Smashed Potatoes
They’re crispy, fluffy. salty and (optionally) cheesy. They’re smashed potatoes!
This recipe is a bit of a no-brainer. If you don’t have love in your heart for crispy potato products, you can stop reading right now.
Still with me? Excellent. We don’t have any room for those potato haters (potaters?) here. This one goes out to all the potato fanatics who live life in search of their next crispy potato adventure.
But really. Smashed potatoes are having a moment and it’s for good reason. They deliver on the mandatory crispiness front with the added bonus of fluffy insides. Once you know the technique, you can dress them up a million ways.
Let’s talk smashed potato specifics.
I like to use small potatoes for this recipe. Think baby reds, baby Yukon golds, baby fingerlings…you get it. For starters, using small potatoes is easier; no peeling or chopping required. In fact, peeling your potatoes falls squarely in the “No, please don’t. You’re making a mistake!” category for this one. More skin = more opportunity for crispy potatoes. And that’s really why we’re all here, isn’t it?
There are a few steps involved, none of them difficult. Wash your potatoes well. Set them in a large pot, add just enough water to cover them, and boil until easily pierced with a fork. This took between 15 and 20 minutes for me and my baby potatoes. After the potatoes have drained and cooled slightly, transfer them to an oiled sheet pan. Leave a bit of room in between each potato since they will expand when smashed.
Here comes the fun part.
Using the bottom of a glass or a mason jar, carefully press down on each potato to smash them into thin, scraggly disks. And come to think of it, you don’t have to be THAT careful. Smashed potatoes should be rustic. If some break apart a bit while you’re smashing away, that just means more tiny crispy bits later. Remember, more exposed surface area means more crispy potato action.
Next, brush each smashed potato with olive oil. This helps guide them on their journey to crispiness. Sprinkle seasonings of your choice. A combination of garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper does the trick. I like to wait to salt my potato babies (I mean…baby potatoes) until after they bake. Salt draws out moisture as it sits on food and we don’t want to introduce any obstacles that might make our potatoes soggy.
Let the potatoes bake in a 425 degree oven until crispy and delicious. This takes about 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through so both sides get equal love. Timing will vary a bit based on the size of your potatoes, so just check in on them occasionally.
That’s about all she wrote! Sprinkle with coarse salt and enjoy with…pretty much anything. We recently paired these with salmon, broccoli, and my all the greens pesto (coming soon to the blog). It was not a mistake.
If you use this recipe to inspire your cooking, send me a note, leave a comment, or tag me on Instagram @cookwithq. I love seeing what you’re creating and connecting with you through food.
Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs baby potatoes
- 2 tbsps olive oil for brushing
- garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash your potatoes well. Set them in a large pot, add just enough water to cover them, and boil until easily pierced with a fork (about 15 to 20 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Transfer them to an oiled sheet pan, leaving a bit of room in between each potato since they will expand when smashed.
- Using the bottom of a glass or a mason jar, carefully press down on each potato to smash them into thin, scraggly disks.
- Brush each smashed potato with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper (or seasonings of your choice).
- Bake the potatoes in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Baking time will vary a bit based on the size of your potatoes. Keep an eye on them and remove from the oven when they’re crispy and delicious.
- Sprinkle with salt and enjoy!