Smashed and Fried Potatoes Recipe (2024)

Recipe from Susan Spungen

Adapted by Amanda Hesser

Smashed and Fried Potatoes Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 45 minutes
Rating
4(1,304)
Notes
Read community notes

As enjoyable as pounding the lights out of an innocent garlic clove or olive may be, probably the most satisfying flat food to prepare are these smashed and fried potatoes from Susan Spungen, which draw in part from a technique used to make tostones. You steam baby potatoes until they’re just tender, let them cool enough to be handled, then press them between your palms until they flatten a bit and you hear their skins begin to snap. Next, you heat up some oil in a skillet and fry the potatoes until they’re nice and brown on their flat sides. Each potato is then crisp and caramelized but still moist inside. —Amanda Hesser

Featured in: The Way We Eat; Low Food

Learn: How to Cook Potatoes

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 2pounds small potatoes (about 20), like Yukon gold
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt
  • Olive oil
  • Coarse sea salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

319 calories; 23 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 3 grams protein; 405 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Smashed and Fried Potatoes Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Place a steamer basket in a large pot filled with an inch of water and add the potatoes and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Steam until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 25 minutes. (Don't overcook: they won't hold together when flattened.) Remove the basket and let the potatoes cool enough to be handled.

  2. Gently squeeze the potatoes, one at a time, between your palms so that they flatten slightly but remain in one piece (some will break, but they can still be used). Pour ¼ inch of oil into a medium frying pan set over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in batches to avoid crowding, and fry on both sides until crisp and browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with sea salt.

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Beverly Miller

I tried this and decided my usual way is better: cut red or yukon gold potatoes into large chunks--3/4 to 1 inch. Heat a cast-iron pan with olive oil or butter--just enough to coat the potatoes. Toss in the potatoes, turn them to coat on both sides, and salt and pepper them. Put in an oven preheated to 375 degrees; after a half-hour, turn the potatoes. After another half-hour, give or take, the exterior is crusty and the interior creamy. Less muss and fuss; same outcome.

Sam

A lower-in-fat version: steam or boil small new potatoes until soft. Cool slightly. Smash gently (using a flat-bottomed glass or mug) on a foil-covered, rimmed baking sheet that has been sprayed with PAM or brushed with olive oil. Then spray or brush tops of smashed potatoes. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Remove tray from oven, flip potatoes, bake 15 minutes more. I then like to drizzle with a little more olive oil, kosher salt, and chopped fresh garlic and parsley. Delish.

Tim S

Instead of a steamer, place potatoes in a freezer bag or lidded dish and microwave on high until soft. About five minutes.

Paul Bruno

This technique can be done with any starchy fruit or vegetable. Plantains are classic and are sprinkled with salt and chili powder and dressed with a tiny bit of lime juice.
There's no reason you couldn't try this with other root vegetables or winter squash and a variety of seasonings.
One tip for seasoning and de-oiling is to shake the finished product gently in a brown paper bag with your seasoning ingredients.

Paul Bruno

That's a great way to make fried potatoes but this recipe is for Tostones which is a popular street food in Central and South America and is nothing like American fried potatoes.

Gavin

A faster way to handle the potatoes post-steam (and one that doesn't require waiting for them to cool before handling) is to place them all on a clean cookie sheet in an even layer and then press them all down at the same time with another cookie sheet. This process will miss some of the smaller ones, but remove the larger ones and go back for a second pass if necessary. Even if you have to do it twice, it's still faster.

ted

I use a melon baller, put the potato balls in a baking dish, cover with butter, salt and bake at 400 till crispy all over...move em around once

Bill Hettig

This recipe is trending. I have succeeded by microwaving for 6 minutes in a bowl with plastic wrap, then using a glass bottom to lightly bust, and then toss in butter. Bake in hot oven (425º) for 20-25 minutes until crusty. I found extra flavor in the baby blue varieties. Sometimes instead of salt, roast then spritz with soy sauce to get that butter-soy sauce umami punch. I've been making these for the past couple years with great success and great shared results.

risa

I make this, but different simple technique.400 preheated oven.Place potatoes on baking sheet.Lightly coat w/canola oil and seasoning of your choice. I use salt pepperRoast for 15 min.Remove from oven take a rubber mallet fromhardware store-have one that’s exclusive for kitchen,flatten the potatoes with malletAdd small amount of oil and place back in oven for 10 minutes.It’s amazing! I add garlic cloves with skin on or slices of onion. *mallet is great for chicken paillard

Larry

Instead of pan fry apply olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt and grill until brown on both sides

henry

Cut some sweet potatoes into half inch rounds. I leave the skin on. Boil until semi-tender. Flatten with a dishtowel. Fry rounds in butter with thyme. Flip when charred on bottom. Sprinkle top with fresh thyme, red chile flakes, and drizzle with honey.

Sara Bonisteel

Made these for Easter. Very easy, but definitely start the 25 minute count after the water comes to a boil.

Tom

It's not necessary to steam the potatoes before hand. I cooked in cast iron with clarified butter. The key is to weigh them down (luckily for me, my dutch oven fit perfectly inside the pan I was using).

(This is how I say Francis Mallmann make this dish on TV somewhere)

MCVK

Plátanos are NEVER sprinkled with chili powder. At least they're not in Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras. What country does this, do you know? Sounds like an Americanization to me.

Dan G.

I've seen Platanos and Tostones sprinkled with a bunch of things over the years. The Chili powder is something I've seen in mexico a few times, as well as in Peru.

Laura

Made this using one large Yukon gold, nuked for 3 minutes, smashed it then cooked in cast iron skillet with olive oil till it was crunchy on both sides. I have to say it was fantastic!

