Crispy smashed potatoes with garlic-chili sauce and creamy homemade mayonnaise are pure comfort with a kick. I first made them on a chilly evening when I craved something warm and bold, and the combination instantly won me over. Ever since, they’ve been my go-to for cozy nights or sharing with friends.
A simple smash turns the baby potatoes into deliciously crispy bites, cooked to perfection with butter in a hot skillet, then served with flavorful garlic sauce and homemade mayonnaise. These crispy smashed potatoes have a golden, crunchy outside that pairs wonderfully with a fluffy inside, creating a texture you'll crave over and over.
What makes this skillet dish truly special is its ability to elevate simple ingredients into a gourmet experience. The process of boiling, smashing, and then crisping the potatoes transforms them into irresistible crispy smashed potatoes with a contrast between the crunchy exterior and the soft, pillowy interior.
The garlic-chili sauce adds a kick of spice and depth, while the homemade mayonnaise brings a creamy richness that ties everything together. It's a skillet-made symphony of flavors and textures that never fails to impress.
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⭐Why You'll Love This Crispy Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Here are a few reasons to fall in love with this recipe:
- Made with everyday ingredients: Just simple things from the pantry, but they come together to make something that feels extra special.
- Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside: That crunch when you bite in, followed by the fluffy center, it’s the best kind of combo.
- Big flavor in every bite: First, the garlic-chili sauce brings the heat; then, the creamy mayo cools it down. Together, they create pure magic.
- Great with anything or on its own: Serve it next to dinner, or just enjoy a plateful as a cozy snack.
- Fun to make, even better to eat: Smashing the potatoes and then watching them crisp up in the skillet is, strangely enough, incredibly satisfying; moreover, the taste makes every step completely worth it.
🧾Crispy Smashed Potatoes Ingredients
Here is a list of everything you need:
For Smashed Potatoes:
- Potatoes: I love using baby potatoes for their tender texture and quick cooking time. They crisp up beautifully while remaining fluffy inside.
- Salt: Seasoning the boiling water generously ensures the potatoes are flavorful from the inside out.
- Butter: Melting butter in the pan adds a rich, savory flavor and helps achieve that golden, crispy crust on the potatoes.
Garlic-Chili Sauce:
- Garlic Cloves: I always reach for fresh garlic here, it brings that bold, aromatic depth that really makes the sauce shine, especially with the spicy elements.
- Parsley: I like to add a handful of fresh parsley because it brings a clean, herby lift that balances the heat and rounds everything out.
- Chili Pepper, Chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Paprika, and Black Pepper: This is my favorite combo of spices for sauces like this. The fresh chili gives it a good kick, while the chili powder and paprika add warmth and sweetness. The cumin brings that earthy note I love, and a bit of black pepper ties it all together. I usually adjust the chili depending on who I’m serving, it can go from mild to fiery in a flash!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I use a good-quality olive oil because it adds richness and helps all the flavors come together into a smooth, velvety sauce.
- Vinegar: Just a splash of vinegar brings everything to life. It cuts through the richness and gives the sauce that bright, tangy finish I look for.
For Mayonnaise:
- Milk: I use milk as the base because it helps create that smooth, creamy texture I love in homemade mayonnaise.
- Sunflower Oil: I always reach for sunflower oil here, it’s mild and lets the other flavors shine while giving the mayo its rich body.
- Salt: Just a little salt pulls everything together and balances the creaminess perfectly.
- Vinegar: A small splash of vinegar gives the mayo a light tang and helps it come together into a silky, stable sauce.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Crispy Smashed Potatoes
These step-by-step instructions and photos will help you to visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for a printable version of this recipe.
1. Boil the Potatoes: Place baby potatoes in a pot with salted water and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until fork-tender but not mushy.
2. Prepare the Garlic-Chili Sauce: While the potatoes cook, blend garlic, parsley, chili pepper, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar in a hand blender until smooth. Set aside.
