Romanoff
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
If you tried this recipe for crispy, smashed potatoes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Smashed Red Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds baby potatoes, red or yellow
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt, + more for cooking potatoes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ (215℃) and brush a rimmed baking sheet with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil.
- Place 2 pounds baby potatoes in a large saucepan, along with 1-½ teaspoons of kosher salt, and cover with cold tap water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the potatoes until they are just fork-tender, but not bursting open or overly soft. This will take anywhere from 20-25 minutes, depending on how large the potatoes are.
- Strain the potatoes, and return them to the hot pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, or until all the moisture is evaporated. This will help to evaporate the excess moisture from the potatoes, which is necessary for the potatoes to get really crispy.
- Arrange the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet pan, leaving enough space around each potato to flatten and roast. LIGHTLY flatten the potatoes with the bottom of a glass. Do not push too hard, or the potatoes will end up mashed.
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley , ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Brush the butter mixture over the surface of each potato.
- Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until browned and golden. Let cool on the sheet pan slightly and then serve with additional fresh minced parsley if desired.
Equipment
Notes
-
- Add Parmesan: After the potatoes have roasted, grate parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the potatoes and let the cheese melt before serving.
-
- Italian: Replace the butter with olive oil and mix with ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried oregano, kosher salt, and dried Italian seasoning.
-
- Cajun: Replace the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley with ½ tablespoon of Cajun Seasoning.
-
- Southwestern: Replace the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley with ½ tablespoon Taco Seasoning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So simple and delicious! Love this way of serving red potatoes!
Thank you so much for sharing, Jenn! We love them as well!
These potatoes were so good. I paired them with roasted chicken and will definitely make them again!
Sounds like a great meal! Thanks for taking the time to share a review. I appreciate it!
everything is perfect.
My family LOVES these smashed potatoes! We made them three times this week - they are that good. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and super flavorful from the garlic butter and herbs. Yum!
These were very easy to make, and super delicious! Thank you.
Thanks so much for sharing Marsha!