These garlic butter smashed potatoes taste exactly like garlic bread but in potato form. They are buttery, have subtle notes of garlic and are crispy and crunchy on the outside while fluffy on the inside.
I must admit, I struggled with making these for a long time. They would either be too soggy, fall apart when I would smash them or be undercooked or most upsettingly, burnt. For those who have struggled too, here are a few tips that I picked up along the way.
Par-cook your potatoes by boiling them in a large pot of salted water as this will slightly flavour them. Always begin with cold water when boiling potatoes and start your timer the moment the potatoes are put onto the stove top, not when the water has been brought to the boil.
Don’t overcook your potatoes when boiling them as they will fall apart when you go to smash them. You want them to be fork tender. Don’t undercook them or you will have the opposite problem and won’t be able to smash them at all.
Water is not out friend
It’s extremely important the potatoes have no moisture in them as moisture is your enemy when you are wanting something to crisp up. I like to drain my potatoes then place them into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow every last drop of moisture to evaporate.
If you allow the potatoes to slightly cool, it will also be much easier to smash them. Be generous with the fats you are cooking the potatoes in as this will help them get extra crispy. Lastly, smash them to your preference on a baking sheet!
The thinner you smash them, the crispier your potato will be and will turn out more like a chip. The thicker you smash them, they will be fluffier and softer on the inside. Both are delicious options
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it matter how thick or thin they are smashed?
Absolutely not as this comes down to preference. The thinner you smash the potatoes the crisper and more chip like they will be. The thicker they are the more fluffy on the inside they will be.
What do you smash your potatoes with?
I like to use the bottom of a water glass however, a potato masher will also work!
What potatoes do you use?
I like to use cocktail or baby red potatoes. Unlike yukon gold potatoes, they are very small which works perfectly for this recipe. Be sure to not peel them as that skin is what helps make them crispy.
How do you prevent the glass from sticking to the potatoes when smashing them?
Brush the bottom of your glass with a little olive oil to prevent it from sticking to the glass.
Can I boil the potatoes ahead of time?
Yes! To save on time, I like to boil the potatoes the night before and leave in the fridge to dry out overnight.
Can I add more garlic?
You can definitely add more garlic!
How do I cook the garlic if I don’t have a mini pot?
Simply wrap the garlic in alfoil and bake for the same amount of time at the same temperature
How do I stop the potatoes from sticking to the glass I am using to smash them with?
Wrap the bottom of the glass in cling or glad wrap and it will prevent the potatoes from sticking to it.
Check out my other potato recipes
Garlic Confit Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Potato Tart with Garlic Confit and Sour Cream Puff Pastry
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!
If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.
Garlic Butter Crispy Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg baby white potatoes
- 1 head garlic
- 100 g Westgold unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- parsley finely diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
- Cut the top off the head of the garlic and place into a small oven proof pot with a lid or into a sheet of alfoil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Allow to slightly cool and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin. Set to the side.
- Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with heavily salted cold water. On a high heat, cook for 30 minutes or until they are tender enough for a skewer to be poked through the middle. Start your timer as soon as you place the potatoes onto the stove and not when the water is brought to a boil.
- Drain the potatoes into a colander and place into the fridge to allow for all the moisture to evaporate. Alternatively, you can pat them dry with a paper towel but it’s extremely important they are dry and there is no remaining moisture.
- In a deep dish tray on a low heat, combine the butter and olive oil and cook until melted. Add the roasted garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes or until all ingredients are well combined. Take off the heat and toss the potatoes through the butter sauce.
- Line two baking trays with baking paper and evenly distribute the potatoes across them, leaving lots of space around each potato. Using a glass or potato masher, press down onto the potatoes while still keeping them intact. Depending on your preference, you can smash them quite thin which will give you a crisper potato or smash them only slightly that will result in a fluffier inside. Both are delicious!
- Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining butter sauce and bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 200 degrees celsius or until the potatoes are golden and crispy.
Hi! I’m going to be making these on Saturday for a family lunch and I’m wondering since I have *tons* of unsalted butter (I’m a baker and I usually just keep tons of that), how much salt should I add and whether I should add it to the butter/garlic/oil mix, or to the smashed potatoes directly after smashing them? thanks in advance!
If you are concerned about the salt I would just leave it for when the potatoes are cooked and you can top them with some flakey sea salt!
This recipe was a HUGE (need bigger caps) SUCCESS!!! Everyone absolutely loved them and now I want to make them every week. Now to make another garlicky recipe from your site 💖 Thank you so much for your answer and for being so awesome!!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for your lovely comment.
Just made for dinner tonight. Turned out great.
I am so glad you liked them!
Very tasty, I think we finished the potatoes and left most of the fillet lol. I will make these again.
I am so glad you enjoyed them!!
Love love love them so much! What a great recipe! Thank you for all your hard work!
Thank you for the lovely feedback!
Nope. Good for mashed potatoes but not for crisped potatoes. They never did crisp up. Left them in the oven and hour longer but still weren’t crisp. Some burnt but most just baked longer. Won’t make them again. Yes I followed directions. Bummer
I am very sorry to hear they did not work out! Did you use small cocktail potatoes?
You never mention if you peel the potatoes before boiling. I’ve studied the pictures of them and I can’t decipher if they are peeled.
To peel or not to peel, that is the question.
Definitely don’t peel! The skin gives it the crispiness!
Hi! Just to clarify, we boil the potatoes on high heat for the entire 30 minutes?
Yes! Start the timer once the water starts boiling.
I’m confused. Your recipe says, “Start your timer as soon as you place the potatoes onto the stove and not when the water is brought to a boil.”
Hello! It just means to start the timer as soon as you pop the potatoes onto the stove. Not when the water has boiled! Hope that clears it up.
Made them, ate them, loved them!
Our oven is a bit on the blink with regard to maintaining proper heat, so I ended up turning the temperature up a bit, and eventually resorted to broiling them for just a few minutes. They turned out fine, and delicious!
I will definitely be making more of these yummy potatoes, but next time, I’ll put them all on one sheet, so I don’t have to rotate the trays in my oven, which is too small for both pans.
Enough about my woes, thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
A definite repeat, and a recipe worthy of doubling.
So glad you liked them! Thank you for leaving the lovely comment.
I’m making these tonight for a family dinner but we’re 12 people. How many potatoes do you recommend I should use? Also, any tips for using a smaller over? I think the kitchen I’m using only has one baking tray… 😬 thanks in advance!
You could easily double the recipe however, if your oven is smaller you will need to bake them in batches. Don’t overcrowd your baking pan or they will not crisp!
Have you tried boiling the potatoes with baking soda? It makes a huge difference in how crispy they turn out. The baking soda breaks down the pectin as well as drawing the starch to the surface, which in turn helps with the browning and in creating the crispiness.
I have and I found it didn’t make a huge difference! I might have to give it another go though…
How much baking powder in the pot with water and potatoes? 1 tee spoon or how much?
1tsp will be enough!
Hi again Daen! I keep making this recipe because everyone loves it at home. It’s just so good. I’m finally going to get that mini pot because it’s so cute and i want to cut on using tin foil, i was wondering what size (10cm? 14cm?) is this one that you use. Thanks in advance.
Hey.
In the oven 200° celcius – are they made with fan or just regular warmth?
This is a conventional oven setting.
Conventionel? I am from Denmark, maybe thats why I do not understand.
With fan or no fan ?