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Lena's Kitchen

Lena's Kitchen

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Home » Weeknight Meals » Sides

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

Posted: August 25, 2020 by lena gladstone | Updated: August 26, 2020

297 shares
Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic on plate with spoons

Heavenly Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic are all you need for an epic dinner! Please your guests with this easy to make side dish and top it with elegant balsamic shallots and fresh parmesan.

Jump to Recipe

Originally posted November 2016, updated August 2020.

Bowl full of smashed potatoes with balsamic shallots and green onions on top

This recipe for Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic is so amazing, you’ll be making it every weekend. Luxurious roasted garlic, acidic balsamic shallots, and melted fresh parmesan are a welcome contrast to the crispy potato skins and their creamy insides. 

Metal colander full of white potatoes

You’ll be overwhelmed by the golden-brown and crispy potatoes when you pull the tray from the oven. Finish them off with fresh lemon zest and green onions for a colorful and flavorful side dish! Pair this easy and delicious dish with my Creamy Cheesy Polenta for holidays and parties to come.

Bowl full of smashed potatoes with balsamic shallots and green onions on top

What are smashed potatoes?

If you’ve ever made baked potatoes, you can easily handle this recipe. This golden landscape of roasted potatoes are first par-boiled and then smashed with a cup on a baking tray. The semi-flattened is then baked until golden-brown and crispy. 
Smashed potatoes can be topped with anything you like, whether it’s cheese, romesco sauce, chimichurri, fresh herbs, yogurt sauce, mixed greens, or pickled onions.

Cooked smashed potatoes on a plate with parchment paper and green onions on the side

Ingredients Needed

These will be the most elegant roasted potatoes you ever eat. Top them with elegant toppings, like roasted garlic, balsamic shallots, and parmesan cheese. 

Here’s what you need:

  • Baby Yukon gold potatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh green onions
  • Lemon zest
  • Garlic 
  • Shallots
  • Balsamic vinegar

How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

Start by making the balsamic shallots:

  1. Peel the shallots, cut each of them in half, then chop each half into thin half circles.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the shallots. Sauté on medium heat until slightly brown and caramelized. Add in the balsamic vinegar and sauté until it dissolves.
  3. Cool and store the shallots in the refrigerator in a closed jar until the potatoes are ready.
Sliced shallots and onions on a round cutting board

Next, roast the garlic:

  1. Chop the garlic heads in half and lightly drizzle them with olive oil. Wrap each half tightly in foil.
  2. Bake at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes or until fragrant, soft, and golden brown.
  3. Remove the garlic from the oven and leave them to cool before handling. Once they’ve cooled down, squeeze out the individual cloves into a bowl.
Garlic head cut in half and wrapped in foil

Finally, make the smashed potatoes:

  1. Place the unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Salt the water, then bring to a boil on the stove.
  2. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20-30 minutes. Next, drain the potatoes and leave them to cool.
  3. Preheat your oven to 450ºF and prepare a large baking sheet.
  4. Place the cooked potatoes onto the baking sheet and use the bottom of a mason jar or a glass to gently smash each potato. Once they’re smashed, drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 
  5. Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes before flipping each of them. Again, drizzle with olive oil and add another sprinkle of salt. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until brown and crispy.
  6. Remove from the oven and add the roasted garlic, balsamic shallots, and parmesan cheese on top. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
  7. Finally, remove the tray from the oven, add the zest of a lemon and sprinkle with green onions. Place on a platter, serve, and enjoy!
Boiling white potatoes in a pot and then roasting them

Helpful Recipe Tips

  • Try to use small potatoes rather than large. They’ll be way more crispy and delicious.
  • Use the largest baking tray you have. This way you can make more potatoes!
  • Both yellow or red potatoes will work in this recipe. Use what you have on hand.
  • Make it a meal! Drizzle your potatoes with a lemony yogurt sauce for a satisfying and flavorful main dish.
Woman's hand holding a smashed potato

Making ahead of time

Par-boil the potatoes ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to smash and roast them. 

Roast a few heads of garlic ahead of time and caramelize the shallots in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Both can be stored in the fridge up to 1 week ahead of time.

Leftover potatoes can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on a baking tray in the oven until warmed through.

Bowl full of smashed potatoes with balsamic shallots and green onions on top

More Recipes With Potatoes

  • Boiled Baby Potatoes With Garlic Butter And Dill
  • Potato Leek Chowder
  • Greek Crispy Chicken Thighs With Potatoes
  • Mini Hasselback Potatoes

If you try these Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic, please leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog! I would love to know what you think.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

4.7 from 15 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Lena Gladstone
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Heavenly Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic are all you need for an epic dinner! Please your guests with this easy to make side dish and top it with elegant balsamic shallots and fresh parmesan.

