If you’ve never tried Smash Potatoes, you are seriously missing out on a truly amazing side dish. Creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside—you’ll be eating them straight off the pan.
My favorite flavor combination is salt, pepper, garlic powder, rosemary, and parmesan cheese. However, these potatoes are totally customizable. The possible flavor combinations are pretty endless. Don’t like rosemary? Try substituting thyme. Want a little punch of heat? Add a bit of cayenne or red pepper flakes. Heck, you can even add some cheddar cheese and bacon bits at the end of cooking to create “loaded” Smash Potatoes. Yep, I’m a cheesy girl 😂
I love recipes that are easy for entertaining, and this one definitely qualifies. Plus, it’s a crowd pleaser! Prep these ahead of time, then just pop them in the oven for 20 minutes, and they are ready to serve. I often prep these a few hours before we are ready to eat, then I’m able to time them perfectly with the rest of dinner. And, I’m not stuck in the kitchen while guests are here.
FAQs:
You can find gold, red, and purple baby potatoes. While I’ve used all of three them, my favorite are the reds or purple. They all cook the same, but I feel like the skins on the red potatoes get a little crispier. You can use larger potatoes, but the smaller potatoes definitely get crispier.
You can use a potato smasher or even the bottom of a glass. I do find that the uneven texture a potato smasher creates gives the potatoes more opportunity for crispy bits.
How to Prepare Smash Potatoes:
- Boil the potatoes about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooling, brush a baking sheet with olive oil, and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet, and smash them so that they resemble a peanut butter cookie.
- Brush the top of each smashed potato with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt), cracked pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary.
- (This is where you can put the potatoes on pause until you’re ready to pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. We love serving these with grilled meat, so I generally start the potatoes after consulting with the grill master about timing.)
- Bake the potatoes for about 20 minutes until they get nice and crispy. Remove from the oven, and top with the parmesan cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake about 5 more minutes until the cheese melts. Serve nice and hot.
Serving Suggestions for Smash Potatoes:
- You really can serve these potatoes with pretty much anything. We love them with Air Fryer Whole Chicken, Oven Baked Pork Chops, or Smoked Chuck Roast with Garlic Sage Butter.
- They’re also terrific as a side for Sunday brunch.
- Try Everything but the Bagel Veggie Dip as a dipping sauce to up the flavor game with your Smash Potatoes.
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Recipe Notes:
- This recipe was first published on August 31, 2016, but was republished with updated photos, ingredients, and notes to make the recipe more user friendly.
- Smash Potatoes were inspired by the Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes, given to her by an Australian friend. Yet another reason I love recipes and cooking. They are organic and keep traveling and transforming.
- For a Whole30 friendly recipe, simply omit the parmesan cheese.
- Seasoning options are pretty endless for these potatoes. I've used smoked salt, thyme, 21 Seasoning Salute, smoked paprika, and Everything but the Bagel Seasoning. Homemade BBQ Dry Rub also adds great flavor. You get the idea. Be creative, and add your own twist.
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Smash Potatoes
Creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside—if you’re like me, you’ll be eating these Smash Potatoes straight off the pan.
Ingredients
- 12 baby red potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt or to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons cracked pepper or to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons rosemary or to taste
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (omit for Whole30)
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooling, brush a baking sheet with olive oil, and preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet, and smash them so that they resemble a peanut butter cookie.
- Brush the top of each smashed potato with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with Himalayan pink salt (or sea salt), cracked pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary.
- (This is where you can put the potatoes on pause until you’re ready to pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes. We love serving these with grilled meat, so I generally start the potatoes after consulting with the grill master about timing.)
- Bake the potatoes for about 20 minutes until they get nice and crispy. Remove from the oven, and top with the parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake about 5 more minutes until the cheese melts. Serve nice and hot.
Notes
- The flavor profile for these potatoes are pretty endless. You can experiment with different flavors of salt, thyme, 21 Seasoning Salute, Everything but the Bagel seasoning blend, smoked paprika, etc.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 919Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 5mgSodium 996mgCarbohydrates 178gFiber 17gSugar 13gProtein 23g
Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.
David
Sound simple enough and tasty. Will try them this week end when the kids come down.
Cathy
These are simple and MAN approved. A new easy favorite
Inspired Fresh Life
Haha! The same in my house 😊