With soft buttery, fluffy potato inside and a crispy, crunchy exterior, coated in just enough butter and olive oil, and seasoned with garlic and rosemary, these Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes are what dreams are made of. Simple and easy to make, they are the perfect side dish or snack!
These Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes are so easy, and always a crowd pleaser. In fact, I have made these so many times over the years for company, and every time without fail, someone will ask for the recipe. I have even had a friend text nearly a week later saying that she still could not stop thinking about the potatoes, and she absolutely had to have the recipe so she could have them again.
Obviously, with rave reviews like that, you can rest assured that these Crispy Smashed Potatoes are sure to be a hit with your crowd. They are buttery and soft in the middle, crispy on the outside, with little crunchy bits, and packed with savory rosemary and garlic flavor. Plus, they are really simple to make, which means you can focus on the rest of your meal, and know that these potatoes won’t let you down.
How Do You Make Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes?
These Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes are super simple to make. They do take a little more time, at just under an hour, but I always find it is perfect, as I can get these going and then they cook while I am working on other parts of the meal.
These come out of the oven with perfect crispy bits, mixed with soft fluffy interiors – a combination so good, you will probably find yourself (and your guests) sneaking them off the pan before you are even ready to serve.
To make these Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes:
- Boil the potatoes: You will want to boil your potatoes until they are fork tender. This ensures a soft and fluffy inside. This usually takes about 20 – 25 minutes, but the time can vary based on the size of your potatoes. Sometimes I have gotten pretty large “baby” potatoes, so they need a little extra time.
- Let it Rest: This may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but I find that these Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes get even crispier if I let them sit to steam for a few minutes after draining. This allows the skin of the potatoes to dry off, so it is ready to crisp up.
- Smash the Potatoes: Smash each potato lightly on a greased baking sheet using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, a potato masher, or large fork. I prefer a potato masher to get more crispy cracks in the surface. You want to smash lightly just until the potatoes start to break apart, but they should still hold together. The thinner you smash, the more crispy bits; the thicker, the more fluffy potatoes.
- Season the Potatoes: You will then mix up the butter, olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, and pepper, and spoon or brush the mixture over the smashed potatoes. Try to coat each potato evenly and make sure they each get a coating of butter/olive oil. This will help ensure the crispiness.
- Bake until Crispy & Serve: Finally, just bake these in a 425° oven until they are soft on the inside, and lightly golden brown and crisp on the outside. These Crispy Smashed Potatoes are absolutely perfect served as is, in fact, popping them just right off the pan and into my mouth is my favorite, but if you want to, you can also serve them with a little sour cream, pesto, chimichurri, or BBQ sauce.
Crispy Smashed Potato Recipe Variations
Another great thing about this Crispy Smashed Potatoes recipe is the versatility. This is my standard go to recipe below, but you can also mix it up with what you have on hand or whatever flavors you are craving. Here are some additions and substitutions I recommend.
- Add Parmesan: For Crispy Parmesan Smashed Potatoes, add fresh shredded parmesan cheese after topping with the butter mixture before baking. You can also try other cheeses, but stick to harder, drier cheese and don’t use too much as cheeses with more moisture content can keep these from getting crispy.
- Mix Up the Herbs: You can substitute other herbs for the rosemary such as minced fresh thyme, parsley, or sage, depending on what you have. Or try a combination of herbs for more complex flavor. Just try to make sure the herbs add up to about 1 tbsp.
- Make it Vegan: For vegan Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes, you can substitute all olive oil for the butter, or use your favorite vegan plant based butter.
Looking for More Tasty Side Dish Recipes?
If you love these Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes, here are more of my top favorite and go to side dish recipes:
- Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Roma Tomatoes
- Easy Roasted Broccoli
- Grilled Rosemary Potato Wedges
- Easy Blistered Green Beans
If you make these Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes, don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe below. You can also share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram. I love to hear what friends think of my recipes!
Crispy Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb baby new potatoes (either red, yellow, purple or a combination)
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (minced)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Add unpeeled potatoes to a pot and fill with cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to boil over high heat, cover, and reduce to simmer for 20 – 25 minutes (until potatoes are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork.
- Drain potatoes and let sit about 5 minutes for the residual heat to dry off the potatoes (this helps make sure they get extra crispy)
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray, and spread potatoes out, leaving a couple of inches of space around each potato.
- Smash each potato lightly using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, a potato masher, or large fork. I prefer a potato masher to get more crispy cracks in the surface. Smash just until the potatoes start to break, but still hold together. The thinner you smash the more crispy bits, the thicker, the more fluffy potatoes.
- Spoon or brush the butter mixture over the potatoes, and sprinkle evenly with salt.
- Bake 20 – 25 minutes until crispy.