Crispy smashed potatoes with sauce options are my love language. Aren’t they everybody’s?
These tasty morsels are like a cross between oven fries and a baked potato–smash fries if you will. They are easy peasy to make and you’ve got to try them with these refreshing condiments (or add cheese and make cheesy smashed potatoes!).
As you can see, you can dunk these in a yogurt-based sauce with chives or mix and match with a jalapeno hot sauce. Spicy-cool flavors balance each other out and round out this fun side dish.
To make the smashers, you just boil golf ball-sized potatoes, press down and roast in olive oil until oh-so-crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Tostones)
Introducing your new favorite way with potatoes: boiled, smashed, drizzled, then roasted!
These beauties will remind you of French fries, but I think more appealing and of the earth. Smashing gives the surface all these nooks and crannies for extra crisp action. Delightfully rustic.
These are such a blank canvas for all your favorite sauces but please try mine, too!
You can make a jalapeno hot sauce and a cool, creamy yogurt-chive dip in less than 5-minutes. You ferment the jalapeno hot sauce at room temperature for 3 to 7 days, that’s where the magic happens. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip the sauces and eat these straight off the tray.
And since I’ve never had a potato that didn’t taste better with more salt. These are nice and salty like potato chips with speckles of black pepper. Simple and effective crowd-pleasers.
In honor of my potato-sauce obsession, I give to you my most loved smashed potato condiment set. I can’t wait for you to dig in!
Potato Smashers Ingredients (Condiments, Too!)
You need 4 ingredients to make potato smashers (potatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper). The jalapenos, apple cider vinegar, Greek yogurt and chives are optional ingredients for making the condiments:
- Jalapenos: Jalapenos can range from small to large. There’s wiggle room when making a hot sauce (+/- one). Aim for 5 medium to large jalapenos or use 7 small ones. I like to use the seeds because I love spicy food. The hot sauce will mellow considerably as it lacto-ferments. If you don’t want to make your own, you can usually find really good jalapeno hot sauce in the store. If you want to tame the heat level, you could use 3 jalapenos and 1 green bell pepper instead.
- kosher salt: you need a good amount of salt for the hot sauce and can season the potatoes to taste otherwise (sea salt is ok)
- apple cider vinegar: used to speed up the process of fermentation, ok to use white vinegar instead.
- potatoes: avoid large potatoes and look for small- to medium-sized Russet, Maris Piper, King Edward, Idaho, etc. for a fluffy texture. You can use waxy potatoes but because they contain less starch, they don’t smash as easily and the texture will be a bit creamier.
- olive oil: any high heat oil will work. Avocado oil has great flavor. I prefer oil because it ensures even cooking. If you want to add butter, I would cut the oil in half and only add the butter in the last 20 minutes of cooking to avoid burning.
- ground black pepper: I recommend using freshly ground. Red pepper flakes would work, too.
- plain greek yogurt: Greek yogurt or Lebneh (if you can find it) is ideal as a dip because it’s thicker than regular yogurt and has a nice tang, much like sour cream. You can use sour cream if you’d like.
- chives: I prefer the fresh onion flavor of chives over onion powder. If you can’t find chives, green onion is the best substitute. You could use 1 teaspoon onion powder instead.
About Homemade Jalapeno Hot Sauce (Lactofermented)
Many hot sauces are aged using a process called lacto-fermentation whereby wild beneficial bacteria meld with peppers taking the flavors to new, tangy heights. You blend the jalapenos with water, salt, and vinegar and let it sit at room temperature. After just a few days, you can taste test to see if you like the flavor (p.s. I like the flavor quite tangy so I age mine for 7 days).
Word to the wise, don’t reduce the salt in the jalapeno sauce. Salt is how we discourage unwanted bacteria.
Equipment Tip: To make the hot sauce, you can use a bullet-style blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade. If you don’t own either, you can finely mince the jalapenos instead. To get the oil off your hands, you can rub them with oil and then proceed to wash thoroughly with soap and water.
Step-by-Step Instructions Plus Cooking Tips
Let’s double cook potatoes and get them nice and golden in the oven!
