Crispy Smashed Red Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Herb Butter Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before starting, gather all ingredients and equipment. If roasting garlic from scratch, do that first: preheat the oven to 400°F, cut the top off a garlic head, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 40 minutes until soft.

For the potatoes, you'll need a large pot, a colander, a baking sheet, parchment paper, and a flat-bottomed glass or potato masher. Have the butter, herbs, and seasonings measured and ready. Preheat the oven to 425°F when you begin boiling the potatoes. The entire process takes about 50 minutes, with most of that hands-off roasting time.

Instructions

Boil and Smash

1. 1Boil the potatoes
   Place the baby red potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well and let steam dry for a few minutes.
   Look for A fork slides into a potato with little resistance, but the skin doesn't split.
   Tip Start checking at 12 minutes; smaller potatoes cook faster. Overcooking makes them fall apart when smashed.
2. 2Smash the potatoes
   Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Arrange the drained potatoes on the sheet, leaving space between each. Use the bottom of a glass or a potato masher to gently flatten each potato into a thin, craggy round, about 1/2-inch thick. Try to keep the pieces intact.
   Look for Each potato is flattened but still holds together; edges are rough and craggy.
   Tip For extra crispiness, press firmly but not so hard that the potato breaks into pieces.
3. 3Season and roast
   Brush the smashed potatoes with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with the sea salt flakes and black pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and the surfaces are crackling crisp. Flip halfway through for even browning.
   Look for The potatoes are golden brown, edges are crispy and bubbly, and they release easily from the parchment.
   Tip Don't overcrowd the sheet; too many potatoes steam instead of crisping.

At this point, the potatoes are fork-tender and have been smashed into thin, craggy rounds on the oiled baking sheet. The surfaces are rough, with some edges broken and others intact.

The potatoes should hold together but have plenty of nooks for oil and seasoning. The oven is preheated to 425°F, and the potatoes are seasoned with salt and pepper, ready for roasting.

Roast and Make Butter

4. 4Make the garlic herb butter
   While the potatoes roast, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the mashed roasted garlic and fresh thyme. Cook, stirring, until the butter foams and becomes aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Season with a pinch of salt if desired.
   Look for The butter is melted, foamy, and smells intensely garlicky and herbal.
   Tip Keep the heat moderate to avoid browning the butter; you want a gentle sizzle, not a nutty brown butter.

The potatoes are roasting, and the kitchen smells of garlic and herbs. The butter is melting in a small saucepan, foaming gently as the roasted garlic and thyme infuse it. The potatoes are turning golden brown at the edges, and the surfaces are beginning to crisp. The butter is aromatic and ready to be poured over the finished potatoes.

Finish and Serve

5. 5Coat and serve
   When the potatoes are done, transfer them to a serving platter. Pour the hot garlic herb butter over the top, making sure to coat each potato. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and a few extra thyme leaves. Serve immediately while the potatoes are still sizzling and crisp.
   Look for The butter sizzles on the hot potatoes, and the garlic and herbs are visible on the craggy surfaces.
   Tip For maximum crunch, serve right away; the butter will soften the crispness if left to sit.

The potatoes are out of the oven, golden and crispy. The garlic herb butter is hot and foamy, poured over the potatoes with a satisfying sizzle. The potatoes are garnished with flaky sea salt and fresh thyme, and they're ready to be served immediately. The contrast of crunchy edges and creamy centers is at its peak.

Common mistakes

A common mistake is boiling the potatoes until they are too soft, which causes them to fall apart when smashed. Aim for fork-tender but still intact. Another pitfall is not drying the potatoes thoroughly after draining; excess moisture leads to steaming instead of crisping.

Be sure to let them steam dry for a few minutes. Also, avoid overcrowding the baking sheet—if the potatoes are too close together, they'll trap moisture and won't get crunchy. Finally, don't skip the flip halfway through; it ensures even browning.

How to tell it’s done

The potatoes are done when they are deeply golden brown on the edges and the surfaces are crackling crisp. To test, lift one with a spatula—it should release easily from the parchment and feel firm and crunchy. The interior should be soft and fluffy.

If you're unsure, break one open; the inside should be steaming and tender. There are no raw proteins in this recipe, so no internal temperature check is needed. The garlic butter is ready when it's melted, foamy, and fragrant, but not browned.