Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream & GreenOnions

There's just something magical about potatoes, don't you think? They're filling, full of nutrition (especially if you eat the skin), and super versatile — enjoy them as fries, mashed, steamed, baked, and of course, smashed! I have to say, out of all the ways to make a potato, crispy smashed potatoes are one of my favorites, and this is the recipe I come back to again and again. I love these little guys — crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and totally different from your usual roasted or mashed potato.

Pile on cool sour cream and green onions — it's basically everything you love about a baked potato, just better. Plus, they go with everything — steak, chicken, fish, pork, and more.

These have become one of my go-to Sunday dinner sides, and I'm not exaggerating when I say my family will eat these before anything else on the table gets touched.

Quick answer: boil baby potatoes until fork-tender, smash them flat, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 450°F for about 25–30 minutes until the edges turn deep golden and crispy.

I always reach for baby Yukon Golds here. They've got just enough starch to hold together through the boiling and smashing, but they still crisp up beautifully in the oven — try that with a red potato and you'll end up with a pan of mush instead of potatoes. Once they come out of the oven hot and crackly, that's when the sour cream and green onions go on. That part's non-negotiable around here.

Jump to:

• 🥔 Recipe at a Glance
• Smashed Potatoes vs. Roasted Potatoes
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Why They're Important
• How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes (No Boiling Required)
• What to Serve with Smashed Potatoes
• How to Store, Reheat, and Freeze Smashed Potatoes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Delicious Main Dish Recipes to Serve with Smashed Potatoes:
• Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream & Green Onions

Smashed Potatoes vs. Roasted Potatoes

Quick distinction worth mentioning: regular roasted potatoes are cut raw and roasted straight through. Smashed potatoes are boiled whole first, then flattened before roasting. This extra boiling step is what gives them a creamier, almost mashed potato interior with a golden crispy exterior, which is the whole point of making them this way instead of just roasting a cut potato.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A total crowd-pleaser: this is one of the recipes people ask me for after they try them — I make it for BBQs, Sunday dinners, holidays, you name it.
• Crispy AND creamy: you get golden, crispy edges and a soft, almost creamy center in the same bite — it's why these beat a plain roasted potato every time.
• Just 7 ingredients: potatoes, olive oil, sour cream, green onions, parsley, salt, pepper, and whatever toppings you're in the mood for. No fancy equipment — just a pot, a baking sheet, and something to smash with - fyi your hand works great!
• Great for making ahead: Boil and smash these the day before, then just pop them in the oven right before dinner — it's a real help to split the cook time into 2 days.
• For a meal prep time saver: To Freeze: Boil the potatoes, let them dry, and smash them and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Put the sheet pan in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours until hard. Move the frozen pieces into a freezer bag. They last up to 1 month. To Cook: Thaw them in the fridge overnight. Add oil and seasonings, then roast them in a 450°F degree oven for 30 minutes (15 minutes a side) or until crispy.
• Nutritious and always Gluten-free: these easy smashed pototoes are considered a vegetable which is full of complex starches that provide sustained energy, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B6, and fiber - mostly because of the skins. Plus, they're naturally gluten-free.
• Customize with your favorite toppings: I'm partial to sour cream and green onions. Take it up a notch and add bacon, and cheddar cheese for a loaded-baked-potato style.
  

There's just a handful of ingredients that you'll need for this Smashed Potatoes Recipe which is one of the reasons you'll love it.

Ingredients & Why They're Important

• Baby Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 lbs, 1–2" diameter): Yukon Golds sit in the middle of the starch spectrum — waxy enough to hold their shape through boiling and smashing, but starchy enough to crisp up beautifully in the oven. A starchy russet is too dry and falls apart when smashed; a fully waxy red potato can turn gummy. Keep them small (around 2") so they cook through evenly and you get a higher crispy-edge-to-potato ratio.
• Olive oil: Coats the baking sheet and the smashed potatoes so the exposed surface area fries in the oven instead of just roasting — this is what actually creates the crispy crust.
• Salt & black pepper: Salting the boiling water seasons the potato all the way through, not just on the surface; a second seasoning after smashing creates a well-seasoned crust.
• Sour cream: Adds richness and tang that plays off the crispy, salty exterior — the same reason it works so well on a baked potato.
• Green onions: Fresh, sharp, and a little peppery — they cut through the richness of the sour cream and add color and crunch.
• Fresh parsley: A small handful chopped over the top brightens the whole dish and keeps the sour cream and green onions from being the only freshness on the plate.
• Optional toppings: bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, butter, chives, hot sauce, or BBQ sauce — treat these potatoes like a topping bar and let everyone build their own.

