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Smashed Fingerling Potatoes

5 from 8 votes
Time: 1 hour
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These crispy Smashed Fingerling Potatoes are simply seasoned and baked to perfection. They are a delicious side dish to any meal, a fun game day appetizer, or even a crunchy snack. Either way I guarantee you will love them.

Pair these smashed potatoes with my Garlic Basil Chicken, Cheesy Yogurt Chicken Bake, or any of these quick weeknight meals.

Close up of smashed fingerling potatoes topped with green onion, flaky sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Ready to serve with dinner and eat.

Why You’ll LOVE This Smashed Potatoes Recipe

  • THE BEST SIDE DISH: These fingerling potatoes are creamy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and go with practically anything. They are also a fun appetizer too!
  • 8 SIMPLE INGREDIENTS: Fingerling potatoes, olive oil, seasoning, green onion garnish… that’s all! 9 ingredients if you include a dipping sauce.
  • VERSATILE: Make these your own by adding different seasonings, or other fresh herb garnishes. Choose different sauce or a variety of sauces for dipping. Either way, I guarantee everyone will love them.

What are Fingerling Potatoes?

Fingerling Potatoes are a heritage potato which grow smaller than the average potato, they are about 2 to 4 inches long. They are an elongated finger like shape (hence the name) that grow in various colors. Fingerling potatoes have thin skins and when cooked are super fluffy, slightly sweet, and very rich in flavor.

Let’s Make Them Together!

Ingredients For Smashed Fingerling Potatoes

  • Fingerling Potatoes: Wash and lightly scrub them under cool water to remove any dirt and debris. You can also use other small potatoes (I like Little Potato Company’s potatoes for this recipe).
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: High quality olive oils are the best option because they have a high smoke point. This just means they can withstand high temperatures without affecting the taste of the food in a negative way.
  • Salt and Black Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Red Pepper Flakes: This is optional but it adds a nice spicy note to the potatoes.
  • Green Onion: Used as a garnish. I only cut the green tops to use.
  • Dipping Sauce: I always make my Horseradish Aioli (it is in the pictures).
Ingredients. Fingerling potatoes in a salted water pot with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and creamy dipping sauce.

Equipment Needed

  • Large Pot or Dutch Oven
  • Colander (for draining)
  • Large Baking Sheet
  • A Smasher: I used a heavy glass but you can also use a large fork, potato masher, and even a meat tenderizer.

How to Make Smashed Fingerling Potatoes

This should be a short summary of the steps, the recipe card will have more details.

PREHEAT OVEN AND PREP POTATOES. Lightly scrub and clean the potatoes before tossing them into a large pot with cold salted water.

PARBOIL POTATOES. Bring them to a boil and cook until fork tender. Remove them from the water and allow them to release steam for 5 minutes. Place them back in your pot to coat with half of the olive oil.

SMASH. Place potatoes on the prepped baking sheet and pierce them with a knife (this helps evenly smash them). Gently press and smash each one with the bottom of a glass, large fork, or potato masher. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on the smashed potatoes.

SEASON with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes.

BAKE in the oven until they are golden brown and crispy. You will have to flip them half way through the baking time so both sides of the potatoes become crispy. If they are not crispy enough, you can always broil them on low for a few minutes (but watch them carefully, they can burn quickly).

GARNISH with green onion, flaky sea salt, and more red pepper flakes.

SERVE IMMEDIATELY and don’t forget a dipping sauce on the side, I always make my horseradish aioli for this recipe. More recommendations below!

Storing Information

Any leftover Smashed Fingerling Potatoes should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing.

4 Tips For Super Crispy Smashed Potatoes

  1. Use equal sized potatoes (whenever possible) to ensure even baking.
  2. Bake your smashed potatoes in a single layer with space between them. This gives the heat and air space to circulate around the smashed potatoes. If they are overlapping or touching, those areas of the potatoes will not crisp up.
  3. Flip them halfway through the bake time. This will give them addicting crispiness on both sides.
  4. Still not crispy enough?! Broil your fingerling potatoes on low for a few minutes to brown them up even more.
Smashed potatoes and a sheet pan ready to serve with dinner and eat.

Recipe Variations

Use your favorite dipping sauce or try one of mine: Horseradish Aioli, Yogurt Dill Sauce, Sriracha Aioli, Blackberry BBQ Sauce, Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, Hot Honey Sauce, Chipotle Southwest Sauce, and Apple Butter BBQ Sauce.

