Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes are the PERFECT side dish, made with baby potatoes boiled, then smashed and roasted with parmesan cheese on a sheet pan until crispy!
I love when a side dish is this easy, and really popular with my family! These Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes are the perfect combination of crispy, cheesy, and savory, made with simple budget-friendly ingredients. All you have to do is boil the potatoes, place them on a sheet pan, and press them flat with the bottom of a cup. There’s no crazy steps, and this recipe is ready to serve in under an hour. It’s perfect for meal prep, weeknight dinner, or to serve at a dinner party.
If you loved this recipe, you’ll also love my Parmesan Onion Ring Chips, Baked Potato Slices, and my Oven Roasted Red Potatoes!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Golden-Crispy – These parmesan garlic smashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food because the edges stay golden and crispy, while the center stays soft and fluffy. The perfect combo!
Easy to Make – These smashed potatoes look like they came from a restaurant, but they’re surprisingly easy to make!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Baby Potatoes. I like to use baby red potatoes or baby yellow potatoes (baby Yukon gold potatoes) because they’re a good combination of starchy and waxy and have thin skins, so they’ll hold together well for this recipe.
Try to pick potatoes that are around the same size, so they finish cooking at the same time. You can also use fingerling potatoes.
Olive Oil Cooking Spray. This helps the potatoes get crispy, and helps the seasoning stick. You can also use regular olive oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil and brush it on.
Parmesan Cheese. I like to use grated parmesan because it’ll melt evenly on the baking sheet. The better quality your parm is, the better everything will taste.
Spices. I’m keeping it really simple and just adding some garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to complement the parmesan cheese.
Fresh Herbs. I like to add some fresh herbs at the end just to add a fresh flavor and presentation when serving. I use either chives, green onions, or flat-leaf Italian parsley most of the time. But this is optional.
Kitchen Tools
For this crispy smashed potatoes recipe you’ll need a pot to boil the potatoes, a measuring cup, and a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
How to Make Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Add the potatoes to the pot and fill with water until the potatoes are just covered, and bring to a boil.
Let the potatoes boil for about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the potatoes on the sheet pan, leaving room between each one.
Using the bottom of a measuring cup, smash potatoes until they’re flat. The thinner they are, the more crispy they will be! Use a spatula or fork to help keep them from sticking to the cup.
Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the potatoes, then lightly spray or brush each potato with olive oil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle the parmesan evenly over the potatoes and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
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Recipe Variations
- Add some heat with cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder, or hot sauce.
- Try adding some dried herbs like thyme, parsley, oregano, or rosemary. Or add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Try topping these crispy parmesan smashed potatoes with everything bagel seasoning, or drizzle some buffalo sauce over the top.
- Serve these potatoes with shredded cheese, green onions, crispy bacon, and sour cream or a drizzle of melted unsalted butter for a loaded version. Or add a dipping sauce like my Garlic Aioli Sauce!
- Try making this with other types of cheese like cheddar, mozzarella, or feta cheese.
- Try adding smoked paprika or chipotle seasoning, and drizzling with bbq sauce at the end!
Recipe Tip! Make sure you go with baby potatoes (red or gold). This recipe doesn’t work well with full-sized potatoes, because they won’t smash as easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your potatoes fell apart, there’s usually two potential reasons. The first is that they were boiled too long. You want the potatoes to be just fork-tender, and not falling apart in the water. The second reason is that you smashed them too hard. Just gently press then down, don’t go too crazy.
Recipe Tip! Leave the potatoes in the colander for about 10 minutes. This gives them a chance to dry a bit before adding the seasoning and oil, so everything sticks better.
More Potato Recipes
- Baked Sweet Potato Slices
- Loaded Potato Skins
- Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli
- Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Storage
Refrigerate parmesan smashed potatoes for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze leftover potatoes for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Cooking Tips
- If you want your smashed potatoes to have crispy edges, try to leave some space between each one on the sheet pan.
- Smash them gently, I like to use a measuring cup because it has a wide flat bottom. If you press too hard, they’ll be too thin or break apart. You’re looking for 1/4 – 1/2 inch thickness.
- Don’t skip the oil, because it will help them crisp! I use a little bit of olive oil cooking spray, or mix the olive oil and seasoning together and brush it onto the potatoes before adding the parmesan.
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Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 large pot to boil water
- 1 baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes, red or gold
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to the pot and fill with water until they are just covered. Bring the water to a boil. Let the potatoes boil for about 20-30 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and set them aside, letting them sit for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the potatoes on the sheet pan, leaving room between each one.
- Using the bottom of a measuring cup, smash the potatoes until they are flat. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the potatoes, then lightly spray each potato with olive oil.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle the parmesan evenly over the potatoes, then bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Notes
- The potatoes may take more or less time to boil, depending on how big they are.
- If you want your potatoes to have crispy edges, leave some space between each one on the sheet pan. You might have to work in batches.
- Leave the potatoes in the colander for about 10 minutes. This gives them a chance to dry a bit before adding the seasoning and oil, so everything sticks better.
- Smash them gently, I like to use a measuring cup because it has a wide flat bottom, and a spatula just in case they stick.
- Don’t skip the oil, because it will help them crisp! I use a little bit of olive oil cooking spray, or mix the olive oil and seasoning together and brush it onto the potatoes.
Nutrition
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