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. 😂
Just made this for dinner for the first time! Tasted exactly the way I wanted them to! You said you do small ones as appetizers-just wondering, could they be made ahead and frozen?
Yummy recipe!
Now I ad a little cheddar and bacon bits as well.
When they are done I add a tiny bit of sour cream and instead of parskey i put chopped green onion bits as well… loaded baked potato!
These look great! Does the sheet pan need to be oiled?
I used baking paper on mine
Wow what a hit these already have requests to make them again
how long do I microwave them (instead of boiling)? and what kind of potatoes yield the best resuolts (fluffy on the inside) I’d like to stick with mini potatoes, so I don’t have to peel
These are phenomenal! Almost polished them all off from the pan!
Tried this last night and it was a hit! For a family that doesn’t like usually like potatoes, I was pleasantly surprised that we all enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for the simplicity of the recipe. Most especially, thank you for all the wonderful tips!
Will the potatoes still crisp if I line the tray with baking paper or foil sprayed with oil?
Keen to try but don’t want to put straight on the baking tray.
Many thanks
I used baking paper. I didn’t spray it. Just drizzled as per recipe and they were perfect.
Awesomeness! We’ve just cooked these in a not-too-sophisticated gas oven at a caravan park in Maryborough and they were perfect! Ex-South Africans, living in NZ and loving touring around Australia. Will be making these regularly on the rest of our tour! Thanks heaps Nagi! And hugs to Dozer 😉
These are now our favorite way to make potatoes – incredible. Thanks for the share and for your ever-helpful tips to maximize crispiness!
Yummy! I substituted olive oil for the butter and topped with fine sea salt and a sprinkle of Penzey’s Justice seasoning (a mix of pepper, garlic, shallot, and onion). I used a mix of small and medium gold potatoes and baked at 400F for about 40 minutes. Crispy, fluffy perfection!
Easy and great presentation
thank you!
Good potatoes. Simple and easy. Mine came out a little bit on the dry side so next time I think I’ll add more butter. Thanks for sharing.
Super easy and super yummy! Everyone in the family loves it. I made exactly according to recipe. Thanks for a great recipe!!
I’m looking forward to trying them
The best! I’ve tried other variants but somehow this is so much better. I smashed with a tool that hammers chicken. Then went back and smushed more with my fingers. They stayed together and were crispy. I added more butter than called for. They flew off the table!
Quick question: Can you boil the potatoes the day before, so when you wake up you smash and bake?
They smash easier (and stay together) while they are still warm. But you could boild and smash today, then cook the next day. They’d probably come out even crunchier because the rough edges would have dried out a bit. Just experiment 🙂
Just cooked the smashed potatoes for the 3rd time. Starting to get it right. They are just the BEST! Tonight I added a bit of shredded cheese, made a tasty difference. Love your work and your recipes .♥️
I love these potatoes! My husband likes them, but my teenager, not so much (it’s OK because she’s so picky). Here in the states we have a chicken and biscuits restaurant that has it’s proprietary seasoning that I buy (it’s a little like season salt with some other ingredients). I decided to up the flavor a bit and sprinkled them with it, oh my goodness! Like little pillows of crispy/fluffy heaven. I like dipping mine in sour cream! Ranch with a touch of hot sauce is good too! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Ooooh Amy that all sounds GOOD!! N x
Nagi, I’ve made these a few times, and tonight I made the parmesan encrusted potatoes and they are both SO good! They’re even good cooled off, as an after dinner snack! lol Thanks for all your recipes and hard work. 🙂
They are a tasty snack!! I am glad that you liked them Mo! N x