Eat them as they are, or drizzle them with a quick salsa verde, chimichurri, fresh tomato salsa, or our homemade dairy-free sour cream for a beautiful, colorful, and tasty potato dish. Check out our best vegetable sides recipe collection!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make ahead
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First, they are super easy to make, which you’ll love. Second, they get crispy on the outside and buttery tender on the inside, which you’ll love even more. Third, this recipe is excellent for so many occasions. For example, you can serve them as a side dish as a substitute for roasted potatoes. Or you can top them with fresh tomato salsa, homemade sour cream, and chimichurri and serve them as a snack or appetizer. They are the perfect finger food, similar to nachos, and yes, you can even top them with cheese or dairy-free cheese if you like. The secret to making the best crispy smashed potatoes is using small potatoes, boiling them first until fork-tender, smashing them, letting the steam go away, then baking them at high temperature until their skin gets super crisp and golden brown. Take a peek at the “variations” chapter below to get many ideas on how to serve them. You can use red or yellow baby potatoes. Both work wonderfully for this recipe. If you can’t find baby potatoes, you can use regular-sized Yukon Gold; however, try to pick the smallest you can find. Smaller potatoes tend to get crispier and cook faster.
Olive oil
We recommend extra virgin olive oil. It has a fruitier and nuttier taste and is more stable at high temperatures, thanks to its high antioxidant content; it is better for you. You can substitute regular olive oil for EVO oil. We avoid melted butter in this recipe.
Salt and pepper
We season the potatoes with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Herbs
If you serve this recipe as a side dish, you can season the potatoes with rosemary, sage, fresh thyme, and garlic (or garlic powder) before roasting them. You can also sprinkle them with parsley, dill, chives, or cilantro once roasted.
Toppings
If you are serving them as an appetizer or snack, we recommend omitting the herbs and adding one or more toppings once the potatoes are cooked. Some excellent toppings for this crispy smashed potato recipe are chimichurri, cashew sour cream, salsa verde, fresh tomato salsa, and many more (see “variations” chapter below). You can also top them with shredded cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, or shredded dairy-free cheese, then broil them until the cheese melts. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender (20 to 30 minutes). Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking tray or sheet pan with parchment paper. Next, drain the potatoes and let them cool down for 5 minutes. This allows the excess moisture in the steam to go, heaping the potatoes crisp up in the oven. Smash them with a sturdy fork or potato masher and arrange them onto the baking tray, on a single layer, without overlapping or touching. Season each potato with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, and let them sit for 5 minutes to allow excess moisture to escape. Note: here, you can add rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, and other spices if you like. We keep the recipe basic so that we can add toppings later on. Bake at 400°F or 200°C for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes, are golden-brown and crisp up on top and around the edges.
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Variations
Another great way to enjoy smashed potatoes is as an appetizer or snack. They, indeed, are the perfect finger food and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Try our:
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Tofu Mushroom Recipe
Eggplant Parmigiana
Tofu Meatballs
Green-top smashed potatoes
Arrange the potatoes on a platter without overlapping much, then drizzle with a green sauce like:
Basil pesto: creamy, warm, basil-packed. Chimichurri: for a spicy, tangy feel. Italian salsa verde: for a fresh parsley and olive oil flavor. Green goddess dressing: for herb lovers, it’s a creamy and aromatic sauce. Cilantro lime dressing: for a tangy Mexican flavor.
You can also always add a side of marinara sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise or make our delicious and easy vegan mayo.
Loaded smashed potatoes
Load them up in layers with a drizzle of:
Chimichurri: tangy, spicy, and fresh. Fresh tomato salsa (or pico de Gallo): make it with diced tomatoes, lime juice, chopped cilantro, jalapenos, red onion, salt, and pepper. Vegan sour cream: homemade with cashew nuts.
Other great drizzling options are:
Chipotle sauce: a hot and smokey Mexican sauce we make with chipotle in adobo sauce. Chili oil: the easiest way to add heat to this smashed potato recipe.
Also, this prevents the potatoes from breaking, which happens when they overcook on the outside and are still hard inside.
Allow vapor to escape
Drain the potatoes, then let them sit for 5 minutes to allow the vapor and moisture to escape. Then smash them with a fork or a potato masher, and let them sit for another 5 minutes before baking them. Less moisture means crispier potatoes. Shortly before your dinner, smash them and bake them for 30 to 40 minutes until crispy.
Storage
Refrigerator: store smashed potato leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The potatoes will lose the crunch. Reheat in the microwave, or, to make them crunchy again, in a preheated oven or air-fryer for 10 to 15 minutes. Note that smashed potatoes keep better without toppings.
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title: “Smashed Potatoes” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-15” author: “Florence Claassen”
Smashed Potatoes
There is nothing better than a potato that’s warm and buttery, perfectly seasoned, and exceptionally crispy and fluffy! These Smashed Potatoes are all of those things and more. This is an amazing side dish recipe that pairs perfectly with just about anything. BONUS: They’re make-ahead friendly. Don’t miss my PRO tips below, including my favorite potatoes to use for this, and optional add-ons, (like Parmesan cheese, chives, and more)!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and let the steam fully escape.
Use a jar to smash them down. Brush with butter, olive oil, and seasonings. Bake at 425° F until golden and crispy, 40-45 minutes. Serve hot!
Make Ahead Method
Boil the potatoes as outlined and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve: Smash, season, and bake as outlined. For best results, I don’t recommend freezing these as part of a make-ahead method.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake in a 350° oven for 6-8 minutes. Note that these are best when served hot and fresh! While you can freeze leftovers, I prefer to serve/eat these fresh, (or reheated from the fridge as outlined above).
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Colander– To drain the potatoes. Measuring Spoons I love that these are magnetic. They keep my drawer neat. Pastry Brush– To evenly distribute the butter/oil/seasonings over the potatoes. Baking Sheet Thin Slotted Spatula– Easy to slide under the smashed potatoes for serving.
