Safe to say that these crispy smashed potatoes are one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes. They’re buttery, crispy, crunchy, and packed with garlic and lemon.
And yes, these crispy smashed potatoes are time-intensive, but they’re worth every minute.
They’re essentially boiled until super soft and tossed in a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Before being smashed and baked in the oven until crispy and crunchy.
These crispy garlic and lemon smashed potatoes are the ultimate holiday side dish or salty snack!
Ingredients You’ll Need For These Crispy Smashed Potatoes
The ingredient list for these crispy garlic smashed potatoes is super simple.
- Baby gold Yukon potatoes: I like this variety the best. The flavor and texture is phenomenal.
- Olive oil: OK, so I don’t have one particular olive oil I love over everything, but I do have 3 favorites. My current favorite is Terra Delyssa Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but I also love California Olive Ranch (which is local to my area) and Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil (which is also local to my area).
- Garlic cloves
- Lemon zest: I used about 2 lemons worth of zest.
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Flavor Variations
The great thing about a simple recipe like this; there are endless flavor combinations. Leaving a few of my favorites below.
- Classic smashed potatoes: Simply omit the lemon zest and garlic from the recipe below.
- Italian herb smashed potatoes: Omit the lemon zest from the recipe below and add in ½ each freshly chopped rosemary, oregano, and parsley.
- Cheesy garlic smashed potatoes: Omit the lemon zest from the recipe below and add in ½ cup of finely grated parmesan cheese.
Quick note, if you’re making any of these variations, add the extra seasoning when you’re mixing the potatoes in the pan.
How To Serve These Smashed Potatoes
I like to pair these garlic smashed potatoes with a hearty salad like this fall harvest salad or baked kale salad. If you’re not plant-based these potatoes would go well with almost any American-style chicken or beef dish.
And yes, now and again I do like to make these as a snack!
But for the most part, I like making this as a side dish for Thanksgiving or holiday dinners as it is a more time-intensive recipe.
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Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Description
Safe to say that these crispy smashed potatoes are one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes. They’re buttery, crispy, crunchy, and packed with garlic and lemon.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs baby gold potatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil or a generous drizzle
- 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 lemons worth of zest
- 1 tsp kosher salt, use more as needed
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Flaky salt and minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add a generous amount of kosher salt. Add the potatoes into the pot and cook until soft, about 25-30 minutes. Medium-sized potatoes will take 10-15 minutes longer. Just make sure the potatoes are fork-tender before draining!
- While the potatoes are cooking, preheat the oven to 450°F and move the oven rack to the top of the oven.
- Once the potatoes are done, drain in a colander and let dry for 5-10 minutes. This will help excess water steam off and ensure the potatoes get ultra-crispy in the oven.
- Dump the potatoes onto a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest. Using the bottom of a small glass or mason jar, press down on the potatoes to smash them into flat patties. The thinner the potato, the crisper. The thicker the potato, the more fluffy the insides. Season with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Bake until the tops of the potatoes are beginning to brown and crisp, about 25 minutes.
- Garnish with flaky salt and minced parsley. Serve immediately!
Notes
I’ve used a variety of potatoes, and this recipe works great with all types. High-starch potatoes (ie. Russet potatoes) will be fluffier on these insights, whereas waxy potatoes (ie. red potatoes) are more creamy on the inside. Additionally, you can use small or medium-sized potatoes. Smaller potatoes will come out crispier, whereas larger potatoes will have the same crispies but more fluffy insides. My favorite potato variety to use for this recipe is baby gold Yukon potatoes; they’re small and turn out super crispy. Plus the flavor and texture of this variety are phenomenal!
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