Crispy smashed potatoes are smothered in a delicious garlic and herb sauce for a gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free side dish recipe. These easy garlic smashed potatoes are made with red potatoes, butter or olive oil, rosemary and thyme!
Potato recipes make great side dishes for busy nights and even special occasions! You might also enjoy these Homemade Scalloped Potatoes, Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes, Baked Potato Wedges, and these Instant Pot Mashes Potatoes.
Have you ever heard of smashed potatoes? What about garlic smashed potatoes?
I hadn’t heard of them either until a few months ago and I seriously do not know where these delightfully crispy smashed potatoes have been all my life!
Not only is this side dish recipe super simple to make, but it is also HIGHLY customizable to your taste preferences.
So to start, I’ll go ahead and give you the blueprint on making ultra crispy smashed potatoes.
What Kind of Potatoes Do I use for Crispy Smashed Potatoes?
There are a few different kinds of potatoes that you can use in this roasted smashed potatoes recipe:
- Red skin potatoes – I used these in this recipe and thought they were perfect!
- Yukon gold potatoes – work pretty similarly to red skin potatoes.
- Fingerling potatoes – since these are generally thinner than the above two potato varieties, they will most likely boil and bake faster.
How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes:
There are a few key steps when it comes to making smashed potatoes:
- You need to use similar-sized white and or red skinned potatoes.
- This ensures they all cook at the same rate when boiling.
- Once you have boiled the potatoes, dry them thoroughly!
- If extra moisture is kept on the potatoes, they will be mushy, not crispy!
- To make sure the potatoes do not fall apart when smashing, use a potato masher when the potatoes are still relatively hot.
- You can also use a large fork for this step if you do not have a potato masher.
- Cover the smashed potatoes in a butter or olive sauce to help give them that crispiness!
Want Even Crispier Garlic Smashed Potatoes?
If your potatoes are a little on the larger side, or if you prefer to get those edges just a little more crisp, there are a few things you can try.
First, try baking your smashed red skin potatoes for 5-10 minutes longer.
Secondly, you can try broiling the crispy smashed potatoes on a high broil for 2-3 minutes at the very end of baking. Make sure you keep a close eye, because the potatoes can burn if left under the broiler for too long!
How Can You Evolve these Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe?
While these oven-baked and roasted smashed potatoes are already gluten-free, soy-free, vegetarian, and whole30 approved, there are a few ways you can adapt them to your preference:
- Pick any of the three varieties of potatoes that were listed above (red skin potatoes, Yukon gold, or fingerling.)
- Use olive or avocado oil instead of the butter for a vegan and dairy-free recipe.
- Switch up the herbs by using basil, parsley, or oregano.
Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Garlic + Herbs
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds red potatoes washed
- 4 Tbsp. melted butter or vegan buttery sticks
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 Tbsp. thyme and rosemary finely chopped
- ½ tsp. salt to taste
- ¼ tsp. pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley optional
- See this recipe in Healthy Meal Plan #2
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
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Add potatoes and cook for 30-35 minutes.
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In a small bowl combine butter, or oil, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
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Once potatoes are fork tender, remove from pot and dry thoroughly.
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Place potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Smash each potato twice with a potato masher or large fork. (The thinner they are, the crispier they'll be!)
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Drizzle each potato with equal amounts of the garlic herb sauce.
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Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy.
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Top with fresh parsley and serve immediately. Enjoy! See this recipe in Healthy Meal Plan #2.
Recipe Video
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Bryan says
Potatoes are my favorite. I’m always excited to try out a different recipe! I’ll be trying this out for my next meal prep
London says
Yay, Bryan!! I think you will absolutely LOVE these! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Joanne says
These look so crispy and delicious!
London says
Thank you so much, Joanne!