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Parmesan smashed potatoes might just be the best potato recipe ever. Golden and buttery, these potatoes are boiled, smashed, and then fried so they’re hot and fluffy inside and super crispy outside.
If you love potatoes as much as I do, get on these crispy potato skins, next. Also, check out my smashed Brussels sprouts for another tasty smashed vegetable side dish!
Not to get all emotional, but these parmesan smashed potatoes are so good I could cry. Nothing gets me more than a perfectly crispy, cheesy, melt-in-your-mouth potato. Except maybe those episodes of The Voice when you think it’s all over for one of the contestants, then, just as they’re about to walk off the stage, one of the coaches presses the “Steal” button to save them from elimination. The way that I ugly cry…
Luckily, nothing soothes better than a platter of soft, fluffy potatoes that have been smashed and fried until all those ridges get all sorts of crispy. If you’ve never made smashed potatoes with parmesan before, prepare to meet your new favorite side dish!
Why You’ll Love These Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Ultra-crispy. In the name of extra crispiness, I pan-fry my smashed potatoes. But, if you’d prefer to bake yours, don’t worry. I have you covered with oven directions, too. These parmesan smashed potatoes are so deliciously crisp on the outside, and soft and fluffy inside, with golden caramelized edges that take them over the top.
- Sprinkled with parmesan. Just like my parmesan crusted potatoes, these smashed potatoes are coated in a pretty decent amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese. In this case, the cheese melts a little over the hot potato for just the right amount of salty, cheesy goodness in every bite.
- Versatile. I’d gladly devour a platter of smashed potatoes as a snack with a bowl of marinara or sour cream for dipping. They also make the perfect side dish for just about any meal you can think of, whether it’s a weeknight or the holidays.
What You’ll Need
The ingredients are very simple. Mainly, it’s potatoes, plus oil or butter for frying and whichever seasonings your heart so chooses. I’ve included some quick notes here. Scroll down to the recipe card, where you’ll find a printer-friendly ingredients list with the full details.
- Potatoes – Pretty much any type of potato goes, here. I use red potatoes, but you can use baby potatoes or any starchy or waxy potato. Starchy potatoes will be fluffier inside, while waxy potatoes are creamier. It’s up to you.
- Olive Oil – A little oil gets the outsides of the potatoes extra crispy in the pan. You can use any cooking oil you have on hand. Or, for even more flavor, use a combination of olive oil and butter when frying.
- Seasoning – I season these smashed potatoes with salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesan. For extra flavor, I like to toss some fresh thyme sprigs into the pan when frying.
Tips for the Crispiest Smashed Potatoes
I’m a “carbivore” through and through, and this smashed potato recipe makes it so easy. All you do is boil, smash, and bake. You’ll find full printable instructions in the recipe card after the post. For now, here are my tips for the absolute best parmesan smashed potatoes:
- Rinse the boiled potatoes under cold water. It stops the potatoes from cooking and removes any excess starches, for better smashing and the crispiest fried potatoes.
- Season the water you cook the potatoes in. Just like boiling pasta, make sure the water you use to boil the potatoes is generously salted. Well-seasoned cooking water = flavorful potatoes.
- Don’t flatten the potatoes. We don’t want potato pancakes (that’s what latkes are for). The real crispiness lies in the thick ridges that come from just slightly smashing the boiled potatoes. I usually go for about ½” in thickness.
- Use a meat tenderizer or a fork to smash the potatoes. Or, use this restaurant kitchen trick: arrange the boiled potatoes on a lined baking sheet, place a greased wire rack over top, and gently press evenly downward to smash multiple potatoes at once.
Oven Method
For the love of all things crispy, I throw my smashed potatoes on a griddle pan or I’ll use my air fryer. Of course, if you’d prefer to bake these instead, they come out delicious in the oven, too. Once your potatoes are boiled and smashed, arrange them on an oiled baking sheet and season them with salt and pepper. Roast at 425ºF for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Variation Ideas
Feel free to substitute fresh thyme with rosemary sprigs instead, when frying. You can jazz up these parmesan smashed potatoes with crumbled bacon like a loaded potato, or get creative with seasonings like Cajun spice or chili powder for a bit of kick.
I love giving my potatoes a sprinkle with Jamaican jerk seasoning for a little heat, or I’ll brush the tops with garlic butter or pesto parsley after they’re fried.
Frequently Asked Questions
We all know traditional mashed potatoes of Thanksgiving dinner fame, which are starchy potatoes that are boiled and mashed up with cream into a fluffy, buttery pile. Smashed potatoes, on the other hand, are more… rustic. They’re not fully mashed to a creamy pulp, just lightly broken, enough so that the potato stays intact and gets nice and crispy when it’s baked or fried.
If your smashed potatoes are crumbling apart, it could be because the potatoes are undercooked. Boil the potatoes until they’re fully cooked through and fork-tender. If not, they won’t hold their shape when you smash them. Also, it might go without saying, but be careful you don’t over-smash!
