Smashed Potatoes (with Creamy Garlic Sauce)
March 1, 2024
Potatoes. The humble accompaniment.
The most delicious, perfectly crisp, golden smashed potatoes you’ll ever have. Paired with a creamy garlic sauce, smashed potatoes are an impressive appetizer or comforting side dish with grilled chicken or steak. Tender, buttery, garlicky and so delicious! But most importantly, please don’t skip out on the sauce. You’ll be licking your plate clean!
Table of Contents
What are smashed potatoes?
Smashed potatoes are a variation of traditional mashed potatoes where potatoes are first boiled to make them soft enough to smash. They are typically roasted until crispy and served with herbs or garlic sauce as a side dish that compliments almost any meal.
Why you'll love my recipe.
Simple and easy preparation
Requires minimal ingredients and straightforward preparation. You can enjoy these smashed potatoes on the side as is or top with herbs, feta and my favorite garlic sauce.
Aromatic infused flavors
This recipe is heavy on the herbs. It’s what makes every bite as flavorful as the last.
Satisfying texture
The roasting process imparts a satisfying crispiness to the potatoes edges, while keeping the center tender.
How to make smashed potatoes.
Boil ’em
Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and let them cool for 5 minutes before transferring to the baking tray.
Smash ’em
This is the fun part. Use a wide, bottom heavy cup or jar to gently press and smash each potatoe.
Bake ’em
Bake the potatoes until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through.
Serve ’em
Serving these smashed potatoes with my chimichurri and lemon garlic sauce is optional but HIGHLY recommended.
Ingredient notes.
Mini Yukon golden potatoes
Red potatoes also work. Be mindful of using the same size potatoes for even cook time.
Aromatics
Herbs like fresh dill, cilantro and parsley add freshness and flavor.
Olive oil
Always look for origin on the bottle. Consider oils from olive-producing countries such as Italy or Greece which are known to preserve authenticity and quality.
Sour cream
Tangy, garlicky, smooth and lower in fat content than other options like mayonnaise.
Feta
Need I say more?
Different types of potatoes.
Starchy
As the name suggests, starchy potatoes are high in starch content but also low in water content. They easily absorb the liquid around them, making the most perfect creamy mashed potatoes or roasted, like this recipe. Examples are Russet or Idaho Potatoes.
Waxy
Waxy potatoes have a high water content and low starch content. Examples are red, fingerling or baby potatoes.
All-purpose
All-purpose potatoes are a balance between starchy and waxy. They transform nicely even if they are cooked, boiled, fried, roasted or mashed. Examples are purple, Yukon gold or white potatoes.
(The information above is sourced from Martha Stewart.)
Expert tips for perfect, crispy potatoes.
Cook at a high temperature
The ideal oven temperature for roasting potatoes is between 425°F to 450°F.
Equal sizes and place cut side down
Consistent size and shape will yield equal cook time. The cut side down method ensures the greatest surface area of the potato touching the pan gets extra crispy.
Oil is your best friend
Tossing in oil helps evenly coat each potato, which it needs in order to get crispy. Chose an oil for roasting that has a higher smoke point to avoid smoke and burn. I suggest olive oil. It has the highest smoke point of them all.
Don’t overcrowd the pan
To avoid steaming the potatoes, leave room around each cut piece. Some recipes may ask you to toss halfway. Don’t. Leave it undisturbed.
Use a starchy spud
Starchy potatoes like Idaho or Russet are low in water content. This is perfect for roasting.
How to store leftovers.
Because these potatoes are boiled and baked in the oven, they do not hold well as leftovers next day. Smashed potatoes are best served right out of the oven while they are still crispy. If making ahead, you may boil the potatoes ahead, smash and set aside but do not bake until closer to serving time.
Looking for other sides?
Before you go, take a look at these mouthwatering sides:
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Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds mini golden potatoes
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup Feta
For the chimichurri sauce:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh dill minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 small red chili pepper de-seeded and minced
For the garlic sauce:
- 1 cup sour cream (may substitute with Greek yogurt)
- 1 Tablespoon Heavy cream
- Juice of 1/2 small lemon
- 1 head of garlic - about 10 garlic cloves pressed
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Scrub and rinse the potatoes to remove any grit and dirt. Place in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and don't break apart.3 pounds mini golden potatoes
- Drain the potatoes and place on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F / 232°C
- Use a large glass cup or jar to gently smash or flatten the potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Bake until the tops and edges are golden and crispy.3 Tablespoons olive oil, Sea salt
- Make the chimichurri sauce and set aside.1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh dill, 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, 1 small red chili pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Make the garlic lemon sauce. Combine all the ingredients together and whisk until smooth then, set aside. The garlic flavor will intensify in the sauce as it sits. Adjust accordingly to your preferences.1 cup sour cream (may substitute with Greek yogurt), Juice of 1/2 small lemon, 1 head of garlic - about 10 garlic cloves, 1 Tablespoon Heavy cream
- Serve the smashed potatoes with garlic sauce on the side or arrange on a large serving tray. To do that, first spread the sauce on the bottom of the tray, arrange the potatoes, drizzle with chimichurri and sprinkle with feta crumbles. Best served hot.1/2 cup Feta
Nutrition
The provided nutritional value above is an estimate per serving. 100% accuracy is not guarenteed. Please see Nutrition Information Disclaimer in our Privacy Policy.
Nutrition Information Disclaimer10 Comments
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Flora
So delicious and easy. -
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Tabitha
These are so delicious and pretty easy to make! I used baby red potatoes, so they took a little longer to get crispy, and I broiled them at the very end for about 2 min. They are so yummy with the garlic sour cream sauce! Thanks Patricia for another wonderful dish! -
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Debbie
Baked smashed potatoes are already so delicious, But the sauce from this recipe just gave it such a great high quality restaurant taste! This was a huge hit in my home! My husband was definitely amazed by the flavors from this! I did have to improvise with some things I didn’t have. Used dried herbs instead of fresh and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream….but this recipe will be a repeat! Super easy to make!-
Patricia
Hi Debbie! This sounds so amazing! I like the way you think. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a sweet review. 🙂
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Madalina
Made those tonight. Delicious! -
This is the third recipe I’ve make from this blog and I am so impressed with the level of detail with directions. It’s hard to mess up!! I tried the focaccia and it was unreal how soft it was. You will not be disappointed. You know those delicious garlic sauces you get at Shawarma?? Yeah, this is 10x better.