This Crispy Smashed Potatoes recipe is crispy, salty, savory, MAGIC. Our crispy seasoned smashed potatoes have it all! They’re perfect tasty appetizer or simple side dish. (Bonus? They’re naturally gluten-free, vegan & whole30 approved!)
These smashed potatoes are EXACTLY that kind of easy recipe I love. They’re equally at home as an appetizer at a party, or on a holiday table next to a beef roast, glazed ham, or roast chicken.
Basically, crispy smashed potatoes have it ALL going on. They’re crispy and fluffy, they’re salty and savory, they’re simple and perfectly seasoned. Basically, I can’t stop eating them!
Plus, they only require 4 main ingredients and a few simple steps to get started..
Simple Ingredients To Start
- Baby Potatoes. First, you’ll start with baby yellow potatoes/small potatoes. You *can* use baby red potatoes if you prefer, but I find the buttery, delicious texture of yellow potatoes is best suited for this crispy smashed potatoes recipe.
- Olive Oil. Next up is olive oil. This helps the potatoes get that delicious crispy exterior! (Prefer to use melted butter? That works, too!)
- Salt & Pepper. Lastly, some kosher salt or flaky salt and black pepper round for seasoning. It’s simple, yes, but it’s delicious!
- Maybe Some Bonus Seasonings. More on this in a minute!
How To Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a sheet pan with a tiny bit of the oil or some spray oil.
- Prep Potatoes. After washing the potatoes well (don’t peel them!), add potatoes to a large saucepan and add enough water to cover potatoes with 1 inch of water. (The level of the water should be 1 inch above the level of the potatoes.)
- Boil Potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and keep at a boil for 15-20 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a knife. (aka fork tender)
- Smash Potatoes. Drain potatoes well and spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Use a large fork or the bottom of a sturdy glass to smash each potato to about 1/2″ thickness. The potatoes should be tender enough to smash easily!
- Season Potatoes. Arrange smashed potatoes so that they don’t touch. More air circulation = crispier potatoes! Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need to use two baking sheets. If so, try to split the potatoes evenly between the baking sheets. Brush the tops of the potatoes with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and black pepper.
- Bake Potatoes in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the bottoms are crispy and the tops are golden brown. Don’t flip them during the cooking process. If you’ve used two baking sheets, rotate them between the racks in the oven halfway through to promote even browning.
- Serve & Store. Garnish with fresh herbs or additional seasonings, as desired. Enjoy potatoes hot with your favorite dip as an appetizer, or a side dish to your favorite dinner. Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days. You can crisp them back up in the oven for a few minutes, or pop them in the air fryer!
Flavor Variations & Serving Suggestions
Now that you know how to make crispy smashed potatoes, let’s talk about variations & serving suggestions!
- Try Them With Ranch. My absolute favorite way to serve these crispy smashed potatoes is with our homemade ranch dressing. (It’s naturally dairy-free & paleo-approved!) The creamy dressing is AMAZING with the salty, crispy potatoes! Or, swap in our Chipotle Ranch or Cilantro Lime Ranch for some variety.
- Make a Dipping Sauce! If ranch isn’t your style, try these potatoes with Comeback Sauce, Fry Sauce, Creamy Parmesan Dressing, or even Honey Mustard!
- Add Bonus Seasonings. You can use a bit of our sweet potato fry seasoning for extra flavor, or add a bit of garlic powder and smoked paprika!
- Add Herbs. You can easily change the flavor of these potatoes by sprinkling them with some fresh herbs. Fresh rosemary or fresh thyme can be lovely when you’re serving these potatoes with steak or chicken, while something light like fresh dill, fresh parsley, or cilantro can be great for serving as an appetizer.
- Add Cheese! If you don’t have issues with dairy, you can absolutely sprinkle these potatoes with some freshly grated parmesan cheese before baking. The cheese will get crispy and golden as they cook!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Tricks For MAXIMUM Crispiness. For the crispiest smashed potatoes, you want to keep a few things in mind. First, make sure not to skimp on the oil or butter you’re using. This will help you achieve those delicious crispy edges. Second, don’t crowd the potatoes! The better the air can circulate around them, the crispier they’ll be. If they’re too close together, they’ll just steam.
Can I Add Extra Seasoning? Absolutely! Try our sweet potato fry seasoning, add some simple garlic powder and onion powder along with the salt and pepper, or add some fresh herbs or red pepper flakes at the end!
Use The Right Potatoes! Our smashed potatoes recipe works best with baby Yukon gold potatoes. They’ve got great flavor, have thin skin, and are the perfect midpoint in texture between starchy Russet potatoes and waxy red potatoes or purple potatoes. Baby potatoes/small potatoes work best for that crisp texture we’re going for!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Crispy Smashed Potatoes recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby yellow potatoes, washed (24 oz.)
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper or, to taste
- Optional garnish: 1-2 Tablespoons fresh herbs cilantro, parsley, dill, thyme, or rosemary!, red pepper flakes, fresh black pepper, or flaky sea salt.
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a sheet pan with a tiny bit of the oil or some spray oil.
- Prep Potatoes. After washing the potatoes well (don’t peel them!), add potatoes to a large saucepan and add enough water to cover potatoes with 1 inch of water. (The level of the water should be 1 inch above the level of the potatoes.)
- Boil Potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and keep at a boil for 15-20 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a knife. (aka fork tender)
- Smash Potatoes. Drain potatoes well and spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Use a large fork or the bottom of a sturdy glass to smash each potato to about 1/2″ thickness. The potatoes should be tender enough to smash easily!
- Season Potatoes. Arrange smashed potatoes so that they don’t touch. More air circulation = crispier potatoes! Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need to use two baking sheets. If so, try to split the potatoes evenly between the baking sheets. Brush the tops of the potatoes with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and black pepper.
- Bake Potatoes in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the bottoms are crispy and the tops are golden brown. Don’t flip them during the cooking process. If you’ve used two baking sheets, rotate them between the racks in the oven halfway through to promote even browning.
- Serve & Store. Garnish with fresh herbs or additional seasonings, as desired. Enjoy potatoes hot with your favorite dip as an appetizer, or a side dish to your favorite dinner. Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days. You can crisp them back up in the oven for a few minutes, or pop them in the air fryer!
Notes
- Tricks For MAXIMUM Crispiness. For the crispiest smashed potatoes, you want to keep a few things in mind. First, make sure not to skimp on the oil or butter you’re using. This will help you achieve those delicious crispy edges. Second, don’t crowd the potatoes! The better the air can circulate around them, the crispier they’ll be. If they’re too close together, they’ll just steam.
- Use The Right Potatoes! Our smashed potatoes recipe works best with baby Yukon gold potatoes. They’ve got great flavor, have thin skin, and are the perfect midpoint in texture between starchy Russet potatoes and waxy red potatoes or purple potatoes. Baby potatoes/small potatoes work best for that crisp texture we’re going for!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/crispy-smashed-potatoes/Originally posted February 2019. Fully updated with new photos, video, and detailed instructions & tips and re-published February 2025.
These are so good! The salty crispness is perfection. I could eat these by the bucket
For a party could you boil the potatoes in the morning and then smash and roast them in the evening?
Ann Claire – I think that would be a great solution! You may want to warm them up a bit before smashing in the morning so they don’t just burst apart (when they’re warm, they mash more easily and smoothly).
Great recipe!! What dip did you make???
This one is my homemade ranch. It’s also awesome with Cilantro Lime Ranch or Avocado Ranch!