These Crispy Parmesan Potatoes are crunchy on the outside and creamy in the middle. Potato perfection, that goes with almost anything.
In my 10+ years as a personal chef, I made countless side dishes for my clients. And while the main course was often the star of the show, these smashed potatoes were requested again and again.
Why? I’ve got the technique down—so the potato centers are perfectly tender, and the parm topping gets crispy but not burnt. And I’m sharing it here with some easy tips that will make you never want to eat potatoes any other way again!
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Why You'll Love This Crispy Parmesan Potatoes Recipe
With this recipe, not only can you make smashed potatoes at home, but you can serve them straight out of the oven and eat the leftover crispy bits on the pan by yourself. These potatoes are great with so many different main courses and flavors. And, this recipe requires only a few low-cost ingredients to make a dish that tastes amazing!
Ingredients for Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
- Potatoes: Look for baby potatoes that are all around the same size. You can cut larger potatoes in half, but they are messier to smash and then flip. I prefer the creamy texture of yellow potatoes, but fingerling potatoes also work well.
- Olive Oil: Just a regular olive oil works great for this recipe. You can also use vegetable oil or grapeseed oil.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best flavor.
- Garlic Powder: Normally, I recommend fresh garlic for almost everything. But in this case, garlic powder works better because it won’t burn like fresh garlic does at a high temperature. You can also add onion powder if you’d like.
How to Make Parmesan Potatoes
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wash 1 ½ pounds small yellow potatoes, and cut out any discolored spots or eyes. Fill a large saucepan with salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes—less if your potatoes are really small. (Turn down the heat just a little if it is boiling too aggressively and threatening to splatter out of the pan.)
Drain well, then put back into pot. Toss gently with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Spread in an even layer on a non-stick baking sheet. Smash by pressing directly over the top of each potato with a sturdy jar or glass. Bake for 10 minutes, then check that bottom of potatoes are browned and will release from the bottom of the pan.
Drizzle with another tablespoon of oil (or try melted butter!), then flip over potatoes and sprinkle with another 1 ½ tablespoons parmesan cheese.
Bake for another 8 minutes, until the potatoes have crispy edges and are golden brown on both sides.
Serve with lemon wedges, ketchup, sour cream, or aioli! Or, melt some Herb Compound Butter over the top.
What to Serve With Parmesan Potatoes
These crispy parmesan roasted potatoes make an absolutely top notch side dish. Try them anywhere you would usually serve French fries or tater tots, like on the side of this Black Garlic Chicken, these Crab Cakes, or my Shrimp Scampi. They are also a classic pairing with this easy Roasted Half Chicken. And, if you really want to show them off, try them dipped in my Truffle Mayo or Sriracha Aioli! Heaven for all potato lovers! Add a runny egg and some roasted broccoli rabe for a delicious vegetarian meal.
How to Store Parmesan Potatoes
Leftover crispy garlic parmesan potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, pop them back in the oven or in an air fryer to crisp them up again. They will soften in the microwave.
Crispy Parmesan Potatoes FAQs
I would not recommend making these in advance—they are definitely best, and at peak crispiness, just after they come out of the oven. If you have to though, you could make them in advance, let them cool and refrigerate. Then reheat them in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes before serving.
There are many types of potatoes that will work for smashing. I prefer the small yellow potatoes because of their creamy flesh. But fingerling potatoes or baby red potatoes will also work. Small potatoes are really key, because smashing potatoes you have cut in half gets a little messy. Baking potatoes (russet potatoes) are not recommended because they are too big and also too starchy.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
If you have to cut any potatoes in half, make sure that the skin is on the bottom of potato when you smash it, so all the insides don’t just squeeze out. This is why using mini potatoes is best!
I use my very well-seasoned baking sheet for these oven roasted parmesan potatoes—it is almost entirely black, and does a great job of browning vegetables and allowing them to release easily from the pan. If your baking sheet is not very non-stick, you can use parchment paper on top of it. Parchment paper sometimes doesn’t do a great job of allowing vegetables to brown, but it will work in a pinch, and you certainly won’t have any problems with your potatoes sticking to the pan. You can also use a glass baking dish for this recipe, which will also allow your potatoes to brown nicely!
Use a sturdy plastic spatula to flip your potatoes. It won’t damage your baking sheet like a metal spatula.
If potatoes don't release from the pan after 10 minutes in the oven, let them cook a bit longer. They should brown enough that they are easy to flip.
Want more flavor? Try adding red pepper flakes or Italian herb seasoning to the garlic parmesan mixture.
Want to try these on a Blackstone griddle? Check out this recipe for Blackstone Smashed Potatoes.
Other Delicious Side Dish Recipes
Want more ideas for delicious side dishes? Check out the recipes below, or see my Side Dish Archive.
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this Crispy Parmesan Potatoes recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
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Crispy Parmesan Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds small yellow potatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ½ tablespoons parmesan cheese
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges optional, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash potatoes, and cut out any discolored spots or eyes.
- Fill a large saucepan with salted water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the potatoes, and boil until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes—this will take less time with very small potatoes. (Turn down the heat just a little if the water is boiling too aggressively and threatening to splatter out of the pan.) Drain well, then put back into pot.
- Toss gently with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Spread in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet.
- Smash by pressing directly over the top of each potato with a sturdy jar or glass.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then check that bottom of potatoes are browned and will release from the pan.
- Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, then flip over potatoes and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake for another 8 minutes, until crispy and browned on both sides.
- Serve with lemon wedges, ketchup, or aioli!
Notes
Leftover crispy garlic parmesan potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, pop them back in the oven or in an air fryer to crisp them up again. They will soften in the microwave. Expert Tips:
If you have to cut any potatoes in half, make sure that the skin is on the bottom of potato when you smash it, so all the insides don’t just squeeze out. This is why using mini potatoes is best! If your baking sheet is not very non-stick, you can use parchment paper on top of it. Parchment paper sometimes doesn’t do a great job of allowing vegetables to brown, but it will work in a pinch, and you certainly won’t have any problems with your potatoes sticking to the pan. You can also use a glass baking dish for this recipe, which will also allow your potatoes to brown nicely! Use a sturdy plastic spatula to flip your potatoes. It won’t damage your baking sheet like a metal spatula. If potatoes don't release from the pan after 10 minutes in the oven, let them cook a bit longer. They should brown enough that they are easy to flip.
Nutrition
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More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
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