Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Published by:
Liz Marino
| 03/15/2020 | Last Updated: 12/04/2025

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The Best Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe – an easy side dish to any meal. Paleo, vegan, Whole30 friendly- these smashed potatoes are delicious. Crispy on the outside + soft on the inside, everyone at your table will love these!

Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet


 

This post was originally shared in May of 2018 but has since been updated.

I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like (true story).

Potatoes are the best. You can turn them into baked french fries, healthy mashed potatoesspiralized potatoes… the possibilities truly are endless. 

However, one of our all time favorite ways to cook potatoes is this crispy smashed potatoes recipe.

A close up of Crispy Smashed Potatoes on a baking sheet

Why we love Smashed Potatoes:

  • Flavor – The flavor on these potatoes is delicious! Use good olive oil, some fresh herbs, and salt/pepper – can’t go wrong!
  • Texture – These potatoes are boiled to creamy perfection, then smashed, drizzled with an herby mixture, and baked until perfectly crispy.
  • Easy – Yes these potatoes are a little more work than a regular potato dish, but they’re a relatively easy recipe to make!

If you’re looking for a fun new side dish to make with dinner – look no further. These potatoes are paleo, Whole30, and vegan – perfect for any diet!

Ingredients for Crispy Smashed Potatoes:

To make these potatoes you’ll need

  • baby potatoes (we like dutch, but red will work too!)
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper
  • fresh rosemary – If you don’t like rosemary – I’ve included substitutions in the green box below
Ingredients for crispy smashed potatoes in small white bowls on a grey background: baby potatoes, olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh rosemary

How to make Easy Smashed Potatoes:

These potatoes really couldn’t be easier to make.

Olive oil being mixed together for coating smashed potatoes
  1. Mix your olive oil/spice mixture.
a fork pressing down a smashed potatoes
  1. Cook potatoes until they are fork tender, about 20-25 minutes then place on a baking sheet. Press down with a fork until they burst/are flat.
a brush coating smashed potatoes with olive oil
  1. Brush with olive oil/herb mixture.
A close up of easy smashed potatoes before they head into the oven to be baked
  1. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the potatoes edges have browned.

When they come out of the oven, they should look like this! Brown and crispy on the edges, perfectly cooked!

Crunchy Smashed Potatoes coming out of the oven

Substitutions for smashed potato recipe:

Oil – You can use avocado oil or coconut oil in place of olive oil.

Herbs – If you don’t love rosemary, you can try thyme or parsley in place of this. I wouldn’t recommend using dried rosemary only because it can be very dry, and the pieces of rosemary are almost a bit sharp when you bake them!

Potatoes – I recommend using dutch yellow baby potatoes, but you can use baby red potatoes or any other smaller variety of potato like a fingerling. Russet and sweet potatoes will not really work for this, you need to use a smaller potato.

Cheese – These are delicious with a little bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top! They’d even be yummy with some shredded cheddar cheese!

Garlic – Garlic potatoes are delicious too! Add 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic to your herb/olive oil mixture for even more flavor!

Other toppings– Bacon, pancetta, or chives would all be delicious on these potatoes!

Peeled potatoes – I like to leave the skin on the potatoes before baking them, but if you prefer to peel them you can!

oven roasted smashed Potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet

Tips for the Best Crispy Smashed Potatoes

  • Use smaller potatoes – You can make this smashed potatoes recipe with any potato but small potatoes like fingerling or dutch baby potatoes work best for this!
  • Make sure to smash them! Don’t leave these potatoes thick, make sure to really smash them down so they can get thinner and crispy!

Crispy Smashed Potatoes FAQ

Why won’t my potatoes get crispy?

If your potatoes aren’t getting crispy there are a few things that could be wrong. They might be under cooked, not have enough oil on them or they might be over crowded in the pan. Make sure to give them enough time to cook and space them out

How do you make roast potatoes crispy?

The key to crispy roast potatoes is high heat and making sure they’re evenly coated in olive oil! The oil allows the potatoes to get a crispy fried texture on the outside.

What’s the difference between mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes?

Mashed potatoes are potatoes that have been boiled and mashed into a smooth, creamy texture. Smashed potatoes are whole potatoes that are boiled, smashed, and baked in the oven to get a crispy outside. Smashed potatoes remain whole while mashed potatoes do not.

I love these Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes because they go with literally anything. I like these with our Pecan Crusted Chicken Cutlets and Green Beans Almondine but here are a few more ideas.

Recipes to serve these crispy potatoes with:

These potatoes go well with everything, but here are a few ideas for how to serve them.

Honestly though, I could eat them straight off the cookie sheet with nothing else. (And I totally did riiiight after getting these photos… no shame in my game!)

the best Crispy Smashed Potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet

Storing/Prepping Smashed Potatoes:

Storing – I would recommend storing these potatoes in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Reheating – You can reheat these potatoes in the toaster oven, microwave, or oven. A few minutes should help them crisp right back up!

