If you like potatoes, garlic, or cheese, you’re going to love this Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes recipe. These crispy, cheesy bites are one of the best side dishes to make when you want something simple and delicious.
They taste amazing, use ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, and come together fast, even on those busy nights.

Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Potato Side Dishes
- Ingredients For Parmesan Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Kitchen Tools For Making Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
- How To Make Easy Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Tips For Smashed Potatoes
- FAQs For Parmesan Garlic Oven Potatoes
- Garlic Parmesan Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
Why You’ll Love Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Crispy edges, soft inside: You get a nice crunch without deep frying.
- Super quick prep: Boil, smash, and bake. No tricky steps, so it’s totally doable, even on a busy weeknight.
- Family-friendly: Even picky eaters like these! Kids love them and like to help sprinkle on the cheese.
- Easy to customize: Add your favorite herbs, a different cheese, or extra garlic. You can make these in a bunch of ways.
- Affordable ingredients: Uses potatoes, garlic powder, Parmesan, and a little oil or butter.
- Goes with anything: Great with chicken, steak, salmon, or any number of dishes.

Potato Side Dishes
From creamy mashed potatoes to crispy fries, potatoes go perfectly with almost any main dish. There's just so much you can do with them! Check out some of our favorite ideas:
- Parmesan Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
- Bacon Ranch Potatoes Recipe
- Instant Pot Potatoes
- Chili Baked Potatoes in the Air Fryer
Ingredients For Parmesan Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Small red or yellow potatoes: These are creamy and hold together when smashed.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: For that crispy finish and delicious flavor.
- Salt: For seasoning.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps the Parmesan to stick.
- Garlic powder: You can also chop your own garlic.
- Ground black pepper: For a little kick.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, nutty flavor, and it gets golden when baked.

Kitchen Tools For Making Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
To make these Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes, you’ll need a big pot, a baking sheet, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat if you want clean up to be easy. For smashing the potatoes. You can use the back of a measuring cup. You’ll also need a brush for the oil and butter.
GOTHAM STEEL 5 Qt Ceramic Stock Pot Multipurpose Pasta PotWildone Baking Sheet Set of 3, Stainless Steel Cookie Sheet
Parchment Paper Sheets, 9x13 In Non-Stick Precut Baking Parchment for
4PCS Silicone Basting Pastry Brush, Kaloo Kitchen Cooking Brush for
How To Make Easy Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Prep & Boil: Preheat your oven to 425°F and grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Boil the potatoes in salty water until you can poke them with a fork and they feel soft.
- Dry & Smash: Drain the potatoes and dry them with paper towels. Place them on the baking sheet and gently smash them about halfway down until they’re flat and broken.
- Oil Them Up: Brush the tops with olive oil for extra crispiness.


- First Bake: Pop the tray in the oven and bake until the bottoms turn golden, about 15-20 minutes.
- Flavor Kick: Flip each potato, mix up your butter, garlic powder, pepper, and salt, then brush it on the smashed tops. Sprinkle with lots of cheese.
- Bake Again: Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the cheese gets golden and crispy.
- Serve: Add more salt and pepper if you want, and these are good to go!


Tips For Smashed Potatoes
Tip 1: Use similar-sized potatoes so they cook up at the same time.
Tip 2: Don’t skip drying the potatoes before smashing. Wet potatoes won’t get crispy.
Tip 3: Make sure to flip the potatoes to get them crisp on both sides.

FAQs For Parmesan Garlic Oven Potatoes
Yes, but small red or yellow potatoes give the best texture. Russet potatoes will work in a pinch, but they fall apart more easily.
Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. If you want them to retain their crispiness, reheat in the oven or air fryer, not the microwave.

Garlic Parmesan Recipes
Garlic Parmesan recipes are a favorite in my house! These ingredients add a delicious twist to any meal. Recipes with Parmesan and garlic bring bold, comforting flavors everyone will love!
- Garlic Parmesan Zoodles
- 30-Minute Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls
- Parmesan Garlic Linguine
- Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes are super easy to make, don’t take much time, and taste great with just about anything. Give them a try. I bet you'll agree!
📖 Recipe

Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3 teaspoons salt divided
- 2 pounds small red or yellow potatoes washed
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush a large baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain and gently dry with paper towels.
- Place potatoes on prepared baking sheet. Use a sturdy cup to smash potatoes to about ½-inch thickness.
- Brush tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and flip each potato.
- Mix melted butter, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Brush on tops of potatoes, then sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Return to oven and bake 8–10 minutes, until cheese is golden.
- Season to taste and garnish with parsley if you like. Serve warm.
Notes
- Pick potatoes that are around the same size - you don't want some mushy and some too hard.
- Give them a quick dry before smashing. Damp potatoes = soggy results.
- Don't forget to flip the potatoes. Crispy tops and bottoms are what makes these SO good!
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