Crispy Garlic Butter Smashed potatoes
Nov 22, 2025
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These Crispy Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes are one of my most viral recipes ever, with over 100 million views across my platforms… and for good reason. They taste exactly like garlic bread but in potato form! They’re golden, crunchy and crispy on the outside while staying soft and fluffy inside. Made with my signature garlic butter, they’re a crowd-pleasing side dish that are the perfect addition to you Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner table.
Why you’re going to love these Crispy Garlic Butter Smashed potatoes!
You are going to fall in love with these crispy garlic butter smashed potatoes. They have all the comforting flavours of garlic bread but in the form of the most irresistible potato dish. They are also my fiances favourite potato side dish which is saying a lot since I have made every variation of potato possible from roasted duck fat potatoes to olive oil mashed potatoes. They are crunchy and buttery on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside and always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients For Crispy Garlic Butter Smashed potatoes
This recipe uses only a handful of simple ingredients but the flavour and texture of these crispy garlic butter smashed potatoes is truly incredible.
- Potatoes: I like to use cocktail or baby red potatoes. They are very small which works perfectly for this recipe. Do not peel them as the skin helps them get extra crispy.
- Roasted garlic or garlic confit: It’s rare that you will see a recipe of mine that doesn’t use garlic, in particular my garlic confit. This gives the potatoes a rich and mellow garlic flavour, but raw garlic can be used if needed.
- Butter: This is what makes the potatoes taste like garlic bread in potato form. Use a good quality butter for the best flavour.
- Olive oil: A drizzle of olive oil helps them crisp up beautifully and adds another layer of flavour.
A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below.
Expert tips for the crispiest smashed potatoes
Here are all the little tricks I have picked up after making this recipe hundreds of times. These tips will guarantee your potatoes come out golden, crunchy and perfectly textured every single time.
- Make sure the potatoes are completely dry. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness.
- Chill them after boiling. Pop them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to help every last bit of moisture evaporate. Cooling them also helps smash them easier without breaking apart.
- Be generous with your fats. Plenty of butter or oil helps them get beautifully golden and crispy.
- Thin smash for maximum crunch. Thin potatoes turn out extra crispy and almost chip like.
- Thick smash for a fluffy centre. A thicker potato will stay soft and tender inside. Both are delicious.
- Do not peel their skin. This is what gives us that beautiful crispiness!
These turned out great. Thanks for the recipe.
How To Make Crispy Garlic Butter Smashed potatoes
These crispy garlic butter smashed potatoes are so easy to bring together and you will not be disappointed if you follow all my crispy potato tips!
Step 1: In a large saucepan on a low heat, combine the butter and remaining 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. Toss the boiled potatoes through the garlic butter sauce.
Step 2: 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!
Step 3: Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining butter sauce and bake for 30 – 35 minutes at 200°C / 400°F or until the potatoes are golden and crispy.
FAQ’S
Step 4: Sprinkle with some flakey sea salt and finely chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Yes, but small potatoes work best. Cocktail or baby red potatoes crisp up beautifully and hold their shape. Larger potatoes will not smash as evenly.
No. Leave the skin on. The skin helps them get extra crispy and adds great texture.
I like to use the bottom of a water glass however, a potato masher will also work! Make sure you oil your glass or wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent it from sticking to the potatoes.
Yes! To save on time, I like to boil the potatoes the night before and leave in the fridge to dry out overnight.
Yes. Raw garlic works, but roasted garlic or garlic confit will give you a softer, sweeter garlic flavour.
This usually comes down to moisture. Make sure the potatoes are completely dry before roasting and be generous with the fats.
How To Serve
These crispy garlic butter smashed potatoes go with absolutely everything. Serve them as a side to slow-cooked lamb, pan-fried steak, hot honey salmon or any of your favourite weeknight meals. They are also perfect for entertaining and Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner as everyone loves a crunchy potato moment. I like to finish them with a sprinkle of salt, fresh herbs or an extra drizzle of garlic butter while they are still hot.
How To Store
These smashed potatoes are always best eaten fresh as they lose some of their crispiness once cooled. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, place them back into a hot oven or the air fryer until warmed through and a little crisp again. The air fryer will give you the most crispiness, although they will never be quite as crunchy as when first made.
More Potato Dishes To Love!
Garlic Confit
Cheesy potato bake
Garlic Confit
Garlic butter jacket potatoes
Potatoes
Garlic butter mashed potatoes
Potatoes
Greek Lemon Potatoes
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.
My Potatoes made Morning Tv!
These crispy garlic butter smashed potatoes went so viral that they landed me a spot on Australian Morning TV!
Crispy Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs baby white potatoes, cocktail or chat potatoes
- 1 bulb garlic
- 8 tbsp Westgold unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- parsley, finely diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F
- Roast garlic: 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 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Allow the garlic to slightly cool and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skin. Set to the side.
- Boil potatoes: Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with heavily salted cold water. Bring the water to a boil and then start your timer for 30 minutes. The potatoes should be tender enough for a skewer or fork to be poked through the middle.
- Steam potatoes: 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.
- Garlic butter: In a large saucepan on a low heat, combine the butter and remaining 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. Toss the potatoes through the garlic butter sauce.
- Smash potatoes: 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!
- Roast: Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining butter sauce and bake for 30 – 35 minutes at 200°C / 400°F or until the potatoes are golden and crispy.
- Finish & Serve: Sprinkle with some flakey sea salt and finely chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
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!
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!
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.
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 a little confused by this response. It directly contradicts the instructions in step #3… “Start your timer as soon as you place the potatoes onto the stove and not when the water is brought to a boil.” Which is correct? Thanks!
The timer should start as soon as you drop your potatoes in the pot with cold water!
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.
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!
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?
Love love love them so much! What a great recipe! Thank you for all your hard work!
Thank you for the lovely feedback!
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!!
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!
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!