These Smashed Potatoes are the bomb! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. So buttery, tasty, and a fun way to enjoy potatoes.

And they go great with my Farmer's Market Meatloaf and Garlic Green Beans to make the perfect weeknight dinner. 

Or if you feel like chicken, pair them with my Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts instead.

How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Add the potatoes to a pot of salted water. Be sure the water covers the potatoes by 1-2 inches. Bring the water and potatoes to a rolling boil, and adjust the heat to a steady simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Next, drain the potatoes and let them cool until they can be handled, about 10 minutes.

Gently smash them on a kitchen towel, parchment paper or directly on the baking sheet with a potato masher, measuring cup, bottom of a drinking glass, or my favorite - the palm of your hand.

Place them on a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper), spoon on or drizzle the smashed potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake them for 15 minutes, then flip them over with a spatula and cook for another 15 minutes, or until they're crisp and a bit brown around the edges.

Top tip: don't skip letting the potatoes cool for at least 10 minutes before you smash them. Straight out of the pot, they're fragile and will just fall apart — a few minutes of patience is all it takes.

Voila…delectable Crispy Smashed Potatoes!  So easy and soooo good!

But what would a potato be without some creamy sour cream and herbaceous chopped green onions?

Well, they're always delicious all by themselves - but go ahead and take them up a notch with all of your favorite toppings!

Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes (No Boiling Required)

Skip the pot entirely: place raw baby potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer, spray or brush with oil, and air fry at 400°F for 15–18 minutes, shaking the basket once or twice, until potatoes are fork-tender.

Transfer to a cutting board or parchment paper, smash each one to about ½" thick, then return them to the basket, drizzle with more oil, season, and air fry another 8–10 minutes at 400°F until golden and crispy.

It's slightly faster than the oven method and skips a dirty pot, though the oven version still gets marginally crispier edges since it has more surface area exposed to direct heat at once.

What to Serve with Smashed Potatoes

These are a true all-occasion side dish — they hold their own next to something rich or something lean. A few pairings from the blog:

• Farmer's Market Meatloaf — a classic Sunday dinner pairing.
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken — for a tender cheesy, golden main dish.
• Ranch Pork Chops — when you want something fast with few-ingredients.
• Tuna Cakes with Jalapeño and Cilantro for a well balanced hearty meal.
• Garlic Green Beans or Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts to round out the plate with a green vegetable.
• Grilled steak, burgers, or BBQ chicken for cookout season — see the full BBQ side dishes roundup for more ideas.
• Standing Rib Roast or Slow Cooker Italian Beef for holiday dinners and Sunday roasts.
• Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad or Mexican Street Corn Salad to round out a potluck or BBQ spread.

How to Store, Reheat, and Freeze Smashed Potatoes

To Store Smashed Potatoes:

Let leftovers cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The USDA recommends refrigerating leftovers within two hours of cooking and eating them within that 4-day window.

To Reheat Smashed Potatoes:

Skip the microwave if you can — it steams the potatoes and softens the crispy edges. Instead, reheat on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 8–10 minutes, or in the air fryer at 375°F for 5–7 minutes, until heated through to 165°F and re-crisped.

To freeze Smashed Potatoes:

Freezing After Boiling and Smashing - (Recommended)

• How to do it: Boil the potatoes, let them dry, and smash them and place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Put the sheet pan in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours until hard. Move the frozen pieces into a freezer bag. They last up to 1 month.
• How to cook: Thaw them in the fridge overnight. Add oil and seasonings, then roast in a pre-heated oven at 450°F for 30 minutes (15 minutes a side) until crispy.

Freezing After Oiling, Smashing, and Roasting

• How to do it: Fully roast the smashed potatoes, let them cool completely, flash-freeze them on a tray, and store them in a container for up to 2 months.
• How to cook: Reheat them straight from the freezer on a baking sheet in a hot oven (around 425°F) for 10 to 15 minutes - until hot and crispy.
• The drawback: The crispy edges lose their crunch and the texture can turn soft or mealy during the freeze-and-thaw process.

