Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes

Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes are boiled, shaken in olive oil, then smashed and roasted to crispy perfection.  They’re the ultimate crispy smashed potatoes!

**This post was originally published in June 2013.  The photos, recipe and text have been updated.

Potatoes are one of our favorite side dishes.  The men in my house love mashed potatoes most of all, but it really doesn’t matter to me whether they’re mashed, grilled, baked, roasted or fried.

Just give me potatoes. 🙂

These Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes are one of my favorite ways to prepare potatoes.  They’re addictively crispy and extremely hard to walk away from.

Cooking baby potatoes can get a bit boring.  I roast them a lot, but I love finding new ways to change things up to make side dishes more exciting.

Trust me when I say these aren’t your average roasted potatoes.  Smashing them before roasting results in more surface area of potato, which means even more of the potato becomes crispy under the direct heat of the oven.

Brilliant right?  I only wish I’d thought of it myself. 🙂

What type of potatoes are best for roasting?

Red, gold and purple baby potatoes are all great options for roasting, but each one is a little bit different.   

• Gold potatoes are creamy, soft, and get the crispiest out of the three.
• Red potatoes are waxy, smooth and creamy.
• Purple potatoes have a starchy, creamy texture and are rich in flavor.

If you’re like me and you can’t decide, just buy a bag of the tri-colored medley. 🙂

Smashed Baby Potatoes ingredients

You only need 4 simple ingredients for this amazing side dish!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1.5 lbs. baby potatoes (red, gold or tri-color all work well)
• Olive oil
• Fresh or dried rosemary
• Garlic powder

How to make Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes

There are a 4 steps involved in this recipe as outlined below:

Boil the potatoes.   Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with enough water to cover by 1″.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then remove the lid and simmer over medium heat until the tip of the knife is inserted easily into the potatoes.  Drain the boiled baby potatoes well and blot dry.

Shake the potatoes.  Once dry, place the potatoes back into the sauce pan with the olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Cover with the lid and shake vigorously until the potatoes are well coated with the oil mixture.  Pour the potatoes onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.

Smash the potatoes.  Smash the potatoes gently with a fork.  Once smashed, I like to dab some of the remaining oil from the saucepan over the tops of the potatoes.

Roast the potatoes.  Roast the smashed baby potatoes at 425 degrees for 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Recipe notes:

• Change up your crispy smashed potatoes with different herbs and seasonings, or serve with a dollop of sour cream!
• How long to boil baby potatoes depends on their size.  Boiling them for 10-12 minutes is normally plenty of time for them become tender.
• You can determine how long to roast baby potatoes by how golden brown and crispy they are.  Roast them for 30-45 minutes depending on the level of crispness you desire.

Need more side dish recipes?  See all of my Side Dishes.

More potato recipes you’ll love:

Baked potatoes by the Kitchn

Grilled potato salad

Sheet pan chicken thighs, potatoes and green beans

Salmon nicoise salad

Twice baked mashed potatoes

Yukon gold mashed potatoes

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Yield: Serves 6

Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes

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Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes are boiled, shaken in olive oil, then smashed and roasted to crispy perfection.  They're the ultimate crispy smashed potatoes!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds baby new potatoes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover by 1". Place the lid on the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain well in a colander, then blot dry with a towel.
3. Place the potatoes back in the pot and add the olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the lid on and shake vigorously until the potatoes are completely covered with the olive oil.
4. Pour the potatoes out onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and smash them down with a fork. Once smashed, I like to dab some of the remaining oil from the saucepan over the tops of the potatoes.
5. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are crisp and golden brown. Enjoy!

Notes

• You can use any type of baby potatoes for this dish. Red, gold or purple are all great options.
• Change this recipe up with your favorite herbs or spices!
• Inspired by Big Girls Small Kitchen's Shakin' Hash Browns.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 186Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is mean to be an estimate only. The numbers will vary based on the quantity consumed, brands used and substitutions that are made.

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