I made these by accident the first time, honestly. I had a bag of baby potatoes that needed using, a toaster oven, and not a lot of patience for a full oven preheat. Smashed potatoes aren’t new, but doing them in a toaster oven — where the heat is more intense and closer to the food — does something really nice to the edges. They get these lacy, almost lacquered bits around the perimeter that you just don’t get as easily in a big oven.
The method is simple. You boil them first, which gets the inside properly fluffy without needing a long roast time. Then you smash, season, add Parmesan, and let the toaster oven do the heavy lifting. If you have a good toaster oven baking sheet with a rimmed edge, that’s what you want here — it holds the oil and gives the bottoms somewhere to get properly golden rather than steaming.
The lemon herb oil at the end is non-negotiable in my opinion. It takes 90 seconds to mix together and it cuts through all that richness from the olive oil and Parmesan in a way that makes the whole thing feel lighter than it is. Fresh parsley and chives, lemon zest, a little heat if you want it. Don’t skip it.
This works in any countertop toaster oven — convection if you have it, regular bake if you don’t. It’s a side dish that works alongside eggs in the morning or next to basically any protein at dinner, and I’ve eaten an entire pan of these standing over the kitchen counter more times than I’ll admit.
Toaster Oven Crispy Brown Butter Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Smashed Baby Potatoes with Lemon Herb Oil
Baby potatoes get par-cooked, smashed flat, then roasted in a toaster oven until the edges are shatteringly crispy and golden, finished with a quick lemon-herb drizzle. Honestly one of the best things you can make in a small oven.
Ingredients
Potatoes
Lemon Herb Oil
Instructions
Par-Cook the Potatoes
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Put the baby potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook about 15 minutes, until a fork slides in easily but they're not falling apart. Drain and let them sit for 5 minutes — you want some steam to escape so they don't get mushy when smashed.
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While the potatoes cool a bit, preheat your toaster oven to 425°F on the convection bake setting if you have it. Regular bake works fine too, just give them a couple extra minutes at the end.
Smash and Season
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Drizzle a rimmed toaster oven baking sheet lightly with olive oil. Arrange the potatoes on the pan, spaced out — don't crowd them. Using the flat bottom of a measuring cup or a sturdy glass, press each potato firmly until it flattens to about half an inch thick. They'll crack at the edges and that's exactly what you want.
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Mix the 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Spoon or brush this mixture over every smashed potato, making sure to get the garlic into the cracks. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top.
Roast
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Slide the pan into the toaster oven and roast for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges are deep golden and visibly crispy. Don't flip them — the undersides are doing their thing on the oiled pan and flipping just disrupts that. Check at 18 minutes; smaller potatoes move faster.
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The Parmesan should look like it's formed a light crust on top. If it hasn't browned to your liking, switch to broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely because things go from perfect to burnt fast under a broiler.
Finish and Serve
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While the potatoes roast, stir together the lemon herb oil: olive oil, lemon zest, a good squeeze of lemon juice (about a tablespoon), parsley, chives, and red pepper flakes if using. Taste it — it should be bright and a little grassy.
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Pull the potatoes from the oven. Drizzle the herb oil over them right on the pan, or transfer to a plate first if you want them to look nice. Serve immediately. They do not keep their crunch for long, so eat them while they're hot.
Notes
Size matters here — if your baby potatoes are on the larger side, add 3-4 minutes to the boiling time. If they're tiny, check them earlier. The lemon herb oil is the part people always ask about, and it's worth making a double batch to drizzle over roasted vegetables the rest of the week. Leftovers reheat reasonably well in the toaster oven at 400°F for 8-10 minutes — they won't be quite as crispy but they're still good. Skip the Parmesan and this is fully vegan.
Nutrition
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Written by
Emma is a home cook who loves coaxing big flavor out of a toaster oven — from crispy roasted vegetables to easy weeknight dinners and sweet treats. She develops and tests Toastera's recipes for small-appliance kitchens.
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