Wanna make the best smashed potatoes of your life? Check out Chef Britt's techniques for creating these gold nuggets that hit every level of your taste buds!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Boiling the potatoes until just barely fork-tender keeps them from falling apart later, when they're smashed and need to hold their shape in the hot oil
- Cooling the potatoes completely, even up to five days ahead, firms up their structure, making them much easier to smash cleanly without turning to mush
- Smashing with the bottom of a flat pan or plate rather than a fork creates an even, consistent thickness across the whole batch, so every piece fries at the same rate
- Frying with the grill lid closed traps heat around the skillet, helping the oil stay at a steady temperature so the potatoes crisp evenly on both sides
Salt & Vinegar Crispy Smashed Potatoes
Britt Shoffner
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Side Dish
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Calories
100
Tempt your taste buds with perfect potatoes every time! Chef Britt's techniques promise to elevate your culinary skills, allowing you to make golden, flavorful and delightful smashed potatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fingerling Potatoes, or other small, waxy variety of potato
-
Kosmos Q Salt & Vinegar Wing Dust, as needed
- 1/4 cup (or more as needed) Avocado Oil, or other neutral vegetable oil suitable for frying
Directions
- Boil the potatoes until barely fork-tender. Smaller varieties of fingerlings will take less time, about 10 minutes total.
- Cool the potatoes completely either in an ice bath or set in the fridge for a few hours minimum. You can do this up to five days in advance.
- Prepare your Yoder Smokers YS640s pellet grill by removing the door to the 2-piece diffuser plate. If you are working with a single-piece diffuser, remove the entire diffuser. Set the temperature to 400°F so pellets are constantly feeding into the firebox.
- Place your 12-inch Lodge cast iron skillet over the firebox and preheat your skillet.
- Add a 1/4”-thick layer of avocado oil to the pan and heat to approximately 350-375°F.
- Take your boiled and cooled potatoes, and smash each using the bottom of a flat & sturdy saucepan, bowl, or plate. Smash the potatoes to about a 1/2”-thickness.
- Add your smashed potatoes in a single layer to the hot oil, and allow them to cook with the grill lid closed for 5-8 minutes on each side. Exposed innards of the potatoes should be a deep golden-brown color when properly fried.
- Remove the potatoes and place them onto a paper towel-lined sheet tray. Finish your potatoes with your desired amount of Kosmos Q Salt & Vinegar Wing Dust – a little goes a long way, but a lot sure does taste great!
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why boil the potatoes until only barely fork-tender instead of fully cooked through?
Stopping short of fully tender keeps the potatoes sturdy enough to hold together once they're smashed and fried, rather than falling apart in the hot oil.
Why cool the potatoes completely, even days in advance, before smashing them?
Letting them cool firms up their internal structure, making them much easier to smash into an even, consistent shape without turning to mush under the pressure.
Why smash the potatoes with the bottom of a flat pan or plate instead of a fork?
A flat surface presses the potatoes into an even, consistent thickness across the whole batch, so every piece fries at roughly the same rate rather than some being thicker or thinner than others.
Why fry the potatoes with the grill lid closed?
Closing the lid traps heat around the skillet, helping the oil hold a steady 350-375°F so the potatoes crisp evenly on both sides rather than cooling off and frying unevenly.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 — a stovetop with a deep skillet or dutch oven can fry these potatoes exactly the way the grill-mounted cast iron skillet does here.
Recipe Highlights
Barely fork-tender boiling: Keeps potatoes sturdy enough to smash and fry.
Make-ahead cooling: Firms potatoes for cleaner smashing.
Flat-surface smashing: Ensures even thickness for consistent frying.
Closed-lid frying: Maintains steady oil temperature for even crisping.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4.12 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 100
- Carbs
- 20 grams
- Protein
- 2 grams
- Fat
- 2 grams
- Sodium
- 217 milligrams
