This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Crispy Garlic Butter Parmesan Smashed Potatoes are the most delicious side dish, right up there with wedges and mashed potatoes.
If you’ve never tried smashed potatoes before, then you’ve got to try them at least once in your life! It’s a guarantee they’ll be making a regular appearance at house. Especially THESE Garlic Butter Parmesan Smashed Potatoes! And if that’s the case, I’m coming!
Smashed Potatoes
Fluffy and soft on the inside with a buttery crispy outside, smothered in garlic butter and parmesan cheese! Much like buttery and garlicky French fries or crispy hot chips. With an unbeatable crunch all over, it’s those crispy edges that send you over the edge, never asking for regular baked or roasted potatoes again.
The crispy crunch lies in all of those ridges on top! Don’t even worry about pressing them down pretty and flat.
Really, these can be either a side dish OR a main. We may have sat with the entire tray between us on the floor midst an emotionally charged This Is Us marathon, dipping them in tomato sauce or sour cream, with an extra sprinkling of salt because we like to live our lives on the edge.
Garlic Butter Parmesan Smashed Potatoes are so easy to make, I swear, hand over heart.
BOIL
SMASH
DRIZZLE
BAKE
Other flavours
You could swap out the parsley in the recipe for rosemary or thyme, or add them all in. I’ve also tried them with Lemon Oregano flavours AND I’ve even loaded some like these cheesy bacon smashed potatoes.
However, once you sprinkle these with parmesan cheese and a little extra salt (because potatoes + salt = bliss), there’s no doubt in my mind you’ll go back for seconds. Thirds. Maybe even fifths.
Crispy Garlic Butter Parmesan Smashed Potatoes are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, smothered in garlic butter and melted parmesan cheese! Much like buttery and garlicky French fries or crispy hot chips. Those crispy edges that send you over the edge!
Ingredients
2lbspotatoesYukon Gold or Carisma
1sprayolive oil
3tablespoonsmelted butter
4clovesgarliccrushed
1tablespoonfresh parsleychopped
1pinchsaltto taste
1pinchpepperto taste
2tablespoonsparmesan Cheese
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to broil (or grill) settings to medium-high heat (about 200°C | 400°F).
Place potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to the boil; cook, covered for 30-35 minutes or until just fork-tender. Drain well.
Lightly grease a large baking sheet or tray with cooking oil spray. Arrange potatoes onto the sheet and use a potato masher to LIGHTLY flatten the potatoes in one piece (not too hard or they will end up mashed).
Mix together the butter, garlic and parsley. Pour the mixture over each potato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly spray with olive oil spray.
Broil (or grill) until they are golden and crispy (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from oven, sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melted.
To serve, season with a little extra salt and parsley, and serve immediately.
Notes
Tip: Make sure you don’t forget to salt your water to ensure your potatoes absorb as much flavour as possible.
Hey Good Food Lovers! It’s nice to see you! My name is Karina. Welcome to Cafe Delites, my beloved space for the last 10 years where my passion for food has flourished and connected millions!
These are absolutely delicious, great recipe! I’ve made them multiple times, but using the air fryer. I used the same temp,400, and cooking time 10-15 mins. Plus an extra 2 mins after adding the parm cheese. I occassionally add an extra drizzle of the garlic butter when they are done.
Wow! I knew these were going to be good because who doesn’t love potatoes? But I loved these so much I can’t wait to make them again. I need to get a proper smashing device because I kind of made a mess but the flavors were spot on.
We really enjoyed these potatoes. They were really flavorful and lighter than I expected they would be. I tossed them into boiling water as I prepped dinner (3 separate dinners bc, well, kids) and put them into the oven right as I put steaks on the grill. Fab. The instructions were spot on.
This recipe was amazing and very tasty! I will say the broiler burned my garlic mixture. Follow the instructions but only broil for probably about 2min. I ruined my cookie sheet but those potatoes were still amazing!
I didn’t have Parmesan cheese so I used butter, garlic powder, salt, white pepper and dried rosemary. Delish 😋. This recipe is so easy to make and doesn’t require deep frying. Yay!
Do you peel the potatoes or leave the skins on? I find that they get too mashed when I tried the recipe without the skins on. They are delicious anyway.
Made per recipe specs. Everyone loved them. My sone was grabbing and popping in his mouth each time he walked by – funny. Everyone wanted more parm, so will probably add more next time. I added chopped up spring onion and green pepper on mine with some ranch dressing. These will be on regular rotation in our house. Thanks for the recipe.
I made these tonight. My mother-in-law that is visiting got seconds and said it was the best dinner she’d had in awhile! Awesome compliment! I did save some time by buying the little potatoes that come in the steamable bags. Still turned out great. Thank you!
Made this tonight for dinner, I used a whole stick of butter with Italian seasoning, chives, added some bacon and shredded parmesan cheese. It was soon good
I have never broiled anything above a minute and a half without it starting to burn and setting off all the smoke alarms. Is that just my crazy oven? Might they still be crispy if I baked them at a high heat instead of broiling? Don’t want to ruin them 🙁
OH wow! I am not sure! I have never heard of that. It could be your oven or it may just need to be cleaned if there is a cleaning feature. Hope that it can be fixed soon.
