Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe with Garlic and Herbs

Making perfectly crispy Smashed Potatoes at home is simple and rewarding. Boiled baby potatoes are smashed, brushed with a garlic herb butter, then baked until golden and crisp. For extra crunch, finish them in an air fryer. This is a flavorful, easy side dish that’s great for weeknights and holidays alike.

Crispy, buttery, garlic-flavored potatoes are hard to beat. These smashed potatoes combine tender boiled baby potatoes with a garlic herb butter and a crunchy seasoning layer for a side dish that regularly earns compliments at family meals and special occasions.

Why this method works

• Baby potatoes are small and thin once smashed, which allows them to crisp up beautifully in the oven or air fryer.
• A garlic herb butter, combined with a coarse steak-style seasoning, gives a crunchy, salty, and aromatic finish that elevates simple potatoes into a standout side.

Although the total time is about an hour, active hands-on time is short—about 15 minutes. If you’re short on time, use an air fryer to cut cooking time by roughly 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• Baby potatoes – also called peewee or petite potatoes. Choose potatoes roughly 1 inch in diameter; slightly larger fingerlings work but take a bit longer to boil and won’t crisp quite as well. Avoid very large or waxy red potatoes for this recipe.
• Unsalted butter – unsalted butter lets you control the final salt level, since the seasoning blend adds salt.
• Garlic – fresh garlic cloves, crushed or minced, give the best flavor.
• Steak seasoning – a coarse Montreal-style steak seasoning or similar blend provides texture and bold flavor on top of the potatoes. If you prefer, use your favorite coarse seasoning mix.
• Fresh rosemary – finely chopped. If fresh isn’t available, dried rosemary can be used, but fresh herbs give a brighter flavor.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Boil the potatoes. Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the baby potatoes and cook for about 20 minutes, or until a fork slips into a potato easily but the potatoes still hold their shape. Drain in a colander and let them dry for 5–10 minutes.
3. Smash the potatoes. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a fork or the bottom of a glass to gently press each potato until it flattens to about 1/4–1/2 inch thick.
4. Make the garlic herb butter. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the crushed garlic, steak-style seasoning, and chopped rosemary. Let the mixture simmer briefly for 2–3 minutes to blend the flavors, then remove from heat.
5. Brush and bake. Use a basting brush to coat each smashed potato with the garlic herb butter. Make sure the potatoes are spaced evenly and not overlapping. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the edges are deeply golden and crisp.
6. Serve. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Optional: garnish with chopped fresh parsley or extra rosemary.

These potatoes are best served hot when their edges are crisp. If you need to reheat leftovers, place them under the broiler for 2–3 minutes or warm them briefly in an air fryer to restore crispness.

How to make them in an air fryer

1. Follow the boiling, drying, smashing steps above and prepare the garlic herb butter.
2. Arrange the smashed potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket—do not overlap.
3. Brush the potatoes with the garlic herb butter, then air fry at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 minutes, until edges are golden and crisp.
4. Work in batches if needed; many mid-size air fryers will only hold a portion of the full recipe at once.

Air frying yields very crispy potatoes fast, but you may need multiple batches for larger quantities.