These crispy smashed potatoes in oven are made with new baby potatoes - first boiled, then smashed, then brushed with garlic butter, and then baked...it’s as easy as that!
Using minimal ingredients and an incredibly easy cooking process, you can make ultra crispy potatoes loaded with garlic-butter flavor for brunch or as a dinner side dish in less than 30 minutes!
If you love easy side dish recipes like this one, be sure to try my Fried Cabbage With Bacon and Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole next.
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Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Potatoes - I’ve used a mix of baby potatoes and small red potatoes, leaving the skins on for added texture. Small potatoes are better as they will bake faster and will be thinner after smashing (more crispy result!)
- Butter - Melt a little unsalted butter in the microwave. If you only have salted butter then omit the salt called for in the recipe. Extra-virgin olive oil can be used instead of butter.
- Garlic - I love the intense garlic flavor in these smashed potatoes which is why I've used 5 medium garlic cloves. You can decrease this amount of garlic for a less intense flavor. Minced or pressed garlic is also suitable. Use garlic powder to flavor these smashed potatoes instead if you don’t want to risk burning your garlic in the oven.
Instructions
Give your potatoes a good rinse and scrub them clean if dirty.
Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until fork-tender.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once potatoes are cooked, drain them from water and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly spray with olive oil. Place potatoes on the sheet about 3 or more inches apart from each other.
Gently smash each potato with a potato masher or a fork until they’ve flattened to about ½-1 inch thick. (More thinner=more crispy)
In a small bowl mix melted butter and garlic. Brush each potato generously until fully covered in the garlic butter. (Here you can also add cheese if using)
Bake potatoes for 15 minutes or until golden brown and the exterior is crispy to your liking.
Serve the cooked potatoes as a great side dish with sea salt flakes, chopped parsley, and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top.
Tips
- A lovely topping idea for these crispy smashed potatoes is shredded cheese. Use about ¾ cups of cheese, such as parmesan cheese, and top the soft potatoes just before baking for the second time.
- Delicious garnishes could include sea salt flakes, crushed black pepper, a sprinkle of fresh herbs (such as fresh thyme or parsley), sour cream, chopped green onions, or yogurt.
- Bake in batches. Make sure that you spread the smashed potatoes out with sufficient room between them on the baking tray. This will ensure that each potato achieves an ultra crispy exterior while soft inside of the potato.
- You can line your baking tray with parchment paper for easy cleanup or brush it with olive oil. The olive oil will soak into the potatoes as they bake, making them even more crispy!
- For vegan-friendly smashed potatoes, omit the butter and use olive oil instead. Keep any toppings vegan too.
- Serve these crispy potatoes as a tasty side for a fulfilling Hamburger Casserole, Pork Chops, seafood lovers glazed Trout, and of course veggie Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Store the smashed potato fries in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days max.
Reheat in oven or air fryer at temperature - 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
I don’t recommend freezing these.
FAQ
Baby yellow potatoes such as baby Yukon Gold potatoes are great and so are red potatoes. In order for the potatoes to get crispy edges in the hot oven, they need to be relatively smaller potatoes, not exceeding 2 inches in diameter or the size of a golf ball.
Smashed potatoes are small potatoes that are boiled with their skin on, then smashed flat (using a fork or the bottom of a glass) onto a sheet pan, seasoned and flavored with spices and butter (or oil), and then baked until crispy and golden brown. The increased surface area of the potatoes increases crispiness.
Mashed potato, on the other hand, can be made with little potatoes and larger potatoes which are usually peeled first, then boiled, and then mashed with butter and seasoning into a smooth and creamy consistency, using milk or cream as common liquids to loosen the mash sufficiently.
Make sure that you allow enough space between each potato to allow adequate air circulation for maximum crisping. Since most air fryer baskets are substantially smaller than a large baking sheet, you will likely need to cook the air fryer smashed potatoes in batches. Boil the potatoes until fork-tender, smash them, brush with garlic butter and air fry at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
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I hope you'll enjoy this smashed potatoes in oven recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Crispy Smashed Potatoes In Oven With Garlic Butter
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds baby potatoes a mix of baby potatoes and small red potatoes, leave the skins on
- 3-4 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- 5 cloves garlic these potatoes have intense garlic flavor, if you normally are not used to strong garlic flavor add less, minced or pressed
- For serving: sea salt flakes crushed black pepper, parsley, sour cream, yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Give your potatoes a good rinse and scrub them clean if dirty.
- Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once potatoes are cooked, drain them from water and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly spray with olive oil. Place potatoes on the sheet about 3 or more inches apart from each other.
- Gently smash each potato with a potato masher or a fork until they’ve flattened to about ½-1 inch thick. (More thinner=more crispy)
- In a small bowl mix melted butter and garlic. Brush each potato generously until fully covered in the garlic butter. (Here you can also add cheese if using)
- Bake potatoes for 15 minutes or until golden brown and exterior is crispy to your liking.
- Serve the cooked potatoes as a great side dish with sea salt flakes, chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
An easy smashed potatoes in the oven are definitely one of my favorite go to recipes when it comes to EASY side dishes.