Crispy Smashed Potatoes
A rustic alternative to traditional French fries. Not only are these simple to prepare, but their craggy shape and crunch makes them a standout side dish or a warm comforting snack.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1.8 lbs baby yellow potatoes or thereabouts, use as many as a pan will hold without crowding
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt for boiling
- 3 tbsp salted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt for sprinkling, use more or less as desired
- fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
- ground paprika, to taste (optional)
- Fresh or dried parsley, as garnish (optional)
- Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a medium pot and cover with cold water, add 1 tablespoon of salt, gently stir and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes and allow the potatoes to dry out a bit in the colander while the oven preheats. See notes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. (218 C).
- Add the potatoes to the baking pan and use either the bottom of a measuring cup, a jar, or a fork, to gently smash the potatoes by pressing down to flatten a bit, while trying to keep them intact. Note that varying thickness will yield more crispy or more fluffy insides. A more craggy-shaped potato will yield better crisped edges, so don't worry if they're not perfect - that's the beauty of this recipe.
- Let the potatoes sit on the tray this way for another 5 minutes to allow any internal moisture to evaporate.
- Drizzle the potatoes with melted butter, then oil. Sprinkle evenly with ½ teaspoon of salt, or as desired. Top with fresh cracked pepper and paprika (optional, but recommended), to taste.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until crispy. Noting that as potato sizes vary, larger potatoes might require a little more time; it's not uncommon to remove a few potatoes earlier while some will need a few minutes more.
- Garnish with parsley and/or parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve alongside ketchup or sour cream (optional)
Notes
The key to a crispy smashed potato? Getting rid of excess moisture. After the potatoes have boiled, drain them and let them dry for a few minutes. I leave them in the colander while the oven preheats; that's a generous amount of time to allow additional moisture to escape the potatoes. We'll allow moisture to escape one more time after we've smashed the potatoes. Just like when making mashed potatoes or potato gnocchi, working with a dry potato base makes all the difference. Then, when we add butter and oil, the potatoes will better be able to crisp. A potato with too much moisture will be more chewy, still delicious, but not as crisp.
Prepare ahead of time: Smashed potatoes can partially be made ahead by boiling and draining the potatoes and then following the steps later in the day when ready to smash and bake.
This will make as many as a baking dish can hold, keeping in mind that the potatoes need space to roast, so don't crowd the pan and the potatoes shouldn't be touching.
Varying sized potatoes are fine to use, keeping in mind that smaller potatoes with thin skin are easiest to smash.