Ingredients

Balsamic Shallots

  • 3 large shallots or 1 sweet onion, finely sliced into thin slices
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • sea salt, to taste

Roasted Garlic

  • 1 head garlic, cut off the top to expose the garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Potatoes

  • 1 lb baby yukon gold potatoes
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 tbsp green onions, finely chopped
  • zest of one lemon

Instructions

Balsamic Shallots

  • While potatoes cook, peel the shallots or onions, cut each of them in half, then cut into thin slices.
  • In a large pan, heat olive oil and add the shallots, sauté on medium heat until slightly caramelized. Add the balsamic vinegar and sauté until vinegar dissolves.
  • Cool and store in the refrigerator in a closed jar until ready to use. You can make this a few days ahead of time if needed.

Roasted Garlic

  • While potatoes cook, cut off the top to expose the garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly in foil.
  • Bake at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes or until fragrant, soft, and golden brown.
  • Cool before handling. When ready to use, squeeze the cloves in a bowl. You can make this a few days ahead of time if needed.

Smashed Potatoes

  • Preheat oven to 450ºF.
  • Place the unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Salt the water, then bring to a boil on the stove.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes, depends on the size of your potatoes. Drain and leave them to cool.
  • Using the bottom of a mason jar or a glass, gently smash each potato.
  • Drizzle each potato with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and flip each potato to the other side. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes until brown and crispy.
  • Remove from the oven, add to a serving dish. Add the roasted garlic, balsamic shallots, and parmesan cheese on top, zest one lemon, and sprinkle with green onions. Add any finishing salt if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Par-boil the potatoes ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to smash and roast them. 
  • Roast a few heads of garlic ahead of time and caramelize the shallots in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Both can be stored in the fridge up to 1 week ahead of time.
  • Leftover potatoes can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on a baking tray in the oven until warmed through.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: appetizer, potatoes, side dish, sides, simple

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
297 shares

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4.74 from 15 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Meagan

    at

    5 stars
    My new favourite way to make potatoes! The roasted garlic and carmelized shallots pair so well with the crispy potatoes! Made these to go along with Lena’s marinated skirt steak. Absolutely delicious pairing.

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it Meagan.

  2. Alina

    at

    5 stars
    Made this dish a few nights ago and plated it on top of a lemon harissa Mayo aioli type situation. Ended up tasting So good!

    Reply
    • lena gladstone

      at

      That is so great to hear, thank you so much for trying the recipe and loving it.

  3. Emily

    at

    5 stars
    Ugh soooo good!!! I made these for dinner with salmon and her green bean recipe. Delicious!

    Reply
  4. Anna

    at

    5 stars
    I did these potatoes for Christmas and I thought I made too much but at the end of the evening, all of them disappeared. It’s takes an extra 10 min to make them but wow they are soooooo good. Like the combo of toppings and crispy potatoes is mind blowing. Must try

    Reply
  5. Javidan

    at

    I love this recipe!Potatoes are delicious ?

    Reply
  6. Sandra Flegg

    at

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe Lena!! Sooo good!

    Reply
  7. yana Beynya

    at

    5 stars
    If you haven’t tried this recipe yet you are missing out. It is so good!

    Reply
  8. Sophia

    at

    How do you get the potatoes to not stick to your mason jar? I loved smashed potatoes but that part always makes me want to rip my hair out!

    Reply
  9. Suzanne Griffiths

    at

    5 stars
    Made these yesterday for family gathering and they were dee-lish. Will definitely make again!

    Reply
  10. Taylor

    at

    Can’t wait to try them!!

    Reply
  11. Erin

    at

    Made them tonight. They are soo good.

    Reply
  12. Inna

    at

    Oh em gee!!! This looks fabulous!! About to lick the screen! Definitely trying these at the next fambam dinner.

    Reply
  13. Larisa

    at

    These look amazing, definitely attempting these! ❤️

    Reply
  14. Rachel

    at

    These look so good!!! Can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
  15. Julia Manchik

    at

    Probably the best potatoes you can make. They take a little more time so I make them for special occasions. Everyone loved them at my Christmas party. And just made them again this weekend for a nice Father’s Day steak dinner. The balsamic shallots and roasted garlic are sooo tasty. I like that you can make those two ahead of time so it goes faster when you’re making dinner. Thanks for the awesome recipe, Lena!

    Reply

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Welcome, glad you’re here!

Hi, I’m Lena Gladstone, the recipe developer and food photographer behind Lena’s Kitchen. Here you will find approachable food recipes to share with the whole family. Keto friendly, weeknight dinners all made with fresh ingredients. Click here to learn more!

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