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Smashed Sweet Potatoes with garlic butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan are crispy and golden on the outside, yet soft and naturally sweet on the inside. It’s a simple twist that transforms humble sweet potatoes into an irresistible side dish.
Forget plain mashed potatoes: these garlic butter sweet potatoes are here to steal the spotlight. With tender centers, crunchy edges, and rich garlicky flavor, they pair beautifully with Creamy Tuscan Chicken, garlic herb roast chicken, or even a holiday garlic roast turkey. This is the garlic sweet potatoes recipe you’ll be making again and again.
What Makes This Recipe Work
These Smashed Sweet Potatoes are all about texture and flavor: crispy edges, buttery garlic notes, and soft, sweet centers that melt in your mouth. The simple process of smashing and roasting brings out the natural sweetness, while Parmesan takes them over the top.
If you’ve been looking for the perfect garlic sweet potatoes recipe, this one’s it. The combination of butter, garlic, and Parmesan turns basic sweet potatoes with garlic into an elegant, crowd-pleasing side dish you’ll want to serve at every gathering.
What Goes Into Smashed Sweet Potatoes
YouYou don’t need much to make these Smashed Sweet Potatoes shine. With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can transform sweet potatoes into a garlicky, buttery, and crispy side dish that everyone will love:
- Sweet Potatoes: The star of this recipe—naturally sweet, hearty, and perfect for smashing into crispy-edged bites.
- Butter: Melted butter coats each potato, creating rich flavor and helping the edges crisp in the oven.
- Garlic: Freshly crushed garlic infuses the butter, giving you that signature garlicky kick in every bite.
- Parmesan Cheese: A light sprinkle of Parmesan melts into a golden, savory crust on top of the potatoes.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- Prep the Oven and Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to high broil (or grill) and trim the ends from each sweet potato. Cut them into quarters, or about 1 ½-inch pieces, so they cook evenly.
- Cook Until Tender: Place the sweet potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil for 20–25 minutes, or roast them for 25–30 minutes. They should be fork-tender, then allowed to cool before handling.
- Smash the Potatoes: Lightly grease a large baking sheet and arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer. Use a fork to gently press down on each one until slightly flattened without breaking apart.
- Make the Garlic Butter: In a small bowl, mix melted butter with crushed garlic and chopped parsley. Drizzle the mixture evenly over the smashed potatoes, then season with salt, pepper, and a light spray of olive oil.
- Crisp and Melt: Place the tray under the broiler for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and crispy. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and return to the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from the oven and garnish with extra parsley and a touch more salt if needed. Serve the Smashed Sweet Potatoes hot, with their crisp edges and soft, sweet centers.
These Smashed Sweet Potatoes pair beautifully with Greek Lamb Souvlaki with Garlic Yogurt Dip. The smoky, charred lamb and cool yogurt sauce contrast perfectly with the sweet, garlicky potatoes.
For something different, serve them with Creamy Spinach Stuffed Salmon in Garlic Butter or a hearty Slow Cooker Beef Ragu. Both bring richness and depth that balance the crispy, buttery potatoes for a truly satisfying meal.
Recipe FAQ’s
No, the skin helps hold the shape together and crisps up beautifully. Just make sure to scrub them clean before cooking.
Use a fork or the bottom of a glass and press gently until slightly flattened. The goal is to create surface area for crisping, not to mash them completely.
Make sure your baking sheet is well greased with oil spray. Let the potatoes cool slightly before smashing so they don’t fall apart.
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Garlic Butter Smashed Sweet Potatoes With Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes:
- 4 medium sized sweet potatoes or 3 large sweet potatoes
- 1 spray olive oil light spray
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to broil (or grill) settings to high heat. Trim off the ends of the sweet potatoes. Cut each sweet potato into quarters (or 1 1/2 – inch pieces).
Boil Method:
- Place sweet potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to the boil; cook, covered for 20 -25 minutes or until just fork-tender. Drain well.
Roast Method:
- Bake sweet potato pieces for 25-30 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Allow to cool for about 5 minted, or until you can handle them without burning your hands.
Smash:
- Lightly grease a large baking sheet or tray with cooking oil spray. Arrange sweet potatoes onto the sheet and use a fork to LIGHTLY flatten each piece (they will be soft, so try not to press too hard or they will end up breaking and mashed).
- Mix together the butter, garlic and parsley. Pour the mixture over each sweet potato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly spray with olive oil spray.
- Broil (or grill) until they are golden and crispy (about 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
- Look for long sweet potatoes that are fairly wide in diameter. I found the fatter, the better (larger smashed sweet potato pieces.
- I prefer the boil method first, as they seem to almost caramelise in their own natural sweetness, before baking. But either method works.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Lovely recipes. Enjoyed the sweet potato
What is the serving size for that nutrition info?
Hi! The nutrition is calculated for 1 of 12 slices, hope this helps 🙂
Made these for a quick tea after a long day at work. They were easy to make and really tasty. My husband did the boiling and chopping so they may have been a bit chunky. But the potato masher sorted that. Lovely crispy skins. I could just eat loads but now we are wondering what to serve them with.
Excellent…no cheese for my but really tasted great!!