I started making these because I had fingerlings sitting around and a toaster oven that was already hot from something else. That was a few years ago and honestly they’ve never left the rotation. There’s something about smashing a potato flat and blasting it in high heat that just works — the inside goes almost creamy while the edges get properly crunchy and a little jagged, which means more surface area for the brown butter to cling to.
You’ll need a good toaster oven baking sheet that fits your machine — ideally one with low sides so heat circulates around the potatoes instead of trapping steam. The difference between a steamed smashed potato and a crispy one is mostly about that airflow, plus not crowding the pan.
The brown butter and garlic thing sounds fancy but it’s genuinely five minutes of work. You’re just cooking butter until it smells like hazelnuts, then mashing in the roasted garlic cloves that spent 25 minutes getting soft and sweet in the oven alongside the potatoes. It smells incredible. The lemon aioli is just mayo, garlic, and lemon — mix it while the potatoes boil, put it in the fridge, forget about it, remember it when everything is done and be glad you made it.
If you don’t already have a toaster oven with a convection setting, these still come out great — just use the roast setting or regular bake at 425°F. Convection shaves off a few minutes and makes the edges a touch crispier, but it’s not essential. These are a side dish that routinely gets eaten straight off the pan before dinner even starts, which should tell you everything.
Toaster Oven Crispy Brown Butter Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Smashed Fingerling Potatoes with Lemon Aioli
Fingerling potatoes get smashed, roasted until golden and crispy, then finished with nutty brown butter, roasted garlic, and Parmesan. A simple side that honestly could be dinner.
Ingredients
Potatoes
Brown Butter and Garlic
Toppings
Quick Lemon Aioli
Instructions
Boil the Potatoes
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Put the fingerlings in a pot and cover with cold, well-salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until you can pierce them easily with a fork, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and let them sit in the colander for a few minutes — you want them to steam-dry a bit.
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While the potatoes cook, mix together the mayonnaise, grated garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Stir it well and stick it in the fridge. Done.
Smash and Season
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Preheat your toaster oven to 425°F on the roast or bake setting. Line the toaster oven pan with foil and drizzle about a tablespoon of the olive oil over it.
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Place the cooked potatoes on the pan, spacing them out so they're not touching. Use the bottom of a glass or a fork to smash each one flat — aim for about a half-inch thick. They'll look rough and crumbly. That's good.
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Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the smashed potatoes, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Tuck the whole garlic cloves around them on the pan.
Roast Until Crispy
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Slide the pan into the toaster oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and crispy. Don't flip them — the bottoms need to stay undisturbed to get that crust. If your toaster oven runs cool, give them a couple extra minutes.
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Pull the pan out and transfer the roasted garlic cloves to a small bowl. They'll be soft and jammy. Set them aside for a second.
Brown Butter Finish
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Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Keep going past the foam — after about 3-4 minutes it'll smell nutty and turn golden brown. Pull it off the heat immediately. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and mash them into the brown butter.
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Drizzle the garlic brown butter all over the hot potatoes. Scatter the Parmesan on top right away so it melts slightly into everything. Finish with flaky salt, chives, and parsley. Serve immediately with the lemon aioli on the side.
Notes
The key to really crispy smashed potatoes is letting the cooked potatoes steam-dry before smashing — wet potatoes steam in the oven instead of crisping up. If you're using a small toaster oven and the pan is crowded, the potatoes will still taste great but won't get as crunchy on the edges. Worth doing in two batches if you have to. You can boil the potatoes up to a day ahead and refrigerate them — cold potatoes actually crisp up even better. The aioli keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
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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