Step 1 is optional and involves making the jalapeno hot sauce.
You can skip the first step and use store-bought hot sauce if you are making this recipe same day.
Step 2 involves boiling the potatoes (skin-on) until you can easily pierce them straight through to the center with a sharp knife, about 25 minutes if using small potatoes.
Smashing Tool: You will have an easier time smashing whole starchy potatoes (as opposed to waxy varieties). The best tool for the job is a potato smasher. If you don’t own one, you could try using a heavy cast iron pan (just be sure the bottom isn’t dirty).
Step 3 involves roasting at 450°F.
After straining the potatoes and allowing to steam for a few minutes, you set them on a well-oiled baking tray. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to press the potatoes gently until flattened (more contact with the tray + more surface area = more crispy potatoes). Allow to steam for a minute, then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes appear golden brown and crisp.
Cooking Tip: Please allow the potatoes to steam (in the colander and after smashing). This allows moisture to escape and ensures your potatoes will get extra crispy.
Step 4 is where you mix up a quick yogurt dip
As you can see, you can just mix the yogurt with the chives using a spoon. I like to reserve about half the minced chives for garnishing the potato smashers.
Smashers FAQs
Can I prep these ahead?
You can prep the jalapeno hot sauce and yogurt dip ahead. For the potatoes, you can par-roast these the day before, which means cooking them part way in the oven and then finishing them the day-of. Store partially roasted potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can I make smashed potatoes in the air fryer?
Absolutely! Follow the boiling and smashing directions then place the potatoes in the air fryer basket. Drizzle with olive oil and season then cook at 200ºC/390ºF for 15-20 minutes.
What to serve with smashed potatoes:
You could add whole garlic cloves to the tray for some serious dirt candy. These golden crisp potatoes would be great with beer to drink, any condiment (malt vinegar, this easy apple barbecue sauce, or my creamy horseradish sauce to name a few). Try serving as a side dish to steak, fish, or some Crispy Chicken Thighs (drizzled with extra jalapeno hot sauce and yogurt dip, of course!).
However you decide to serve these potato smashers, one things for sure, you are in for one lovely evening.
Apron time!
MORE POTATO RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
- Crispy and Tender Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Best Oven Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
- Herb Infused Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes in the Crockpot
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet Potato Shephard’s Pie
- See all Potato Recipes
CRISPY POTATO SMASHERS RECIPE (PLUS JALAPENO HOT SAUCE AND YOGURT DIP)
Ingredients
Lacto-Fermented Jalapeno Hot Sauce Ingredients:
- 5 jalapenos
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Potato Smashers Ingredients:
- 12 small potatoes skin-on (Russet will be fluffier, waxy varieties will be more creamy)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Yogurt Dip Ingredients:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon minced chives
Instructions
- Make jalapeno sauce (optional step). Remove the stems from the jalapenos and roughly chop. Place in a blender or food processor along with ½ cup filtered water, salt and apple cider vinegar and puree until mostly smooth. Transfer to a clean container and cover with a clean cloth secured with a rubber band. Place in a warm, dark area for between 3 and 7 days or until you like the taste (it should be pleasantly tangy when fermented). When you like the taste, transfer the hot sauce to the refrigerator to halt the fermentation process.
- Boil the potatoes. Place the potatoes (skin-on) in a large pot or Dutch oven with water. Add several pinches of salt to make it taste like the sea. Bring to a boil on high heat and cook until you can easily pierce the potatoes straight through to the center with a sharp knife, about 25 minutes if using small potatoes.
- Roast. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Strain the potatoes and allow to steam for a few minutes then transfer to a well-oiled baking tray. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to press the potatoes gently until flattened (more contact with the tray + more surface area = more crispy potatoes). Allow to steam for a minute, then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes appear golden brown and crisp.
- Make yogurt dip and serve.Serve the potatoes hot or room temperature with the jalapeno hot sauce on top (or on the side for dunking). Using just a bowl and spoon, I like to mix the yogurt up with about ½ of the minced chives and serve it on the side. Sprinkle the remaining chives on the potatoes as garnish.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Photography by Adam Rahman
