Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and drowning in garlicky, herby goodness—these smashed fingerling potatoes are comfort food with a little edge. The smashed-and-roasted technique takes humble fingerlings and transforms them into a crave-worthy side dish, especially when that garlic starts to brown just enough to go nutty and sweet.
If you’ve never made smashed fingerling potatoes before... oh, friend. Buckle up. Because these little guys? They don’t play around. They’re crispy, craggy, golden-brown bites of pure bliss. Once you taste them, plain roasted potatoes start to feel a little—meh.
In my kitchen, this is one of those no-brainer sides that shows up again and again. Lazy weeknight? Crispy smashed potatoes. Fancy dinner? Yep, still smashed potatoes.
Somehow, they manage to be unfussy and a little showy at the same time. (And if you are feeling extra fancy, you can always finish by drizzling melted butter and sprinkling with Parmesan cheese.)
Serve this with Grilled Beef Short Ribs, Ninja Foodi Chicken, Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks, or Slow Cooker Tri Tip.
If you’re deep in your potato era like I am, you’ve got options. You could swing over to my Garlic Parmesan Potatoes. Feeling cozy? Go with my Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes. Or dial up the flavor with Mashed Potato Gratin.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fingerling potatoes: Look for these in the bagged potato section near baby reds and Yukon Golds. You can substitute baby potatoes or small Yukon Gold potatoes if needed.
- Avocado oil: Olive oil or ghee work too, but avoid butter and extra virgin olive oil —they burn at this temp.
- Fresh rosemary: Other fresh herbs work. Swap with thyme, parsley, or oregano, or use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary if needed. If you like, you can finish with a sprinkle of fresh chives.
- Garlic: Thinly sliced garlic crisps nicely. Pre-sliced or minced jarred garlic won’t give the same texture or flavor. You could substitute with a teaspoon garlic powder or even onion powder.
Step by Step Instructions
Add potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt to a pot and cover with water by 1 inch.
Bring to a boil and cook 20 minutes, until fork-tender.
Transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes, flip carefully, and brush with remaining oil.
Tips & Tricks
Boil them just enough
If you overdo it, they'll fall apart like that one IKEA shelf I thought I could assemble without the instructions. Too little? You'll be standing there with a potato that refuses to smash. You want fork-tender but still holding it together. Think "soft but not mushy." The skin should still hug the potato like it's not ready to say goodbye.
Wet potatoes? Game over
You can't crisp up soggy spuds. Not gonna happen. After boiling, pat them dry, or let them sit in the colander and steam themselves dry. Either way, moisture = enemy of crunch.
Smash smart—not too hard, not too soft
If you go full Hulk and flatten them to paper-thin, they'll fall apart and stick to everything but your mouth. Too thick, and they're basically just...mashed potatoes with ambition. Somewhere between ¼ and ½ inch thick is that sweet spot. Rustic, but still roasty.
Give 'em room to breathe
Crowding the pan is like stuffing a dance floor—nobody gets to show off. You want airflow. Space between each potato means crispy edges and no weird mushy spots. Use two pans if you have to. Or batch it. Totally worth it.
Still not crispy enough? Hit the broiler
When you are craving maximum crispiness, some days the oven just doesn't get them where you want. Maybe your potatoes were too thick or a little too damp. No shame. Just throw on the broiler for 2-ish minutes at the end. But stay close. Like, don't walk away. They go from perfect to burnt-out tragedy in a blink.
Shortcut method if boiling feels like too much
Roast whole fingerlings at 400°F until they're tender. Then smash 'em, crank the heat to 450°F, and finish roasting.
Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Ingredients
- 24 ounces fingerling potatoes scrubbed
- 1 ½ tablespoons sea salt divided
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 springs fresh rosemary chopped
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with oil.
- Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot and cover by 1 inch with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cook for 20 minutes, until fork-tender.
- Drain and pat dry to remove excess moisture. Transfer to the prepared rimmed baking sheet.
- Smash the potatoes using a potato masher or a small dish.
- Whisk together the avocado oil, rosemary, garlic, remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and black pepper in a small dish.
- Brush half of the mixture over the potatoes.
- Bake for 15 minutes, and carefully flip. Brush with the remaining oil mixture. Bake for another 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with your favorite sauce.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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