I made these smashed potatoes kind of by accident the first time. I had leftover boiled potatoes, a toaster oven already running, and zero interest in doing much else. Twenty minutes later I had the crispiest potatoes I’d made all winter, and the whole thing cost almost nothing. Now I make them on purpose — a lot.
The idea is simple: boil small Yukon golds until totally soft, smash them flat, drown them in seasoned olive oil, and let your toaster oven do the rest. The high heat turns every jagged edge into something shatteringly crispy while the inside stays fluffy. It’s the contrast that makes it. You need a good toaster oven baking sheet with some heft to it — thin, flimsy ones tend to warp at high temps and that means uneven browning on the bottom.
The herbed sour cream is just sour cream, fresh chives and dill, a tiny bit of raw garlic, and lemon. It takes four minutes to make and it’s the kind of thing people ask you for the recipe for, which is slightly embarrassing given how basic it is. I usually just tell them it’s a “family recipe.”
These work great as a side dish next to roasted chicken or fish, but honestly they’re good enough to eat on their own as a snack. If you’re cooking for one or two, the recipe scales down easily. If you don’t have a toaster oven yet and want to try this, any toaster oven with a convection setting will get you even crispier results — just drop the temp by 25°F and check a couple minutes early.
Toaster Oven Smashed Potatoes with Crispy Edges and Herbed Sour Cream
Little boiled potatoes smashed flat and roasted until the edges shatter — then loaded with cool, herby sour cream. Ridiculously good for how little effort it takes.
Ingredients
Potatoes
Herbed Sour Cream
Instructions
Boil and Smash
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Put the potatoes in a small pot and cover with cold salted water by about an inch. Bring to a boil and cook until they're completely tender — a fork should slide in with zero resistance, about 15 minutes. Don't rush this part. Undercooked potatoes won't smash, they'll just roll away from you.
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Drain them and let them sit for 2-3 minutes to steam dry. This matters. Wet potatoes steam instead of crisping.
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Preheat your toaster oven to 425°F. Place the potatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet — ideally one that fits your toaster oven without cramming. Space them out; they need room.
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Use the flat bottom of a coffee mug or a measuring cup to smash each potato to about 1/3-inch thick. Some will crack at the edges. That's perfect. Those jagged bits are what gets crunchy.
Season and Roast
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Whisk together the olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Spoon or brush it generously over every potato, getting into the crevices.
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Roast at 425°F for 18-22 minutes. Check at 18 — you're looking for deep golden-brown edges and a top that looks almost too crispy. Don't pull them early. The last few minutes are where the magic happens.
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While those roast, stir together the sour cream, chives, dill, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Taste it. Adjust salt if needed. It should be bright and creamy, not bland.
Serve
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Slide the potatoes onto a plate or board and drop spoonfuls of the herbed sour cream alongside — or straight on top if you're serving immediately. Eat them while they're hot. They lose their crunch fast once they cool down.
Notes
Size consistency really matters here — if your potatoes vary a lot in size, the small ones will overcook before the big ones are done. Yukon golds work better than russets for this; they hold together after smashing without falling apart. If you want to skip the boiling step, you can microwave the potatoes for 6-8 minutes until just tender, then proceed. It works fine. The herbed sour cream can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the fridge — honestly it gets better overnight.
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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