I’ve made these enough times to know the crisp is decided before the pan goes in the oven. Two things do it: how rough you leave the tops and what pan they go on.
Get those right and you get a little potato with a crunchy edge all the way around, a soft middle and the skin still on. Whole potatoes, despite what the name suggests. Miss them and it comes out soft the whole way through, more like a small baked potato.
You Can Work With The Potatoes You Have
I buy baby Yukon golds or any yellow mini potatoes that run about 2 inches across. I also look for a bag where they’re all about the same size.
If all you have is red baby potatoes, use my Smashed Red Potatoes recipe instead.
Size matters. Look for potatoes about 2 inches across. Bags vary: potatoes of 3 to 3.5 inches smash too wide, and the very small ones (about ½ inch) burn.
Put Them Straight On The Pan
Oil against hot metal is what makes the bottom crisp. Each potato sits in it and fries there while the top roasts.
Put anything between the potato and the metal and you lose that. Parchment and foil both trap steam underneath, and what you get instead is a potato that’s cooked and seasoned and soft on the bottom.
Leave The Tops Bumpy
When you smash a potato, you get a thin outer rim and a “torn-up” surface on top. You want those tears and ridges. They’re what will crisp up.
Butter pools in the rough spots and they darken first, so the more bumps and torn edges you leave, the more crisp edge you end up with. A potato pressed smooth won’t give you the same effect.
I use a potato masher, but a large fork works too. If the potato starts to stick to the masher, I just brush a little oil or nonstick spray on it.
How To Tell When They Are Done
Open the oven at the early end and look at them. You want the thin edges dark brown and the flat parts still lighter. That’s what done looks like.
Dark edges are what you came for, so don’t rescue them early. The thin bits go dark well before anything is actually burning.
I don’t brush more butter on after they come out because it soaks straight in.
What To Serve Them With
These go with anything off the grill or out of a skillet. Steak, pork chops, chicken thighs, a roast sitting on the counter while the potatoes finish.
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in a single layer, for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
REHEATING LEFTOVERS: These crispy smashed potatoes can be reheated on a baking sheet, in a 350°F preheated oven, for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
They won’t be as crispy as they were the first day, but they get close, and it’s quicker than heating the whole oven for a few potatoes.
More Crispy Potato Recipes
- Baked Potato Skins are the other crispy potato you eat with your hands and a bowl of dip.
- Loaded Crack Potatoes start with frozen hash browns and feed a crowd with no boiling and no smashing.
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges go in raw, so there is no boiling and no oven to wait on.
- Mississippi Mud Potatoes bake up golden with tons of melted cheesy flavor.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby Yukon gold or other yellow potatoes (24-ounce bag)
- 3 teaspoons salt, divided (2 teaspoons for the boiling water and 1 teaspoon for the seasoning mix)
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided (2 tablespoons for the butter mixture and 2 tablespoons for each of the 2 baking sheets)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt (Maldon or fleur de sel)
Instructions
- Put the baby Yukon gold or other yellow potatoes in a large pot with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Add cold water until the potatoes are covered by at least 1 inch.
- Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring it up to a boil. Boil the potatoes 20 to 25 minutes, until a fork slides into one with no resistance.
- While the pot works, heat the oven to 400°F. Brush 2 tablespoons of the olive oil across each of 2 large baking sheets, corner to corner, so no bare spots are left.
- Set a colander in the sink and drain the potatoes into it. Give them 3 to 4 minutes, long enough to handle but still warm. Warm potatoes flatten without tearing.
- Move 6 to 9 potatoes onto each oiled sheet, depending on their size, leaving at least 2 inches of space around every one.
- Press each potato flat on the sheet with a potato masher or a large fork, pushing straight down with steady pressure. Leave the smashed potatoes alone for another 3 to 4 minutes so the steam works its way out, which is what lets them crisp in the oven.
- Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the melted butter together in a small bowl.
- In a second small bowl, mix the remaining 1 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
- Spoon the butter mixture over the potatoes, dividing it evenly between the two sheets so every potato gets a share, and spread it to the edges with the back of the spoon.
- Divide the seasoning mix evenly among the potatoes, about ⅛ teaspoon on each.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges have gone deep brown and the surfaces are crisp. Let the pans sit 3 to 4 minutes, then finish with flaky sea salt and chopped parsley.
- Serve them warm, straight from the pan or piled onto a platter.
Notes
- Baby Yukon golds sit between a starchy russet and a waxy red potato, which is why they flatten without falling apart and still go soft inside.
- If all you have is red baby potatoes, you should check out my recipe for Smashed Red Potatoes.
- If all you have on hand are russet potatoes, Crispy Fried Potatoes are the skillet version, and they are what I use the russets for.
- Bag sizes vary by brand and by batch. Look for potatoes that run about 2 inches across.
Nutrition
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