Season with your favorite seasonings. Cajun, lemon pepper, ground paprika, red pepper flakes, are all great options. You can even use fresh herbs like thyme, cilantro, chives, or rosemary.

Sprinkle with cheese, like freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese.

Substitute for other potatoes. Baby redskins and petite potatoes are the best. Side note, larger potatoes tend to not crisp up as taste as good as the smaller potatoes and they require more cook/bake time.

Frequently Asked Questions About Smashed Potatoes (FAQ’s)

Why are my smashed potatoes not getting crispy?

Moisture is the enemy to crispiness, so it probably had to do with that. Ensure you have given your boiled potatoes time to dry before placing them on your sheet pan and smashing. You may also need to bake them a little longer or throw them under the broiler to crisp up even quicker.

Can smashed potatoes be made ahead of time?

The potatoes can be boiled ahead of time, no longer than overnight though. I do not recommend baking the smashed potatoes until you are ready to serve them.

Smashed Fingerling Potatoes topped with green onion and flaky sea salt with a side of red pepper flakes and creamy dipping sauce.

What to Serve With Smashed Fingerling Potatoes

More Side Dishes You Might Enjoy


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Enjoy Entirely, Elizabeth
Close up of smashed fingerling potatoes topped with green onion, flaky sea salt, and red pepper flakes.

Smashed Fingerling Potatoes

Elizabeth Swoish
These are the crispiest Smashed Potatoes! They are easy to make, simply seasoned, and baked to perfection. A great side or appetizer for any occasion.
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Servings 4
Calories 225 kcal

EQUIPMENT

  • large pot - or Dutch Oven
  • colander - a large metal one works best
  • baking sheet - large – or 2 if using smaller ones
  • smasher - large glass, fork, potato masher, or meat cleaver

INGREDIENTS
 
 

  • 1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes - or other small varieties of potatoes
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt - or to taste preference (for boiling water and seasoning)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper - or to taste preference
  • 1 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
  • ¼ cup green onions - chopped
  • dipping sauce*

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Preheat oven to 450 °F
  • Rinse and lightly scrub the fingerling potatoes under cool water to remove dirt and debris.
  • Place the potatoes in a large pot and add water until they are submerged in about 2 inches of cold water.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Allow the potatoes to simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Remove from heat and drain the fingerling potatoes from the water in a colander. Allow them to cool for 5 minutes.
  • Toss the potatoes back in the pot, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and toss to coat. Allow to cool for 5 more minutes.
  • Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet and pierce each one with a knife prior to smashing (this helps them to smash more evenly).
  • Using the bottom of a glass, a fork, or even a potato masher, lightly smash the fingerling potatoes until they are about a ½ inch thick.
  • Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper.
  • Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and flip the smashed fingerling potatoes over. Continue baking for 15 more minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.
  • Remove from oven. Garnish with green onion, salt, red pepper flakes and serve with a side of dipping sauce*.

VIDEO

RECIPE NOTES

Storing Information

  • Refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. 
  • Freezing not recommended. 
 

*Dipping Sauce Ideas 

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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Did you try this recipe?Please take a minute to leave a rating and comment below. My community of readers appreciate it and I do too!
By Elizabeth Swoish on April 21st, 2023
Elizabeth Swoish holding a camera up to her eye taking a photo.

About Elizabeth Swoish

Elizabeth Swoish is the founder and CEO of Entirely Elizabeth. She is a self-taught foodie and mocktail enthusiast with a business degree in data analysis. Read Elizabeth's food journey or connect on your favorite social media channels.

8 thoughts on “Smashed Fingerling Potatoes”

  1. 5 stars
    I made these for dinner last night and could have eaten the entire pan by myself. I mean, I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like, but I seriously couldn’t stop eating these. They are crispy and creamy all at the same time and perfectly seasoned. I will be making these ALL the time!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    These were so delicious! Made them for dinner last night with steak and loved the crispy edges of the potatoes. Not sure I’m ever going to want to make potatoes another way again!

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    Yum! So nice to have another side dish in the rotation. Loved the bottom of the glass trick for the smash! Thanks.

    Reply
  4. 5 stars
    Delicious! The potatoes came out so nice and crispy and were incredibly delicious! Thank you wonderful meal!

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    One of my favorite recipe and I make it for my family anytime I can. I love the crispiness and how just perfectly they always come out.
    Thank you.

    Reply

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