These smashed potatoes are the perfect side to any shared meal – buttery, herby, crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside; everyone’s happy, no matter their potato preference!
These smashed potatoes came about when I was figuring out the best time to add fresh herbs to roasted potatoes; too soon and you end up with overcooked green sludge, too late and the herbs taste raw.
But added in the last 10 minutes of cooking, along with some chilli and lemon zest, you end up with bright, herby flavours.
These aren’t the quickest potatoes out there to make, I’ll grant you. But they are so worth the extra time. And butter. Tossed through with your favourite fresh herbs and then topped with feta, it’s hard to not pick at them straight from the pan!
What are Smashed Potatoes?
Smashed potatoes, if you haven’t come across them, are just that: smashed, double-cooked potatoes.
Boiled until just tender, small potatoes are then lightly smashed and roasted so that they have knobbly ridges all over, allowing the edges to crisp up perfectly in the oven while the middle steams to fluffy goodness.
Couple that with a heap of fresh herbs and creamy feta, you’ve got a side that might just outshine the main meal.
Smashed Potatoes Ingredients
Potatoes. Choose small potatoes for this recipe. They’re often called new potatoes or salad potatoes, but any small potato suitable for roasting works well. Just remember: smaller potatoes = crispier smashed potatoes; bigger potatoes = fluffier smashed potatoes.
Butter. For this recipe, I find butter leaves a better flavour and complements the other ingredients more than straight up olive oil. A touch of oil helps keep the butter from burning, but let’s face it, butter is the star here, and the glue to make the herbs stick to the potatoes.
Herbs. You’ll need ½ cup of herbs. But the combo of herbs is very much each to their own. Or you know, whatever herbs you have in your fridge that need using up. My favourite combo of herbs for smashed potatoes is basil, chives, dill and mint. But a rosemary, sage and thyme combo is a close second. Scallions are also a good add-in.
Chilli. The chilli is optional. But it does round out the overall flavour. And because it’s cooked along with the herbs, its heat mellows out a little so maybe give it a try. Or if you prefer a lot of spice, add a second chilli.
Lemon zest. Coupled with the salty feta, the lemon zest cuts through the rich butter and adds some brightness to the smashed potatoes.
Feta. The finishing touch or the pièce de resistance; your call. You can omit the feta if you wish, but the added salty creaminess adds a little something special. And if, by some miracle, you have any smashed potatoes leftover, the feta helps turn them into a perfect scramble the next morning.
How to Make Smashed Potatoes
Boil. The potatoes need to be soft so you can smash them, so they need to be boiled in salted water first.
Smash. Preheat a cast iron skillet or an oven-proof dish and let the butter melt. Add the oil and the boiled potatoes, and then using a potato masher or bottom of a glass or measuring cup, gently smash the potatoes to flatten them lightly so that their skins burst but enough for them to become mash. We’re looking for enough knobbly ridges on the surface to crisp up in oven.
Bake. Gently move the potatoes about so they’re covered in butter and bake, giving them a shake every now and then so they crisp up evenly all over. Stir in the fresh herbs, chilli and lemon zest in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Top. Remove from the oven and scatter the feta all over. Give everything one last stir so that the feta starts to melt a little and serve immediately while still hot and crispy.
What to Eat with Smashed Potatoes
Potatoes go with most mains, and these Smashed Potatoes with Herbs and Feta are no exception.
Serve them alongside some salmon and greens, like asparagus or broccolini, a simple roast chicken, or with a steak in place of fries. They’re also fantastic as part of a festive spread.
If you have any leftovers, mix them up with some beaten eggs, extra feta if you have it, and scramble it for a quick breakfast hash.
Please let me know how your smashed potatoes turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Looking for More Sides? Try These:
Smashed Potatoes with Herbs and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 kg small potatoes, unpeeled but cleaned
- 50 g salted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup mixed fresh herbs*
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 long red chilli
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 60 g feta
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender (medium potatoes may need longer). Tip into a colander to drain and set aside to steam dry for a few minutes.1 kg small potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- While the potatoes are steam drying, add the butter and oil to a cast iron skillet or oven-proof dish and place it in the oven to melt the butter.50 g salted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- When the butter is melted, remove the skillet from the oven and tip in the potatoes. Using a potato masher, or the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, gently smash the potatoes – enough to burst the skin and create knobbly ridges, but not hard enough to mash the potatoes.
- Gently move the potatoes about so they’re covered in butter and bake for 25-30 minutes, giving them a shake every now and then, until golden and crispy all over.
- While the potatoes are baking, gather and finely chop the herbs. To the herbs add the garlic and chilli and chop through everything again. Zest over the lemon rind and set aside.½ cup mixed fresh herbs*, 2 garlic cloves, 1 long red chilli, Zest from 1 lemon
- In the last 10 minutes of baking, gently stir in the herbs, garlic, chilli and lemon zest to the potatoes.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with feta.60 g feta