Air-Fryer Reheating (After Freezing Fully Roasted Potatoes)

• How to do it: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Reheat them straight from frozen. Thawing makes them soggy.
• How to cook: Place potatoes in a single layer. Do not crowd the basket. Lightly spray with cooking oil to help them crisp back up. Air fry for 8 to 12 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through. They are done when firm, sizzling and golden.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are smashed potatoes?

Smashed potatoes are boiled baby potatoes that are flattened and roasted until crispy. Unlike mashed potatoes, they keep their shape and texture; unlike plain roasted potatoes, boiling first gives them a creamier interior.

Do you have to boil potatoes before smashing them?

For the classic method, yes — boil 15–20 minutes at a rolling boil until a knife slides in with no resistance, then let them steam-dry a few minutes before smashing. The one common exception is the air fryer method above, which skips the pot and cooks the potatoes from raw in the basket instead.

How long do you bake smashed potatoes?

About 30 minutes total at 450°F — 15 minutes on the first side, then a flip and 15 more minutes to crisp the second side.

How do you make smashed potatoes crispy?

Use enough olive oil on both the baking sheet and the potatoes, bake at a high temperature (450°F), and flip halfway through so both sides get direct contact with the hot pan.

Why aren't my smashed potatoes crispy?

The real secret is letting the boiled potatoes steam-dry for a few minutes before smashing — moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Beyond that, the most common culprits are too little oil, an oven that isn't fully preheated to 450°F, overcrowding the baking sheet so the potatoes steam each other, smashing them while still piping hot (they fall apart), or using a starchy russet instead of a waxy or medium-starch potato.

What are some common smashed potato mistakes?

Boiling the potatoes until they're falling-apart soft instead of just fork-tender, smashing them while they're still piping hot (they fall apart before they ever hit the oven), and pulling them out before the edges are truly deep golden — pale edges mean they need more time, not less.

What is the secret to smashed potatoes?

It's not a special ingredient — it's letting the boiled potatoes steam-dry for a few minutes before you smash them. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness: potatoes that go into the oven still damp will steam instead of fry, no matter how much oil you use.

What's the best potato for smashed potatoes?

Baby Yukon Gold potatoes, because of their medium starch content — they hold together through boiling and smashing but still crisp up well. Small red or Dutch yellow potatoes also work; avoid russets.

What does sour cream do to mashed or smashed potatoes?

It adds tang and creaminess that cuts through the richness of the olive oil and salt, the same way it works on a baked potato. It's a topping here rather than a mix-in, so it also adds a cool, creamy contrast against the hot, crispy exterior.

How do you make Gordon Ramsay's smashed potatoes?

Ramsay starts baby potatoes in cold, salted water rather than an already-boiling pot — he says it keeps the outsides from falling apart before the centers cook. He simmers, steam-dries, then smashes, drizzles with butter and olive oil, and roasts 45–55 minutes without flipping.

How do you make Martha Stewart's smashed potatoes?

Worth noting: her well-known version is actually a different dish — she smashes a hot, whole baked russet in a towel to fluff the interior, rather than boiling and flattening small potatoes. It's closer to a baked-potato hack than this recipe's crispy, flattened style, so don't expect the same result if you try her method here.

Can you make smashed potatoes ahead of time?

Yes — boil and smash them up to a day in advance, then refrigerate. Place the smashed potatoes on a sheet pan and roast right before serving.

What do you serve with smashed potatoes?

They pair well with almost any main, from meatloaf and roast chicken to grilled steak or BBQ — see the serving suggestions above for specific pairings.

Smashed potatoes take a little more hands-on time than tossing potatoes on a sheet pan whole, but the payoff — that crispy, golden crust around a soft, creamy center — is worth it every time. Start with baby Yukon Golds, don't rush the boil, and let the oven do the rest. However you top them, this is the kind of side dish that turns a regular weeknight dinner into a Sunday supper worth sitting down for.

Delicious Main Dish Recipes to Serve with Smashed Potatoes:

• Boiled Lobster with Drawn Butter 
• Tuna Cakes with Jalapeño and Cilantro
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Instant Pot Whole Chicken Recipe
• Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Mushroom Sauce