These smashed fingerling potatoes are a simple, wholesome side dish. Oven roasted to crisp perfection with creamy insides, then drizzled with garlic butter and rosemary, you won’t be able to get enough! This really is the best smashed potato recipe!
There’s not a more perfect side dish than smashed potatoes. They’re great with roast beef, lamb, or chicken for dinner, or a brunch dish.
The process is pretty simple. The potatoes are boiled and smashed, then oven roasted to crispy perfection. Then, they’re finished off with some garlic butter and a sprinkle of parmesan.
Simple, wholesome ingredients make for satisfying food, and that’s just the beginning of all there is to love. These smashed fingerling potatoes are:
- Gluten free, and easily made dairy free and vegan
- You can double the recipe, or multiply it as many times as you’d like
- Can be made ahead of time! I share instructions on that below
- Have just a few simple, staple ingredients that you probably have on hand
- While I flavored these with garlic and rosemary, you can be creative with your flavors and add whatever you’d like! There are several ideas in the substitutions portion of the post
Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- 1.5 pounds fingerling potatoes — any color, or a mixture of them, will work.
- 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil — olive oil helps the potatoes roast crisply.
- Sea Salt — I like to use a mixture of textures. Sprinkle the potatoes with fine sea salt after smashing and before roasting, then finish them with some large or coarse ground sea salt to finish.
- Ground Pepper — freshly ground pepper is always best, but just sprinkle on whatever you have to your liking.
- 2 Tablespoon salted butter — Unsalted will also work, but salted butter has an added depth of flavor that is delicious in savory recipes.
- 1 large clove of garlic, or 2 small — crush or dice your garlic. If you prefer pre-minced jarred garlic, add 1 teaspoon.
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried–
Substitutions and Flavor Ideas
- If you want to make your smashed potatoes dairy free or vegan, substitute olive oil for the butter.
- You can use any oil that has a high smoking point, but I recommend either olive or avocado oil. Neither has a very strong flavor, and they are both a healthier oil option.
- If you can’t find fingerling potatoes, new or baby potatoes will also work well.
While I love the butter, garlic, and rosemary flavor combo, you can get creative and flavor these however you’d like! Here are some ideas:
- Herbs: Rosemary goes beautifully with potatoes, as do some fresh chives.
- Pesto: spread some fresh pesto over the potatoes.
- Cheeses: A bit of any grated cheese would work great with smashed potatoes! Freshly grated or crumbled Parmesan is the best option, but whatever you have on hand works great!
Some sharp cheddar, Gruyere, or Colby jack cheese could change and customize your flavors well. - Go Crazy: Use sour cream for a dip, add some diced jalapeños, get creative!
How to Make the Best Smashed Potatoes:
Boiling the Potatoes
Wash your fingerling potatoes, then place them in a large pot. Cover them with cold water, adding enough for at least 2 inches of water over the potatoes.
Note: Bringing the potatoes to a boil in the cold water helps them cook more evenly from the inside out.
Boil the potatoes just until they are soft through. This should take about 15-20 minutes, though that can vary if you have more potatoes in the pot.
Pierce one with a fork to test them for done-ness. You want the fork to go through the potatoes easily. When they’re ready, drain the potatoes.
Smashing the Fingerlings
After draining the potatoes, let them cool for 5-10 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
Place the boiled potatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle the with olive oil. Toss them around in the oil to coat completely.
Using a large fork or the bottom of a glass, smash each potato until it’s about 3/4″ to 1/2″ thick. You don’t want them too flat, or there won’t be any fluffy center left.
Make sure to leave enough space between the potatoes on the sheet to allow them to get roast quickly and evenly. You can use more than one baking sheet if needed.
Roasting the Potatoes to Make them Crisp
Roast the fingerling potatoes in an oven preheated to 425° for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them to be.
Finishing and Serving the Potatoes
While the potatoes are in the oven, melt down the butter in a small pan. While it’s melting mince the garlic and chop the rosemary fine.
Add the minced garlic and saute it just until it’s fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Remove from the heat and add in the chopped rosemary.
Allow the garlic butter to cool a bit, then mix in the Parmesan cheese. I recommend using small grated or shredded Parm, but not the powdered variety.
Once the potatoes are removed from the oven, drizzle or brush the garlic butter over them. Salt them generously (I like to use coarse ground salt at this point) and add ground pepper. Next, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the potatoes.
