Crispy Smashed Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic

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This smashed fingerling potato recipe is next level good! These potatoes are crispy, buttery, kissed with garlic, and the crackled edges make them irresistible. They're the perfect side dish that never gets old, and I know you're going to love them as much as I do.

Whether you’re serving them up with grilled steak, roasted chicken, or straight off the pan (I may be speaking from experience here), they’re guaranteed to disappear fast.

Blue rimmed oval platter topped with crispy smashed potatoes garnished with chopped chives along with a white linen and small white bowl of more chives off to the side and a yellow bowl of sour cream on the platter.

What makes these smashed fingerlings extra special? Fingerling potatoes have a thin skin and naturally creamy texture that contrasts perfectly with their crispy, craggly edges once smashed and roasted.

You could stop right there, but I take things one step farther by brushing the potatoes with a garlicky butter while they roast. The result is pure, addictive perfection.

Serve these potatoes with rotisserie chicken and broccoli cheese casserole, and you've got yourself the ultimate comfort food dinner. Or pair them with this spatchcock turkey during the holidays. It's a side dish that can be served during the week or for special occasions. If you're a steak and potatoes person like me, then you'll love them paired with this bacon-wrapped filet mignon.

Ready to make these crispy smashed potatoes? Let's do it!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty Tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Pairing
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Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this crispy potatoes recipe:

fingerling potatoes
olive oil
salted butter
fresh garlic
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
sour cream
fresh chives

(See recipe card for full recipe and quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

Fingerling potatoes in a pot with water to cover.

First, boil the potatoes in salted water to cover (about 1 inch above the potatoes) until a knife can easily pierce them, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and let dry.

Smashing cooked fingerling potatoes with a yellow glass on a rimmed baking sheet.

Then, working one at a time, place a potato on rimmed sheet pan coated with oil or cooking spray. Use the bottom of a glass to smash the potatoes.

Stirring together melted butter and garlic in a white bowl.

Next, stir together the melted butter, olive oil, and garlic. Brush half of the butter mixture on the tops sides of the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Brushing melted garlic butter onto crispy mashed fingerling potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet.

Finally, bake at 425°F for 20 minutes or until browned. Flip and brush with the remaining butter mixture and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are browned and crispy. Sprinkle with chives and serve with sour cream.

Hint: For ultimate crispiness, let the potatoes steam and cool slightly after smashing.

Hint #2: Look for potatoes that are uniform in size so that they cook at the same rate. (If you have some small potatoes mixed in with larger ones, the small guys will get mushy by the time the bigger potatoes are fork tender.)

Substitutions

Need to make some ingredient swaps? I've got you covered! Here are some substitution suggestions:

Fingerling potatoes - Instead of fingerling potatoes, choose another waxy potato like Yukon Golds or red potatoes.
Butter - I'm a fan of salted butter, but use unsalted butter if that's what you have. You may just need to sprinkle a little more salt on the potatoes once they're done.
Chives - If you don't have chives, you can use green onions instead or other fresh herbs you have on hand. Parsley, cilantro, and rosemary are all wonderful options.
Sour cream - Serving with sour cream is totally optional, but I love a good dipping sauce with these potatoes. Another great option is Greek yogurt. Or, the burger sauce from my bacon cheeseburgers recipe, this jalapeño green sauce, and my white barbecue sauce recipe are other great options too!

Variations

There are so many ways to change up this recipe. Check out these simple variations:

Spicy - Add a little kick to these potatoes. Stir a little cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes into the garlic butter.
Smashed Sweet Potatoes - Want a savory-sweet side dish? Small sweet potatoes work great too, and they're particularly delicious when finished with rosemary salt.
Smashed Potato Nachos - Make nachos with a twist! Use the smashed potato as your "chips," top with some shredded Cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon, and top with the sour cream and chives.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this fingerling potatoes recipe:

Dutch oven or large pot
colander
2 rimmed baking sheets
small bowl
microplane grater
pastry brush

Storage

Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Tasty Tip

In order for them to smash well, be sure the potatoes are cooked properly. Boil them until a sharp knife can easily pierce through the centers (but don't overcook them either).

Frequently asked questions

Is there a difference between mashed and smashed potatoes?

There is! Mashed potatoes are made when you cook the potatoes in boiling water, drain them, and mash them into a creamy, smooth mixture with milk and butter.

Smashed potatoes are also boiled, but they're twice-cooked. After boiling them, you smash them until they're flat and cook them again so they have crispy edges.

Why are my smashed potatoes falling apart?

If the potatoes are falling apart when you try to smash them, you may have either overcooked or undercooked them in the boiling water. Or, perhaps you didn't use the right kind of potato. The best potatoes for smashing are waxy potatoes.

Why do I need to flip smashed potatoes?

They'll get super crispy and golden brown if you flip them halfway through during baking.

Can I make smashed potatoes in an air fryer?

You sure can! Depending on the surface area of your air fryer basket, you'll likely have to cook the potatoes in multiple batches. But, since the air fryer basket has holes in the bottom, you won't need to flip the potatoes halfway during cooking.

Why should I salt the water for boiling potatoes?

Salting the water for boiling is the best and easiest way to season the potatoes. They'll be seasoned all the way through and will mean you won't have to use as much salt after they've been smashed.

Can I use a potato masher to smash the potatoes?

You could, depending on the shape of the masher, but I find that the bottom of a glass works the best since it has a smooth, flat surface.

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Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with these smashed potatoes:

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