These Crispy Smashed Potatoes are great when you want the crispiness of roast potatoes, but don't want to mess about chopping and peeling.
With just a few ingredients and 30 minutes of roasting, you can have tender crushed potatoes, flavoured with garlic with an irresistible crunch.
Perfect for using up leftover potatoes, this dish is great for breakfasts, brunches and everything else.
Don't worry about the variety, any potato will do!
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What are the ingredients?
For this version I used new potatoes with their skins on so there is literally no peeling or chopping.
You can use any potato, but try to make the pieces even, around an inch in diameter.
I've also used garlic, butter and olive oil to get a great colour and flavour and used some thyme leaves to serve.
How to make crispy smashed potatoes
Peel a couple of cloves of garlic and lightly crush them with the back of the knife to release the juices. Put the garlic and butter in a small pan and heat for a couple of minutes until the butter has melted over a low to medium heat.
This way, the garlic will infuse the butter, giving the smashed potatoes a fabulous garlicky taste without pieces of garlic getting burnt and bitter in the oven.
After a couple of minutes turn off the heat and add the olive oil. Remove the garlic - you can reuse it in your main dish if you need to.
The potatoes need to be cooked through to start with, which makes this dish perfect for using up leftovers. Try using roast potatoes, plain boiled potatoes, salad potatoes or even mashed potatoes.
I've used salad potatoes for ease, as they were a similar size, (about 40-50g each), but pieces about an inch long will give a good spread and stay stuck together.
Cover the potatoes with water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. They will take 10-15 minutes to become tender. Check with a fork.
Grease a baking sheet or line with reusable silicon, (my favourite) and arrange the potatoes with a 2 inch gap in between.
Get a potato masher, or two forks, and gently press down on the potato to flatten. The aim is to smash the potato gently, without breaking it up.
The more uneven and fluffy edges you have the crispier your potatoes will be.
Drizzle over the butter and oil mix and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Roast at 200C/400F/Gas6.
There's no need to turn these potatoes, just leave them for 20-30 minutes until they are crispy and golden on top then serve scattered with some fresh thyme.
These garlic crushed potatoes are so easy to make and go perfectly with any meal.
Best of all they're hardly any effort!
How about topping them with a fried egg and crispy bacon for a decadent brunch?
FAQ
You can use any herbs that you prefer but rosemary, parsley and thyme go particularly well.
For a change you could sprinkle the potatoes with a cheese such as cheddar or Parmesan and add a small amount of paprika, cayenne or chilli powder.
Definitely. I would cook the potatoes and smash them on the oven tray, then leave them in the fridge until you are ready to cook. Preheat the oven and dress the potatoes with the oil and seasoning before roasting as normal.
It's possible to freeze these potatoes but I personally think it's best to cook them from fresh, especially as you can still prepare them in advance.
More potato side dishes to try...
📋 Recipe
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 400 g new potatoes 8 50g potatoes
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon flaked sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and bruised
Instructions
- Put the garlic and butter in a saucepan over a medium heat for 2 minutes until the butter has melted. Turn off the heat and add the olive oil. Remove the garlic.
- Cover the potatoes with water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. They will take 10-15 minutes to become tender. Check with a fork.
- Grease a baking sheet or line with reusable silicon and arrange the potatoes with a 2 inch gap in between.
- Use a potato masher, or two forks, and gently press down on the potato to flatten.
- Drizzle over the butter and oil mix and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast at 200C/400F/Gas6 for 20-30 minutes until crisp and golden.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Amanda
Thanks so much June.
Amanda
Thank so much Kathryn.
Amanda
I'm with you there Beth. I'll take crispy over mashed every time!
Amanda
Thanks Jovita. Sometimes it's great to hame some lazy dishes that just taste great!
Amanda
That's great Heidi. Thank you!
Amanda
Thanks so much Angela.
Angela
This is a favorite at my house. My family asks for them!
Heidy Linn
Wow, these Crispy Smashed Potatoes were excellent tasting. They turned out perfect too! Great instructions and tips. I will be sharing this recipe link with a few co-workers! Pinning to save!
Jovita
These potatoes look like a perfect fall side dish. I love how easy this recipe is with no chopping and no peeling (for new potatoes) involved!
Beth
In my opinion, the best part of a potato is the crispy factor! This is such an easy way to achieve that! Can't wait to try them!
Kathryn Donangelo
This is such a great side dish! Love the crispiness of the potatoes after you smash them. Can't wait to make theses again!
June de Silva
I can't wait to try this one - thanks!