Quick and Easy Smashed Red Potatoes: A Comfy Side Without the Fuss

Pohhh-tayyy-toesssss. What is it about potatoes that just says, “I am the perfect food for you to eat all day every day”? I really can’t put my finger on it, but I’m pretty sure I’d be okay with eating potatoes 3 meals a day for at least a few days in a row.

Top down view of a batch of small red potatoes in a cast iron skillet.

Recently, smashed potatoes are quite a hit. You can find a new recipe for them any day of the week. But, I’m pretty lazy and kind of snub my nose at any recipe that requires cooking in a pan first, then in the oven later.

I mean, can’t we just get it all done with one cooking method?

A glass mixing bowl full of small red potatoes sitting on a rustic wooden surface.

Most smashed potatoes require boiling the potatoes first and then sticking them in the oven to crisp. Aside from using two cooking methods, this also requires that I turn my oven on in the heat of summer… which is not ideal.

So what did I do? I simplified.

A small glass bowl with olive oil, minced shallot, fresh rosemary, and Dijon mustard

First, we start by boiling the whole baby red potatoes. You can buy giant ones, but I don’t recommend it. Babies cook quicker, smash better, fit in the pan better… You get it. Get small ones.

Anyway, you boil them, then drain. Then you toss them with the above delicious olive oil-mustard-shallot mixture and put them back into the pan you boiled them in.

Then you smash them. This part is kind of fun, but don’t go too gung ho on ’em.

Top down view of a batch of red potatoes with olive oil and herb mixture on top in a cast iron pan

Finally, you put that there pot right back on the stove and brown them in the pot. Flip each one over and brown the other side, and you’re a winner.

So quick and easy!

Oblique view of a batch of red potatoes in a cast iron pan with olive oil, minced shallots, and fresh rosemary spread on top.

Note: Just for the photos, I put these in a cast iron skillet so that you could see them. I normally make them in the same stock pot I boiled them in, and it’s perfect!

You’re probably wondering if they taste exactly like the boiled-then-baked kind. Well, no. They don’t. They’re not the exact same, but they’re pretty darn close.

A human hand uses a clear glass to smash red potatoes inside of a cast iron pan.

And the ways they are different actually make them even better in their own way. All in one potato you get the crispy skin but plenty of mushy potato insides that you love.

Oblique view of "cheater" smashed red potatoes in a cast iron skillet on a rustic wooden table top

And can we talk about the dijon dressing? it’s not really a dressing because they are cooked in it but IT IS SO GOOD. I made these babies twice and each time I was just impressed with how much a little bit of dijon and rosemary can elevate a dish.

Close up of a cast iron pan showing only half a side loaded with smashed red potatoes with olive oil, minced shallot, and fresh rosemary seasoning.

If you are doing a smaller celebration for the holdiays, definitely give these a go. Due to their in-pot nature you can’t really make a huge batch at one time unless you use multiple pots or a really, really large pot.

If you do that, please send me photos.

Slightly oblique view of a prepared smashed red potato recipe in a cast iron pan on a rustic wooden surface.

But these really are perfect for a smaller celebration, or any time you want to have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes and make people think you spent twice that much. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

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A close up of a batch of smashed red potatoes in cast iron frying pan.

Cheater Smashed Red Potatoes


  • Author: Raquel Smith
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3 servings 1x

Description

This delicious recipe for Cheater Smashed Red Potatoes is the easy, one-pot, no-bake way to make smashed potatoes.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 lb small red potatoes (about 15)
  • 1 Tbsp minced shallot
  • 1 Tbsp minced rosemary
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp dijon mustard

Instructions

  1. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of a large pot. Don’t cram them – give them some room to breathe.
  2. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by about a half inch of water, then bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, until they are easily pierced by a fork but are not falling apart. Drain.
  3. While the potatoes boil, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
  4. Place the potatoes back into the pot, then add the dijon mixture. Toss to cover the potatoes.
  5. Use the bottom of a pint glass or other flat object to gently smash the potatoes until they burst.
  6. Place the pot back over the heat and cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned and crispy. Use a fork or spoon to turn the potatoes over one-by-one, then cook for another few minutes to brown that side.
  7. Remove from the heat and serve immediately!

Notes

– Just for the photos, I put these in a cast iron skillet so that you could see them. I normally make them in the same pot I boiled them in, and it’s perfect!

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Comfort Food

Keywords: smashed, red potatoes, cheater, easy, side dish

If you love your potatoes, then try out some of these tasty recipes:

Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on July 2nd, 2015. Last updated: May 19, 2020 at 18:02 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Raquel Smith

Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).

6 thoughts on “Quick and Easy Smashed Red Potatoes: A Comfy Side Without the Fuss”

    • Thanks, Madonna! The cast iron skillet does make them a bit more crispy, but they turn out wonderful even if cooked in the pot you boiled them in. Let me know how you like them!

      Reply
  1. I made oven smashed potatoes once. I over smashed :(. lol. It actually was pretty frustrating in the end, as it was a lot of work for what I thought was a pretty mediocre result. Your smashed potatoes though look spot-on! And sooo much simpler and easier than the ones I had made. Wish I had your recipe instead of the other one back then 😉

    Reply
    • What a bummer! Give these a try. Even if you end up not liking them (impossible!) they only take 30 minutes and are super easy 🙂

      Reply
  2. This is SO easy and comes out delicious! I was short on time and subbed with just a little Christopher Ranch jarred garlic with the olive oil, but it still came out wonderful. Can’t wait to try it again with the full olive oil recipe =)

    Reply
    • I glad you liked it, Hermford! 🙂 Thanks for trying one of my recipes! I hope things are going well down in Santa Maria!

      Reply

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