Golden brown, crispy salt and vinegar smashed potatoes are the perfect side dish to your next dinner thanks to that classic salty/tangy combination of flavours. These potatoes are so easy to make and have the best texture with a crunchy exterior while being light and fluffy on the inside. You’ll be eating them right off the tray!
If you’re looking for more potato sides (because you can never have too many right!?), then definitely also check out these oven baked potato wedges or these air fryer roast potatoes if you want to free up the oven for other things.
Is there anything that makes a meal better than a side of deliciously golden brown roasted potatoes? Potatoes can very easily steal the show and become the main event of the dinner table and this recipe today is exactly that kind of side dish.
I’ve been making these salt and vinegar smashed potatoes every year for Christmas lunch for the last couple of years, and honestly I usually make them a few times in the weeks leading up as well as they are just so delicious.
Smashing the potato instead of just roasting them, ensures that there is maximum surface area to get crispy when baked in the oven, plus the uneven tops allow for those pockets of extra crunch, all while the middle stays super soft and fluffy.
Plus, salt and vinegar isn’t just for your chips and I know you’ll love the flavour combination with these smashed potatoes.
If you’re looking for a stand out side to go with your air fryer roast pork or this impressive bourbon brown sugar glazed ham, for a special holiday meal then you need to bookmark this recipe!
Key Ingredients
This is such an easy side dish that uses just a handful of simple ingredients.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Potatoes – I like to use baby potatoes here as they are the perfect size when smashed and have my ideal crispy to fluffy ratio. You can use bigger ones if you want, they’ll just be more fluffy and take a bit longer to bake.
- Malt vinegar – this is the key to that classic salt and vinegar flavour. Malt vinegar is more subtle with its acidic flavour than many others but also adds a bold flavour to the potatoes that is just delicious.
- Olive oil – this is what is going to get us really crispy, delicious potatoes. You only want to use good quality olive oil for the best results.
- Garlic powder – an optional addition but just adds that extra garlicky flavour to these potatoes that is so so good!
- Salt flakes – it wouldn’t be salt and vinegar potatoes without the salt. For this recipe I love to use salt flakes, but really any salt to serve will work.
- Parsley – again optional but looks pretty to serve and gives that extra layer of flavour to the finished side dish.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these potatoes, you’ll need to start by either steaming or boiling the potatoes. As I’m using baby potatoes, to prepare them I just give them a bit of a wash as the skin adds extra texture to the potatoes so I highly recommend leaving the skin on. The skin will also help hold the potato together when smashed,
To boil, add the potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water. Place on a medium high heat (just watch it to make sure your water doesn’t boil over) and bring to a boil. The potatoes will take around 30 minutes to cook through but they will be done when a fork goes in easily.
Drain the potatoes and dry them off using a clean tea towel or paper towels.
💡Tip! You can also steam the potatoes in the microwave instead. You can buy little packets of baby potatoes from the supermarket that can be steamed in the microwave in the bag that you buy them in, which is a life saver if you need to cut down on prep time or want to keep the stove free (I feel this when making a holiday meal).
Place the potatoes on a baking tray or two depending on the size. You want to make sure each potato has enough room on the pan after being smashed as overcrowding will make the crispy edges difficult to achieve.
Using a glass or a potato masher, gently press down and squash each potato so that it’s more of a flat disk. It does not have to be perfect by any means and any imperfections actually make the end result better.
Drizzle the tops of each potato with the malt vinegar so that it soaks into the potato, then with the olive oil. Finish with a light sprinkling of garlic powder. Move the potatoes around on the pan gently to make sure they’re coated with the oil.
Place the tray in a preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the potatoes and your oven. They will be done when the potatoes are super crunchy and golden brown.
Sprinkle the cooked potatoes with flakey sea salt, chopped parsley and an extra light drizzle of malt vinegar and serve immediately. If you sneak one steaming hot off the tray before they make their way to the table then I won’t tell.
These potatoes are best served immediately after they come out of the oven, but I can confirm, they still taste good cold (yes I ate a couple cold after photographing them for this post…).
Recipe FAQs
Unfortunately not due to the malt vinegar. You can substitute this with another alternative like red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar to make them gluten-free but note that the flavour will be slightly different.
To store smashed potatoes, let them cool completely to room temperature first. Once cooled, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them. Properly stored, they’ll keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
For the best, crispy results use an oven or air fryer.
Oven: Preheat to 190°C (375°F). Place the smashed potatoes on a baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and crispy.
Air Fryer: Set to 180°C (350°F) and cook for 5-8 minutes, turning halfway through.
More delicious holiday sides:
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Bake
The BEST Dairy Free Potato Salad
Roasted Broccoli Salad
Olive and Herb Focaccia
Crispy Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 kg baby potatoes washed with skin on
- 2-3 tablespoons malt vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Sea salt flakes to serve
- Parsley to serve
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with water. Place on a medium high heat (just watch it to make sure your water doesn’t boil over) and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes until cooked through and a fork or metal skewer goes in easily. Drain and pat dry with a clean tea towel.
- Smash the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the potatoes across 1 large or 2 smaller baking trays. Using a potato masher, gently press down and squash each potato.
- Drizzle the tops of each potato with the malt vinegar so that it soaks into the potato, then with the olive oil. Finish with a light sprinkling of garlic powder. Move the potatoes around on the pan gently to make sure they’re coated with the oil.
- Bake the potatoes. Place the tray in a preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the potatoes and your oven. They will be done when the potatoes are super crunchy and golden brown.
- Top potatoes with flakey sea salt, chopped parsley and a final light drizzle of extra malt vinegar. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This post was originally published on the 6th December 2021 as part of my annual 12 days of Christmas series. It has been republished to include better instructions, more helpful information and new photos.
sherry says
i love potatoes in any form but these look super fab! and i love malt vinegar (reminds me of childhood) so these have me drooling.
Sally says
They’re good without the vinegar but with it they are so much better!
Gavin says
I’ve made smashed potatoes before and have loved them but oh boy – salt & vinegar smashed potatoes!!! Can’t believe I never thought of this before – these are EPIC
Sally says
Thanks Gavin, such a great flavour combo!
Marcellina says
I’m a huge roast potato fan and these are next level! The addition of vinegar is genius! Super yummy!!
Sally says
They really are addictive!