3. Cool and Smash the Potatoes: Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Heat butter in a skillet, then gently press each potato with a glass to flatten.
4. Crisp the Potatoes: Cook the smashed potatoes over low to medium heat until both sides are golden and crispy.
5. Make the Mayonnaise: Blend milk, sunflower oil, salt, and vinegar until thick and creamy. Set aside in a bowl.
6. Plate the Potatoes: Transfer the crispy smashed potatoes onto a serving plate.
7. Add the Garlic-Chili Sauce: Generously spoon the garlic-chili sauce over the hot potatoes, making sure they’re well-coated.
8. Finish with Mayonnaise: Add a few dollops of the homemade mayonnaise on top and serve immediately while hot.
🍽 What to Serve with Smashed potatoes
Crispy smashed potatoes are super versatile and go with just about anything. I love serving them as an appetizer for gatherings, just pile them on a platter with the garlic-chili sauce and mayo on the side, and they disappear fast.
They also make a great side dish with things like chicken skewers, gyros, or honey garlic chicken, soaking up all those delicious flavors. For brunch, I like adding them to the table alongside chicken sandwiches or a warm bowl of butternut squash soup, they bring that perfect crispy touch. And if you’re feeding kids, these are always a hit. They're fun to eat and even better with a little cream cheese or Muhammara for dipping.
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Boil Until Just Tender: Boil until fork-tender, soft enough to smash, yet firm enough to stay intact in the skillet.
Low-Medium Heat: Cooking over low-medium heat gives them time to crisp up evenly without burning. High heat tends to char the outsides before the inside gets that creamy texture I love.
Smashing Technique: I gently press each potato with a glass bottom, aiming for about ½ to ¾ inch thick. Too flat and they fall apart, too thick and they don’t crisp.
Serve Immediately: These are best hot from the skillet. That crisp exterior and fluffy inside is what makes them so satisfying, so I serve them right away.
Storage Tip: If I have leftovers, I let them cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. To bring back some crisp, I reheat them in a dry skillet.
❓FAQ
While they are best served fresh, you can partially prepare them in advance by boiling and smashing, then finish cooking and crisping just before serving.
🥔More Potato Recipes to Try!
Love this smashed potatoes? You’ll also enjoy these recipes with potatoes:
- Bubble Potato Pillows
- Loaded Baked Potato
- Papas Arrugadas
- Potato Croquettes
- Potato Salad
- Spanish Omelet
🍛More Appetizer Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite appetizer recipes! Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
For Potatoes:
- 750 g Potatoes
- 2 tablespoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Butter
For Garlic-Chili Sauce:
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- Parsley
- 1 Chilli Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Chilli Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Vinegar
For Mayonnaise Sauce:
- ½ cup Milk
- 1 cup Sunflower Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Vinegar
Instructions
- In a pot, add baby potatoes, water and salt.
- Cook the baby potatoes until they are fork-tender, but not too soft. This usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the garlic-chili sauce by adding garlic, parsley, chili pepper, salt, cumin powder, paprika, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and vinegar to a blender.
- Blend all ingredients well until smooth sauce.
- Place the garlic-chili sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly.
- In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Place the potatoes onto the pan and use the bottom of the glass to gently smash each potato.
- Cook the smashed potatoes over low-medium heat until both sides are golden and crispy.
- While the smashed potatoes are cooking, make the mayonnaise by combining milk, sunflower oil, salt, and vinegar in a blender.
- Blend with hand blender until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy.
- Place the mayonnaise sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Remove the golden smashed potatoes from the pan and place them on a plate.
- Drizzle the garlic-chili sauce over the crispy smashed potatoes.
- Top the golden smashed potatoes with a few dollops of mayonnaise.
- Serve the crispy smashed potatoes hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sandra says
OMG, those potatoes look AMAZING! Golden, crispy perfection – I NEED to try this recipe ASAP!