Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Vegan & Gluten Free)

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These smashed potatoes bake up to crispy, golden perfection! You’re going to adore this smashed potatoes recipe. Find tons of topping ideas inside the post!

Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 14, 2024

Would you just look at those crisp, golden potatoes? Tell me you don’t want to eat them straight off the pan. Yeah, I know you do. I do, too. These crispy smashed potatoes are at their absolute best hot and fresh, so right off the pan is genuinely the finest way to serve them.

Smashed potatoes are a blast for brunch or dinner. They’re also ideal any time a craving for crispy potatoes strikes, but you’d like something a touch more redeeming than French fries. They’re wonderful alongside hearty salads, too, when salad-for-dinner feels a little too austere.

These smashed potatoes are a playful way to use up that bag of potatoes lingering in your pantry. They’re gluten free and vegan, too, so everyone at the table can enjoy them.

Smashed potatoes aren’t the fastest potato option around (you’ll boil them until tender, then smash and bake), but they’re not difficult at all. Will you try them this weekend?

How to Make the Best Smashed Potatoes

Choose small potatoes over large ones. You can use this technique on any size potato (even Russets!), but for maximum crispiness, pick potatoes roughly the size of a golf ball or two.

Smaller potatoes usually come in red or yellow varieties. Both are delicious, but the red skins pack more flavor, so the reds were my personal favorite.

Use a large baking sheet. In my dream world, everyone owns a half-sheet pan (affiliate link), because that’s what us recipe testers are always baking on. You need a roomy baking surface to fit all the potatoes with a little breathing room around each one. If necessary, use two pans.

Brush the baking sheet with olive oil. I usually reach for parchment paper for its non-stick ease and clean-up factor, but baking the potatoes directly against an oiled sheet makes them even crispier. Worth the extra scrubbing, if you ask me.

Add a little garlic and onion powder. These are my secret weapons with potatoes. They lend a subtle savory note that pushes the potatoes right over the top! They’re especially brilliant when baking, since raw garlic risks burning in the oven (and burnt garlic is the worst flavor imaginable).

Watch How to Make Smashed Potatoes

Smashed Potato Topping Suggestions

I was surprised to find I liked my crispy potatoes best when baked without cheese. You could always shower them with cheese after baking, though—grated Parmesan, crumbled feta, or goat cheese would all be lovely.

Creamy or herbed sauces contrast beautifully with these golden, craggy potatoes. Here are some ideas:

Craving more potatoes? Here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Please let me know how your smashed potatoes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Vegan & Gluten Free)

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These smashed potatoes bake up to crispy perfection! You’re going to love this smashed potatoes recipe, which happens to be both vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 side servings.

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

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