I agree! The broil setting on my oven is HOT like 500F hot. Just set your oven to 400 to cook them and then do a couple min broil at the end to make them crispy.
I’ve been never heard of cooking something on broil for very long. ?
Do you have your oven door cracked open? The first stop on the oven is broil mode. Broiling just keeps getting hotter, it doesn’t keep the oven at a certain temp so food will burn quicker, therefore the need to keep it cracked open. Hope thats all it is. Mine used to burn quickly too. My current oven has a broil HI and LO so I can broil things longer without burning because I tend to look away when I shouldn’t
Why would it be a huge no-no to crack the oven door while broiling? I’ve never heard of NOT cracking it. My oven is 5 years old. Is that ancient? LOL. Call me old fashioned (I’m 67) but I’ve been cooking since I was 15 and I know what works and what doesn’t. Shutting the door is asking for trouble methinks.
I have to disagree. Our stove is two weeks old. Frigidaire true convection/ air fry oven.
It’s manual states open door broiling (first open position) is allowed.
Maybe different for different manufacturers?
YMMV 🙂
Karina
Great recipe , you have taken me outside of the box, boiled baked, or mashed.
They are a new favourite
Thanks again for sharing your expertise
Regards
Charles Cook
These are absolutely delicious, great recipe! I’ve made them multiple times, but using the air fryer. I used the same temp,400, and cooking time 10-15 mins. Plus an extra 2 mins after adding the parm cheese. I occassionally add an extra drizzle of the garlic butter when they are done.
Do you still need to boil them 1st when you use an air fryer?
These are so incredible. Also, that tactile feedback when you smash the potatoes is so rewarding. Haha! Thank you for the recipe!
Wow! I knew these were going to be good because who doesn’t love potatoes? But I loved these so much I can’t wait to make them again. I need to get a proper smashing device because I kind of made a mess but the flavors were spot on.
We really enjoyed these potatoes. They were really flavorful and lighter than I expected they would be. I tossed them into boiling water as I prepped dinner (3 separate dinners bc, well, kids) and put them into the oven right as I put steaks on the grill. Fab. The instructions were spot on.
*spoiled kids.
This recipe was amazing and very tasty! I will say the broiler burned my garlic mixture. Follow the instructions but only broil for probably about 2min. I ruined my cookie sheet but those potatoes were still amazing!
I didn’t have Parmesan cheese so I used butter, garlic powder, salt, white pepper and dried rosemary. Delish 😋. This recipe is so easy to make and doesn’t require deep frying. Yay!
Do you peel the potatoes or leave the skins on? I find that they get too mashed when I tried the recipe without the skins on. They are delicious anyway.
Made per recipe specs. Everyone loved them. My sone was grabbing and popping in his mouth each time he walked by – funny. Everyone wanted more parm, so will probably add more next time. I added chopped up spring onion and green pepper on mine with some ranch dressing. These will be on regular rotation in our house. Thanks for the recipe.
I made these tonight. My mother-in-law that is visiting got seconds and said it was the best dinner she’d had in awhile! Awesome compliment! I did save some time by buying the little potatoes that come in the steamable bags. Still turned out great. Thank you!
YAY! Way to go with the mother in law! I am so glad she loved it too! XO
You are amazing, because this dish to, will be on our table Sunday. I love your rescipes. Thanks!
Made this tonight for dinner, I used a whole stick of butter with Italian seasoning, chives, added some bacon and shredded parmesan cheese. It was soon good
I have never broiled anything above a minute and a half without it starting to burn and setting off all the smoke alarms. Is that just my crazy oven? Might they still be crispy if I baked them at a high heat instead of broiling? Don’t want to ruin them 🙁
OH wow! I am not sure! I have never heard of that. It could be your oven or it may just need to be cleaned if there is a cleaning feature. Hope that it can be fixed soon.
I agree! The broil setting on my oven is HOT like 500F hot. Just set your oven to 400 to cook them and then do a couple min broil at the end to make them crispy.
I’ve been never heard of cooking something on broil for very long. ?
Do you have your oven door cracked open? The first stop on the oven is broil mode. Broiling just keeps getting hotter, it doesn’t keep the oven at a certain temp so food will burn quicker, therefore the need to keep it cracked open. Hope thats all it is. Mine used to burn quickly too. My current oven has a broil HI and LO so I can broil things longer without burning because I tend to look away when I shouldn’t
OMG, read your manual for the oven. Unless the oven is ancient, do not crack the oven door.
Huge no no
Why would it be a huge no-no to crack the oven door while broiling? I’ve never heard of NOT cracking it. My oven is 5 years old. Is that ancient? LOL. Call me old fashioned (I’m 67) but I’ve been cooking since I was 15 and I know what works and what doesn’t. Shutting the door is asking for trouble methinks.
You need to shut the oven door on modern ovens. I’m 76 and come from a generation who were told to leave the door open – a no, no now.
I have to disagree. Our stove is two weeks old. Frigidaire true convection/ air fry oven.
It’s manual states open door broiling (first open position) is allowed.
Maybe different for different manufacturers?
YMMV 🙂
Karina
Great recipe , you have taken me outside of the box, boiled baked, or mashed.
They are a new favourite
Thanks again for sharing your expertise
Regards
Charles Cook