Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes

Close up of smashed potatoes with butter and fresh thyme.

5 from 4 votes

Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes are the ultimate side dish -- with just a few ingredients, they're easy to make, go with almost everything, and are incredibly delicious. Packed with aromatic herbs, they're rich, creamy and crispy -- all at once.

Prep Time5

Cook Time45

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: fall comfort food recipes, Thanksgiving Side Dishes, make-ahead holiday sides

Servings:

Calories: 285kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

meat mallet

Ingredients

olive oil for the pan
1¾ pound Idaho Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, washed and dried
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon mixed fresh herbs (I use sage, oregano and thyme), finely chopped
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Soften the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400°F and drizzle the bottom of a sheet pan with olive oil. Place the potatoes on the pan and once the oven is ready, roast them until they're tender, about 25 minutes. A fork should easily slide in and out, and the skin should be beginning to wrinkle. When you remove them from the oven, turn the heat up to 425°F.
Make herb butter. While the potatoes are roasting, in a small bowl, mix the butter with the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Smash and roast. Once the potatoes come out of the oven, use a smooth meat mallet or the bottom of your smallest sauté pan to gently press down on the potatoes. They will crack and become flat on both sides. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and place them in the now 425°F oven until the undersides of the potatoes are becoming golden, about 10 minutes. Then flip them over and continue to roast until golden, about another 10 minutes.
Add the herb butter. Remove the pan from the oven and add a small dollop of the prepared garlic-herb butter to each potato. Let it melt and serve!

Notes

Make ahead: Roast and smash the potatoes a few hours ahead and keep them covered at room temperature, then do the final crisping right before serving. The garlic herb butter can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge.

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

Nutrition