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Smashed Crispy Potatoes (The TikTok Side Dish That Outshines Every Main Course)
Boiled baby potatoes smashed flat and roasted until impossibly crispy on the outside and creamy inside. Topped with garlic butter, herbs, and Parmesan.
side dish · potatoes · viral · tiktok
🕑Prep15 min
🍳Cook35 min
⏱Total50 min
🍽Serves4
⭐DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 2 lbs baby potatoes
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary)
- Optional: Baking soda
Instructions
- 1.Boil potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and optional baking soda. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are very tender, about 15-20 minutes. A fork should slide through with zero resistance.
- 2.Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Place a sheet pan in the oven to preheat as well.
- 3.Drain potatoes. Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry for a few minutes.
- 4.Smash potatoes. Place potatoes on the preheated sheet pan. Use a flat-bottomed glass or potato masher to smash each potato to about 1/2 inch thick.
- 5.Drizzle with oil. Drizzle the smashed potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- 6.Roast potatoes. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip and roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- 7.Make garlic butter. While the potatoes are roasting, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- 8.Add garlic butter. In the last 5 minutes of roasting, drizzle the garlic butter over the potatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- 9.Serve. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired. Serve immediately with sour cream or aioli for dipping.
Smashed Crispy Potatoes — The TikTok Side Dish That Outshines Every Main Course
Smashed potatoes went viral on TikTok because they solve the eternal potato dilemma: crispy outside vs. creamy inside. By boiling potatoes until tender, smashing them flat, and roasting them at high heat, you get the best of both worlds. The edges shatter like chips while the center stays soft and buttery.
Why These Went Viral
The smashing moment is oddly satisfying. Pressing a fork or glass onto a tender potato and watching it flatten with those craggy, irregular edges — everyone wanted to try it. Then the finished product, golden and crispy with garlic butter and Parmesan, sealed the deal.
The Secret to Ultra-Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Boil them fully — they should be completely tender, almost falling apart. Under-boiled potatoes won’t smash properly and won’t get crispy. A fork should slide through with zero resistance.
Roast at 450°F on a preheated sheet pan. The hot pan immediately starts crisping the bottom while the oven works on the top. Flip halfway through for maximum crunch on both sides.
Cost Breakdown
A side of smashed potatoes at a restaurant is $8-12. A two-pound bag of baby potatoes costs $3-4. This entire recipe feeds four as a generous side for under $6.
- Add baking soda to the boiling water — it roughens the surface and creates more crispy bits
- Don’t smash too thin — about 1/2 inch thick is the sweet spot
- Garlic butter goes on in the last 5 minutes so the garlic doesn’t burn
- Serve with sour cream or aioli for dipping