Wendy

Once smashed, I toss them in olive oil with salt, pepper, rosemary and slivered garlic cloves and then roast them at 425 for 45 minutes or until ready (depends on size of potatoes), and how crispy/charred you like them. Delicious.

Sonia

This also works with an air fryer instead of skillet or oven. After smashing, spray with olive oil. Alternately, you can coat smashed potatoes with chimichurri.

Jay N

Great to do this on a Blackstone!

Sally

After the potatoes are cooked (boiled is fine, microwaved is fine -- keep it simple!), heat the frying oil, smash the potatoes right in the frying pan with the back of the spatula.

Ellen Cassilly

These notes are for a different recipe.

SCA

This was really great fried in duck fat. I really doubted whether I’d like a dish cooked so simply, but found myself going back for more and more!

add meat

A shave of fresh parm on these potatoes when done in the oven is nice.

bebe

I do this in the oven instead of frying and add rosemary and tons of coarse salt!

grace d

Used a cast iron to fry the smashed potatoes and they came out so good!!!

Diana

Great recipe, and tasty. But "Tostones" refers to green bananas that are sliced, fried a little, smushed and then fried again, and salted, vs "Maduros" really ripe bananas (skins are black) which are sweet, so they are not salted.At least, these are the way we think of Tostones in my native Cuba.

Kurt

- Alt: Micro v. steam in lidded pot ~5 min. Smash when cool- Alt: Bake v. Fry on sheet pan, 425 deg, 15 min, flip for 15 more

Warren A

superb

Patricia

I made 3 pounds of baby potatoes by steaming them baking on a sheet pan with ghee at 425. Switched to convection after turning. Came out great!

Antal

I tried this but put a mix of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar while steaming and it was delicious

Private notes are only visible to you.

Smashed and Fried Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my smashed potatoes falling apart? ›

Smashed potatoes will fall apart if they are overcooked or if you try to mash them while they are still hot. Long story short - cook the potatoes until al dente (slightly firm). Don't overcook the potatoes! Last - cool the potatoes completely before smashing them.

What is the difference between mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes? ›

While some people might use the terms smash and mash interchangeably, they are not the same. 'Smash' is when you merely break something into pieces. However, "mash" means you reduce a food to a soft, pulpy mass. Therefore, making smashed potatoes and mashed potatoes requires two different processes.

Why are fried potatoes not crispy? ›

This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.

How to make smashed potatoes Gordon Ramsay? ›

Gordon Ramsay begins by boiling the potatoes in salted water. Next, he drains the potatoes. After that, he stirs in butter, sour cream, herbs, and seasoning. This is Gordon Ramsay's version of smashed potatoes, which differs from the one in this recipe.

How do you thicken smashed potatoes? ›

Option 1: Turn up the heat on your stovetop to draw out the moisture. Option 2: Add a teaspoon of a thickening agent like cornstarch, flour or powdered milk until you reach the desired thickness. Option 3: Mix in 1 tablespoon of dehydrated potatoes until mashed potatoes are thicker.

How do you make potatoes not fall apart? ›

Most often, then, the solution to evenly cooked potatoes is cooking them twice: First, boil, steam, or steam-roast (a fancy term for cooking them with water in the oven) until they're mostly tender but not fall-apart finished. Second, brown the outsides and finish cooking the interiors on the stovetop or in the oven.

Why are my potatoes not going crispy? ›

If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit. Just as overcrowding bacon or mushrooms in a saucepan causes disappointingly mushy results, placing potatoes too close to each other on a baking sheet will prevent them from crisping while they roast.

Should you boil potatoes before frying? ›

There are lots of recipes that call for par-boiling the potatoes first to reduce the amount of cooking time, but it's an extra step and an extra pan to wash. If you cook the potatoes over medium heat and keep them covered for most of the cooking time, the lid traps in steam, which helps cook the potatoes through.

What happens if you don't soak potatoes before frying? ›

The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.

What is the recipe for Rachael Ray's smashed potatoes? ›

directions
  1. Boil potatoes until tender, 15 minutes. ...
  2. When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit.
  3. Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher.
  4. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes.
  5. Add chives or scallions.

Why do chefs soak potatoes in water? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

How do you Smash potatoes without a smasher? ›

Forks: Take two sturdy forks and insert them into the potato chunks. Use a crosswise motion to mash the potatoes, breaking them apart into smaller pieces. Continue until you achieve the desired consistency.

Why are my potatoes falling apart? ›

If your potatoes have been growing in very dry soil, the potatoes themselves will have a fairly low moisture content when harvested. What this then means is that when the potatoes are build they absorb more water and fall to pieces quite quickly.

Why are my mashed potatoes falling apart? ›

More on that in this potato primer, but for our purposes here's what you need to know: Floury potatoes (like russets or Idahos) have a higher starch content and are more likely to fall apart when boiled.

How do you keep potatoes from crumbling? ›

  1. Cut potatoes into ~1/2 inch cubes.
  2. Parboil in salted water with like half a tsp of baking soda, 5 minutes. ( ...
  3. Let air dry for 5ish minutes.
  4. Heat pan over medium-medium high , add oil (little more than you think you'll need), add potatoes and toss to coat in the oil.
  5. Leave on the first side for a couple minutes then toss.
Apr 13, 2023

What causes potatoes to disintegrate? ›

If potatoes are produced during a very dry growing season, they will tend to have a higher than normal solid content and less moisture. When these are cooked, they absorb more water than usual and, as a result, fall apart at the end of cooking.

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