The Best Garlic Smashed Potatoes

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Open wide, my friends! My Garlic Smashed Potatoes are here and you absolutely need them in your life. STAT. Did I say STAT? Well, I meant it. I have mastered the perfect crisp on these potatoes, and created the perfect balsamic-olive oil sauce to drizzle on top.

And, if you haven’t attempted smashed potatoes before, I’ll go on the record and say that they are EASY TO MAKE. Just be sure to follow my tips below for obtaining the perfect crunch factor!

Here’s what you need to make these Garlic Smashed Potatoes!

Red potatoes

For this recipe, you actually need red potatoes. You can’t just regular Yukon potatoes, it simply will not work. One, they are way too big, and two, they are way too starchy. And good news, y’all, red potatoes are inexpensive. You need 1 pound, which is basically 8-12 small red potatoes, or 6-8 large-ish ones.

Olive oil

Olive oil is your oil of choice in this recipe, especially because of its flavor.

Garlic & garlic powder

Ok, so in this recipe, I use a combination of fresh garlic, mashed, and garlic powder. Why? Because the fresh garlic is much more pungent than the powder, but we need the powder too, so it’s not garlic overkill. The powder adds a nice flavor, without that pungent garlic-ness. So use both, okay?

Smoked paprika

Smoked paprika is one of my favorite seasonings and I feel like it’s so underutilized. The smokiness adds the best flavor, and it’s easy to find at your local grocery store. If you can’t find smoked paprika, just grab regular paprika. You’ll be ok, I promise!

Onion powder

Onion powder is another must in this recipe, because a garlic-onion combination is truly unbeatable. At this point, you should just do as I say 🙂

Fresh rosemary & thyme

I am going to go on the record here and say that FRESH herbs make ALL the difference in this recipe. Yes, you can use dried rosemary and thyme in a pinch, butttttttt there is something very special and extra flavorful about using the fresh herbs in this recipe. 

Salt & pepper

Because duh! What is a recipe without salt and pepper!

Tips for ensuring you get the crispiest potatoes EVER

1. Boil the potatoes until fork tender. One of the mistakes that newbies make when it comes to making smashed potatoes, is that they don’t boil the potatoes long enough, which means that the potatoes will be difficult to smash/flatten, and because of that, they won’t get as crispy as flatter potatoes would. For me, the perfect boil time is 15-16 minutes. Take fork and poke one of the potatoes. If you are easily able to stab the potato, then you are all done! Drain the water, let them cool somewhat, and then line them up on the baking sheet and start smashing them!
2. Rub the baking sheet with olive oil. In every single one of my baking recipes, I line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and that’s because I like easy cleanup, and I can’t stand when things stick. But this recipe is a little different. I like to rub some olive oil all over the baking sheet and place the potatoes directly on the sheet (no parchment paper). This really ensures that the potatoes turn out crispy on the top and the bottom.
3. Smash those babies pretty thin, about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick! That is the trick to getting them CRISPY!!!
4. Eat the potatoes right away. This isn’t one of those recipes that you can let sit and sit. Once they are out of the oven, I recommend eating them as soon as you can! That way you get to fully enjoy all the crispiness of the potatoes. No one likes soggy potatoes!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a rating below, and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations and I often repost them!

The Best Garlic Smashed Potatoes

5 from 3 votes

Nicole Modic

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

SERVES 4

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Oh hi, these are the best garlic smashed potatoes around town. The potatoes are perfectly crispy and they have a delicious garlic sauce to drizzle on top!

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds red potatoes
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves mashed
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary remove from the stems and roughly chop
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme remove from the stems and roughly chop
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Balsamic Drizzle (Optional)

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove.
• Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes, and set a timer for 15-16 minutes.
• While the potatoes are boiling, prepare the sauce for the potatoes.
• To do that, whisk together the olive oil, mashed garlic, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
• When your timer goes off, test the potatoes for doneness, by poking one of them with a fork - if it comes out easily, then the potatoes are done. If it doesn't, add an extra minute or two of boil time.
• Once the potatoes are done, remove from the pot from the heat and drain all of the water.
• Next, preheat oven to 450.
• Rub some olive oil all over a baking sheet (this is so the potatoes get extra crispy).
• Line up the potatoes on the oiled baking sheet.
• Use the bottom of a glass/mug to smash each potato, about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick.
• Next, coat the potatoes evenly with the mixture that you prepared earlier.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are nice and crispy - ovens vary and so does the thickness of your potatoes, so just keep an eye on them, and remove from the oven at your desired time.
• If you are going to make the balsamic drizzle, simply whisk together the ingredients and drizzle it evenly over the baked potatoes!

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to see what you made - tag @kalejunkie
in your posts and I’ll re-share!

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