Easy Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Easy Smashed Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to make these easy smashed potatoes at home:

• Baby Dutch yellow potatoes
• Olive oil
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Sea salt

We recommend using baby Dutch yellow potatoes for dippable, bite-size smashed potatoes. If you can’t find them at the store, any small, round potatoes should do for this recipe.

What makes these the best smashed potatoes is a simple seasoning: garlic powder, paprika, and salt. These three ingredients yield a savory flavor that reminds us of seasoned french fries, making these smashed potatoes perfect for dipping into your favorite condiments.

How To Make Smashed Potatoes

Making smashed potatoes is a two-step process. First, boil the potatoes and let them cool. Then, smash the potatoes, season them, and bake them in the oven. All in all, this easy smashed potato recipe takes a little over an hour.

Here’s how to make crispy smashed potatoes in the oven:

1. First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil for about 20 minutes, until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes, then pat dry and let them cool for at least 15 minutes.
2. Next, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Spread the potatoes out on the baking sheet so they’re at least a few inches apart. Then, using the bottom of a drinking glass, smash each potato to about a quarter inch to a half inch thick. (A thinner smash will yield crispier potatoes.)
4. Drizzle the potatoes lightly with olive oil, then season evenly with garlic powder, paprika, and a few pinches of sea salt.
5. Finally, bake the potatoes for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until crispy. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Boiling the potatoes softens them so they’re easily smashable, but you also need to let them cool so that they hold their shape when you smash them. We like to pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel after draining, then lay them out on the towel to cool. This will allow the potatoes to cool much faster than if you leave them in the strainer.

You don’t need any fancy tools to smash the potatoes. Find a sturdy drinking glass and use the bottom surface to press down on the center of each potato. Using a large, flat surface to smash creates even pressure across the potato so that it smashes to an even thickness while holding its shape. If you don’t have a good glass, use a bowl or plate with a large, flat bottom – this is key.

Note that you can determine how thin you want to smash the potatoes based on what texture you want them to be when they come out of the oven. Thinner smashed potatoes will be crispier, while thicker smashed potatoes will stay soft and fluffier on the inside. It’s really up to you!

Finally, don’t hold back when it comes to the seasonings. We didn’t put measurements in this recipe for a reason! A few pinches of salt should be plenty, but you can’t go wrong with a heavy sprinkle of garlic powder and paprika. Or, if you want a more plain flavor, you can go a bit lighter on the seasonings. Again, it’s up to you and what you want the final result to taste like.

How To Serve Smashed Potatoes

These easy smashed potatoes are the best side dish for chicken, steak, or fish dinners. You can even serve them at breakfast alongside eggs instead of hash browns or breakfast potatoes.

We recommend serving these crispy smashed potatoes with your favorite condiments for dipping, such as:

• Hot sauce
• Ketchup
• Chipotle mayo
• Honey mustard
• Garlic sauce
• Barbecue sauce
• Ranch dressing

We most recently enjoyed these smashed potatoes with two delicious dips: a homemade chipotle hot sauce and Tingly Ted’s Xtra Tingly Sauce. Both were perfect complements to the crispy, savory potatoes!

Easy Smashed Potatoes Recipe FAQs

What are smashed potatoes made of?

Our smashed potatoes are made of boiled baby Dutch yellow potatoes, seasoned with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, and sea salt.

What’s the difference between smashed potatoes and mashed potatoes?

Smashed potatoes are potatoes that have been boiled, smashed, seasoned, and roasted in the oven. Mashed potatoes are potatoes that have been boiled, mashed, and whipped with butter and milk or heavy cream.

What potatoes are best for smashed potatoes?

Small, round potatoes such as baby Dutch yellow potatoes are best for smashed potatoes. Smaller potatoes yield dippable, bite-size smashed potatoes that are perfect for serving with your favorite condiments.

What tool do you use to make smashed potatoes?

Use anything with a large, flat surface to smash the potatoes – the bottom of a sturdy drinking glass or a bowl should work. A continuous surface (like the bottom of a glass) applies even pressure on the potato, so that it smashes to an even thickness while maintaining its shape. 

We do not recommend using a fork or a potato masher to smash the potatoes, since it will split the potato skins unevenly and cause the smashed potatoes to fall apart more easily.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

In our opinion, there are 3 reasons why this is the best smashed potatoes recipe:

1. You only need 5 ingredients, 4 of which are probably already in your pantry
2. They roast in the oven, so there’s very little hands on cooking required to make them
3. They’re crispy, savory, and the perfect size for dipping into your favorite condiments

With so many reasons to love these oven roasted smashed potatoes, how can you resist? Make them instead of french fries next time you’re craving a savory potato side dish and see for yourself why smashed potatoes have gone viral.