Serving Suggestions
I’ll eat these parmesan smashed potatoes sprinkled with salt and fresh parsley and served with sour cream for dipping. Or, I’ll smother them with ajvar (Macedonian red pepper relish that tastes amazing on everything). More often than not, though, smashed potatoes make the perfect side to loads of mains. I serve them with saucy smothered pork chops, juicy steak kabobs, or creamy lemon chicken. Basically, any meal where you’d enjoy a baked potato as a side is fair game for smashed potatoes!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover parmesan smashed potatoes airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month. Defrost the smashed potatoes in the fridge before you reheat them.
- Reheat. For best results, I like to reheat smashed potatoes in the oven or in the air fryer. They usually take about 5 minutes in the air fryer, or 10 minutes in the oven at 350ºF.
More Potato Recipes
- Potato Croquettes
- Garlic Butter Hasselback Potatoes
- Maple Mustard Roasted Potatoes
- Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
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Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes, rinsed and dried
- salt for the water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sprigs thyme
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover the potatoes. Season water with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Cool. Transfer the cooked potatoes to a colander and drain and rinse them under cold water. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Smash! Using the smooth side of a meat tenderizer, smash each potato to about 1/2-inch thickness.
- Heat the cooking oil. Heat olive oil in a griddle pan set over medium heat. Add thyme and continue to cook for 30 seconds to infuse the oil.
- Fry the potatoes. Working in batches, cook the smashed potatoes, turning once until they're browned and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Add more cooking oil if needed.
- Season and serve. Transfer the fried potatoes to a serving plate and season with salt and pepper. Immediately sprinkle with parmesan cheese and allow it to melt. Add chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Boiling red potatoes for 12-15 minutes is simply insufficient to be able to properly smash the potatoes. I selected four small red potatoes and at 15 minutes they were still hard as tombstones. You will need at least 25 minutes in order to smash them to 1/2-inch thickness. All the rest of the recipe flows the same as described. The outcome will be okay, but certainly nothing to write home about.
The photo shows a grill pan (with ridges), the recipe says griddle pan. We tried a griddle as the printed instructions do not include any photos and they are sitting in the oil. A subtle difference that is changing the outcome significantly.
Are you sure about smashing them to 1/2 inch? The photos look to be more like an inch and simply pressed down in the middle. At 1/2 inch, they are truly smashed and look nothing like the photo.
Then there is the uncertainty regarding the cooking in batches of 3 minutes per side yet you are serving them immediately – does that mean each person (serving) has to wait 6 or more minutes after the previous person was served?
Steve, unless you are a brand new cook without a clue, you could have figured all these things out for yourself and not felt so obviously frustrated. After you smashed your first one to 1/2 inch per instructions and realized it wasn’t working for you, why would you continue? At that point the intelligent, common sense thing to do is to smash the rest to size that makes YOU happy.
If you knew, or suspected ahead of time, that a ridged pan was going to be the better choice, why didn’t you use one? Again, common sense can prevail if we just let it.
As for “serving them right away”, that is a no-brainer. If you have a large batch, then I think even the most feeble-minded among us would know that you keep the first ones warm while you finish the rest and serve them all together.
I get the feeling from your post that you just wanted to complain instead if figuring out these things and doing them and chalking it up to being a seasoned cook and someone who can figure things out and move forward.
All recipes are starting points. Most of us tweak to meet our particular style and tastes. That’s all you had to do and your dish would have turned out delicious and you wouldn’t have brought your cranky self here to make an unnecessary fuss. Maybe there’s a lesson in this for you for future recipes you try…
Made these last night and used blue cheese instead of parmesan. OMG! Delicious 🙂 I cheated and just microwaved the potatoes. . . don’t tell!
OH! and I put them on a tray and cooked them on the grill…
Ooooh let me know how long in the microwave?? That sounds like the best idea! So happy to know you enjoyed them…AND you got to grill! It’s 32 degrees here… the grill and I won’t be seeing each other for at least 6 months. 😀
Just a few minutes in the microwave, just be sure to poke them with a fork. I also have used this recipe for leftover whole boiled red skin potatoes and they work great. I live in Central Florida. . it’s always grill weather 🙂
Lucky girl! Enjoy your Sunday!!
Thanks!
This going to be in my Dinner Today, I’ll Surprise to my Mom!
Roasted potatos topped with cheese is basically my go to comfort food – definitely craving your crispy parmesan potatoes right now. Think I need to create the recipe and add some smoky pancetta!
POTATOES! Potatoes make me shout like that cause I love them! I especially love cheesy potatoes! Great recipe, Kate!
I’m going to choose vegetable on the couch for $100, Katerina. Then I’m going to have you pass the pan while I devour every last potato while watching the Blacklist (my current tv obsession). Dang, these are sexy!
These look Smashing!! Haaaa!!!
HAHAHAHA!!! LOVE your humor! XOXO
These potatoes look incredible, love those crispy edges – I fight for those!
Love these smashers. Easy but so satisfying.