Perfect Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
These Smashed Fingerling Potatoes are easy to make with a shortlist of ingredients, including melted butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and fresh oregano. They bake up irresistibly crispy on the outside, creamy inside, and packed with Greek-inspired goodness. Air fryer instructions included.
If you’re looking for a way to switch up your roasted potato routine, look no further than these roasted smashed fingerling potatoes. This recipe is easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients, and the results are just plain delicious.
With these oven-baked instructions, the potatoes come out delightfully golden and crispy on the surface and soft and fluffy in the middle. If you ask me, they deliver the same comfort and satisfaction as French fries but in a healthier, pancake-shaped form!
The best part? These show-stopping smashed spuds are the ultimate side dish for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner. They’re seasoned with the right amount of citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs, so they have a distinguished Greek flavor that pairs well with just about anything!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Crisp, creamy, and loaded with Greek flavor. The fingerlings are boiled until tender, smashed, coated with a citrusy, garlicky, buttery sauce, and then baked to crisp and creamy perfection.
- Easy for everyone. This is a beginner-friendly recipe made with no-nonsense, flexible fresh ingredients.
- Perfect for any occasion. Whether you need a potato side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you can’t go wrong with roasted potatoes -especially when they’re smashed!
- A healthy alternative to French fries. The potatoes taste deep-fried but are actually baked in the oven. Plus, they’re easy to make vegan and Whole30.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Fingerling potatoes – Use fingerlings that are close in size (about 1 ½ – 2 inches in diameter) so they cook evenly. If you can’t find fingerling potatoes, use any small, waxy variety like baby red or Yukon gold potatoes.
- Melted butter – This is the base of the sauce you will coat the potatoes with. You can use melted plant-based butter here to make this recipe dairy-free and vegan or use melted ghee for Whole30.
- Olive oil – Brushing the potatoes with butter and olive oil helps develop an extra crispy, golden crust.
- Garlic – Use fresh minced garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Lemon zest – You’ll need the zest from 1 whole lemon, but don’t toss the lemon after zesting it.! You can use the juice for drinks like a blue lagoon mocktail.
- Coarse salt – The larger granules add a tasty textural element and enhance flavor without making the potatoes taste too salty.
- Oregano – Fresh oregano builds on the Greek flavors.
How to make smashed fingerling potatoes
Step 1: Boil. Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 425℉. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water, cover, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then, uncover the pot and continue boiling until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain well and pat dry.
Step 2: Smash. Spread the potatoes on a greased baking sheet, then use the bottom of a heavy glass to smash each one.
Step 3: Season. In a small bowl, whisk the butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and oregano until combined, then drizzle the mixture over the smashed potatoes, ensuring each one is fully coated.
Step 4: Bake. Transfer the baking sheet to the middle oven rack and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy. Mine were perfect at the 25-minute mark. Sprinkle coarse salt and fresh parsley, and enjoy!
Air fryer instructions
To make smashed fingerling potatoes in the air fryer, boil and smash the potatoes and make the melted butter mixture, then proceed with these steps:
- Carefully place the potatoes in the greased air fryer basket in a single layer (you’ll probably need to cook them in batches).
- Brush the butter mixture over the top of each potato and air fry at 400℉ for 8-10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
Side note! An air fryer is a good option if you’re making a smaller batch of smashed fingerling potatoes or need a quicker cooking option. Just know that they’re much better baked in the oven.
Recipe tips
- Don’t peel the potatoes. The thin skin on the fingerlings gets nice and crispy and helps keep the smashed potatoes from falling apart. Just be sure to give the potatoes a good scrub before boiling.
- The potatoes won’t cook as evenly if added directly to boiling water, so it is important to add them to cold water and then bring the water to a boil.
- When smashing the potatoes, aim for about ½ – ¾ ” thickness. If you press them too thin, they’ll cook crunchy in the middle instead of tender and creamy.
- Remember, these are smashed, not mashed potatoes, so you only need to apply light pressure to flatten them.
Variations
Fresh herbs – In addition to the oregano, add other fresh herbs to the melted butter mixture, like parsley, dill, tarragon, and chives.
Melted butter drizzle – Make extra of the butter-olive oil mixture, then drizzle it over the smashed fingerling potatoes as soon as they’re done baking.
Serving suggestions
As with many Greek-inspired meals, when it comes to the sauce, it’s all about the tzatziki, but other cool, creamy dipping sauces would be delicious with these crispy potatoes. Try Greek yogurt spinach dip, whipped feta dip with roasted tomatoes and olives, or avocado yogurt dip.
These smashed potatoes are the perfect potato side dish with practically any meal. Here are some of the many meals you could make:
- Breakfast: Serve them with a breakfast casserole, crustless quiche, or spinach feta frittata muffins.
- Lunch: If you love fries on the side of your sandwiches, you’ll love these potatoes with a Reuben wrap, a turkey cranberry brie sandwich, or a caprese avocado grilled pita.
- Dinner: Serve them with Mediterranean grilled sirloin steaks, prosciutto-wrapped chicken with mushrooms, or bourbon pork tenderloin.
Storing
To store: Store leftover roasted fingerlings in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Just know that they are best when freshly prepared.
To reheat: The quickest way to reheat smashed potatoes and restore them to their original crisp and creamy glory is under the broiler for a few minutes. Be sure to watch them, as they can burn quickly.
FAQs
Depending on the size of the potatoes, you should boil them for 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender. Be careful not to cook them too long, or they will dry out.
Boiling is best, but you can par-cook the potatoes in the microwave if you’re short on time. To do so, cut a small slit with a sharp knife in each potato, then place them in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
They’re best when baked immediately before serving, but a day ahead, you can boil and smash the potatoes, let them cool completely, and then store them in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, the next day, all you have to do is bring them to room temperature, brush them with the melted butter mixture, and bake!
More roasted vegetable recipes
- Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower and Sweet Potato
- Air Fryer Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Vegetables with Apples
- Slow Roasted Green Beans
- Roasted Butternut Squash
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Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 Sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs fingerling potatoes try to find fingerlings that are close to the same size for even cooking time. You can also use yukon golds here.
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest I use the zest of 1 whole lemon zested with a Microplane zester
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp fresh oregano finely chopped
- *Optional: lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 425℉. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water, cover, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Then, uncover the pot and continue boiling until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well and pat dry.
- Spread the potatoes on a greased baking sheet, then use the bottom of a heavy glass to smash each one.
- In a small bowl, whisk the butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and oregano until combined, then drizzle the mixture over the smashed potatoes. I use a pastry brush to ensure that each one is fully coated.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the middle oven rack and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy. Mine were perfect at the 25-minute mark. Sprinkle coarse salt and fresh parsley, and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t peel the potatoes. The thin skin on the fingerlings gets nice and crispy and helps keep the smashed potatoes from falling apart. Just be sure to give the potatoes a good scrub before boiling.
- The potatoes won’t cook as evenly if added directly to boiling water, so it is important to add them to cold water and then bring the water to a boil.
- When smashing the potatoes, aim for about ½ – ¾ ” thickness. If you press them too thin, they’ll cook crunchy in the middle instead of tender and creamy.
- Remember, these are smashed, not mashed potatoes, so you only need to apply light pressure to flatten them.
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Yum! I love garlic potatoes!
Thanks Rachel!
This recipe is so simple yet delicious looking! I love the addition of lemon!!
Thanks Kathryn!