Crispy Smashed Potatoes

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Boiled, smashed, then baked in butter and olive oil, these crispy mini potatoes come out golden with dark, crisp edges. A sheet pan side dish for four.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 20

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 263kcal

Author: Stephanie Keeping

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