Serve while still hot. You can also serve with sour cream for dipping if you’d like.
Making Smashed Potatoes Ahead of Time
If you’d like to make your smashed potatoes ahead of time, there are a couple of options. I prefer the first (boiling ahead and roasting just before serving), but you can do whatever works for your schedule.
- To make smashed potatoes ahead of time, boil your potatoes as suggested. Drain, toss them in olive oil, and store them in the refrigerator. The next day, preheat your oven, and smash and roast the potatoes according to the directions.
If your potatoes are completely cold going into the oven, it may take them a few extra minutes to get crispy. - Alternatively, you can both boil and roast the potatoes ahead of time. Remove them a few minutes before they are completely crisp.
Store them in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator. Before serving, spread them back out on a baking sheet. Roast them for another 5-10 minutes, or until they’re sizzling and crispy again.
Top with the garlic butter, salt and pepper, and Parmesan. Serve while hot.
Recipe Questions and Tips
Mashed potatoes are the fluffy, whipped potatoes that have been boiled and then mashed into a smooth consistency. They are usually flavored with milk, butter, salt, and pepper.
Smashed potatoes, on the other hand, are small potatoes, in this case fingerlings. The small potatoes are boiled until soft, then tossed in oil and flattened. After smashing, they’re roasted until crispy.
No, fingerling and baby potatoes are rather different. Baby potatoes (also called new potatoes) are typically just standard gold or russet potatoes that have been harvested early, while still small.
Fingerling potatoes are their own variety of potato and are typically oblong, rather than round like new potatoes. They are fully mature when harvested, in spite of their small size.
They can be red, purple, yellow, or white, sometimes with streaks of color running through the flesh.
Yes, all produce should be washed before cooking and eating. While the dirt has typically been cleaned from potatoes before selling, they have been processed and handled by many people.
Enjoyed this recipe? Please consider leaving a rating and comment below. Thank you!
Other Potato and Side Dish Recipes You May Enjoy:
Smashed Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic and Parmesan
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes
- 3–4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Sea Salt
- Ground Pepper
- 2 Tablespoon salted butter
- 1 large clove of garlic, or 2 small
- 2–3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Boiling the Potatoes
Wash your fingerling potatoes, then place them in a large pot. Cover them with cold water, adding enough for at least 2 inches over the potates.
Note: Bringing the potatoes to a boil in the cold water helps them cook more evenly from the inside out.
Boil the potatoes just until they are soft through. This should take about 15-20 minutes, though that can vary if you have more potaoes in the pot.
Pierce one with a fork to test them for doneness. You want the fork to go through the potatoes easily. When they’re ready, drain the potatoes.
Smashing the Fingerlings
After draining the potatoes, let them cool for 5-10 minutes. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
Place the boiled potatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle the with olive oil. Toss them around in the oil to coat completely.
Using a large fork or the bottom of a glass, smash each potato until it’s about 3/4″ to 1/2″ thick. You don’t want them too flat, or there won’t be any fluffy center left.
Make sure to leave enough space between the potatoes on the sheet to allow them to get roast quickly and evenly. You can use more than one baking sheet if needed.
Roasting the Potatoes to Make them Crisp
Roast the fingerling potatoes in an oven preheated to 425° for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them to be.
Finishing and Serving the Potatoes
While the potatoes are in the oven, melt down the butter in a small pan. Add the minced garlic and saute it just until it’s fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Remove it from the heat and add in the chopped rosemary.
Once the potatoes are removed from the oven, drizzle or brush the garlic butter over them. Salt them generously (I like to use coarse ground salt at this point) and add ground pepper. Next, sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the potatoes.
Serve while still hot. You can also serve with sour cream for dipping if you’d like.
Notes
- For the sea salt, I like to use a mixture of textures. Sprinkle the potatoes with fine sea salt after smashing and before roasting, then finish them with some large or coarse ground sea salt to finish.
- Unsalted butter will also work, but salted butter has an added depth of flavor that is delicious in savory recipes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Boiling Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes - Good Things Baking Co.
Wednesday 1st of February 2023
[…] of pesto, or a toss in some garlic butter. Or better yet, sprinkled some crumbled bacon on top. This recipe for fingerling potatoes has a great garlic butter recipe that would be delicious on these!Note: Adding sour cream, butter, or bacon make the potatoes not […]