Freezing – I would not recommend freezing these potatoes. Potatoes don’t freeze very well and can tend to get mealy.

Crispy Smashed potatoes on a plate with chicken and broccoli

Other healthy potato recipes:

We love cooking with potatoes- they make a great healthy side dish! Check out these 45+ Healthy Potato Recipes or these favorites:

Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Recipe by: Liz Marino
4.93 from 13 votes
Crispy Smashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish to any dinner. Paleo, vegan + Whole30 friendly – these easy smashed potatoes are simply delicious. Crispy on the outside + soft on the inside, everyone at your table will love these!
Prep Time : 5 minutes
Cook Time : 40 minutes
Total Time : 45 minutes
Serves : 4 servings
(hover over # to adjust)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Dutch yellow baby potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and prepare a parchment lined baking sheet
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  3. Add potatoes into boiling potatoes and boil for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
  4. While potatoes are cooking, in a bowl, whisk together salt, pepper and fresh rosemary.
  5. Once potatoes are cooked – drain the potatoes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  6. Press the potatoes with a masher or a fork until they are flatter/burst. Brush the olive oil/spice mixture over the potatoes.
  7. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes and then broil for 2-3 minutes to get that super crispy outside.

Video

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4oz (approx) | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Share it! Make sure to tag @thecleaneatingcouple or use #thecleaneatingcouple!
4.93 from 13 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




25 Comments

  1. Mary Catherine Brame says:

    5 stars
    Wish I never cooked this pan of heaven. My gosh y’all need to make these and shove your face in the bowl. Wonderful.

  2. Monica Maxwell says:

    5 stars
    Very crispy and so good. My 13 yr old wanted to eat the whole pan, ha. Pairs well with anything

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      LOL! So happy everyone enjoyed it!

  3. 5 stars
    Such an easy and flavorful way to cook crispy potatoes. Pairs great with the pulled chicken or as a side for breakfast. Very easy to follow recipe and can alter spices / seasoning to your liking. Very delicious side to add on to a meal.

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      Thanks, Mandy!! So happy you like them!

  4. 5 stars
    These are so good. Potatoes are a staple for us whether we’re on a round of Whole 30 or not and I wish I hadn’t waited so long to try this recipe. We’ll definitely be making these on a regular basis!! Thank you for another great recipe!!

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      Thanks, Sarah! So happy you liked them – They’re great with any seasonings so feel free to switch it up too 🙂 and parmesan cheese (when you’re not doing W30!)

  5. 5 stars
    My husband absolutely loved this recipe!! We added a tiny bit of garlic powder to them (Husbands request) but these were great, a new favorite in our household.

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      So glad you liked them, Alexis! They’re one of my favorite sides 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    I can’t wait to try these potatoes. It seems easy to make!

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      Thanks Jackie! Hope you love them!

  7. Ivy Deane says:

    5 stars
    This is a great side! I like to meal prep it to go with the baked chicken tenders also by the Clean Eating Couple. Super yummy! I always struggled to get them crispy but this recipe is awesome and helpful! Always a crowd pleaser.

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      Thank you so much, Ivy! Glad you like the potatoes and hte chicken tenders!

    2. Ivy, tips for getting more crispy. Gently pat dry the potatoes after boiling before adding the oil. When putting on the pan, space out well. For me this can mean two or three pans instead of 1. The extra cleaning is worth the extra crunch.

      Disclaimer, I haven’t made this recipe yet but I love crispy foods in general and above tips have helped! I plan on making these this week! Just finding the recipe today, so excited! I have mini potatoes in the house already!! 🙂

      1. 5 stars
        Made these!! So yummy. My husband loved them! We added garlic powder to them because garlic and potatoes are a good marriage! My husband loved these and I already bought another bag of mini potatoes to make again!

        I found it helpful to smush the potatoes down and forward a little instead of straight down, to help them crack open.

        Thanks for the delicious recipe!

        1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

          So glad you liked them!!

  8. 5 stars
    So yummy!! We love these potatoes.

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      Thanks Lauran!

  9. 5 stars
    Made these last night! Smashed is the way to go! Super yummy. Definitely making again soon for my family.

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      So glad you liked them, Eve!

  10. 5 stars
    These are one of my favorites! They have become apart of my regular rotations for sides. Everyone I have ever served these to love them! Highly recommend!!

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      So glad you like them, Suzie! They pair well with pretty much any dinner 🙂

  11. Rachel McGowan says:

    5 stars
    Been planning on making this for a while and O..M..G.. so good!!!

    1. The Clean Eating Couple says:

      Yay!! So glad you enjoyed them Rachel!

  12. The Clean Eating Couple says:

    Right?!! It’s the best combo! Hope you try them!