Why boil a potato, only to flatten it under a masher? Crash hot potatoes need that soft, fully cooked middle, because a boiled potato splits open into ragged edges that the oven can turn crisp.

I turn the masher a quarter turn and press a second time. That crosshatch gives the oil far more rough edges to brown.

The step I won’t hurry is the drying. After draining, the potatoes sit until the steam stops rising and the skins look dull instead of wet.

Then a 475°F oven does the rest. About 15 minutes, and the tops go from pale to golden and crackly.

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How do you make crash hot potatoes crispy?

Boil small whole potatoes until a fork slides in, drain and dry them completely, then smash them flat on a baking sheet with a potato masher. Brush the tops with olive oil, season, and bake at 475°F until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.

What Makes It Work

Boiling first cooks each potato all the way through, so the oven only has to crisp the outside. That’s why the bake can be short and very hot.
The potato gets pressed twice, with a 90-degree turn in between. One cook turns the masher and the other turns the tray, and the double press leaves a crosshatched top full of jagged edges that catch the oil and brown.
Ree Drummond bakes hers at 475°F for about 15 minutes. VANDA cooks goes a little lower, 230°C (about 446°F), for 20 to 25 minutes, and both bake until the tops are golden brown.

When I open the oven, the oil should be sizzling around the edges of each potato. I pull the pan when the ridges on top are deep golden and feel crisp when I tap them with a spatula.

What Makes These Crash Hot Potatoes Special

Six small potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper make the whole side dish.
One saucepan and one baking sheet are all the cooking gear it takes.
You get crisp, craggy tops and soft centers without a fryer.
They’re good plain, or loaded with bacon, cheddar, sour cream and chives.

Ingredients for Crash Hot Potatoes

6 small yellow potatoes
Kosher salt, for the water and a generous pinch for the tops
Up to 5 tbsp olive oil (the recipe I follow uses 5, see the note on oil below)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 slices thick-cut bacon
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp chopped fresh chives

Picking the Right Ingredients

Small yellow potatoes are the ones to buy. One smashed-potato recipe sizes small potatoes at 1 1/2 to 2 inches across, which is a handy guide in the produce aisle.

VANDA boils them in their skins, and I do too, since the skin is what turns crackly at the edges. The oil is where the two crash hot recipes I compared part ways.

The one I follow uses 5 tablespoons for 6 small potatoes, some brushed on the masher and the rest on the tops. The other uses 3 tablespoons for 8 medium potatoes, plus a generous spray of oil on the sheet.

That’s a big gap, so I don’t treat either number as the rule. I brush until every ridge on top looks glossy, with a thin sheen on the pan around each potato, and I stop before oil puddles underneath.

Kosher salt goes in the water and again on top, a generous pinch.

Let’s Make It

Boil the potatoes. Put the whole potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover them with lightly salted water, and cook over medium heat. They’re ready when a fork slides into the center with no resistance at all, about 12 minutes.
Drain and dry. Drain the potatoes and let them sit until they’re completely dry. The steam should stop rising and the skins should look dull, not shiny and wet. Pat any damp spots with a clean towel.
Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 475°F while the potatoes dry. Set them on a baking sheet with a little space between each one, so the hot air can get around the edges once they’re flattened.
Smash once. Brush the bottom of a potato masher with olive oil. Press it gently down on one potato until it flattens and the skin splits open, but stop before the potato breaks apart into separate pieces.
Turn and smash again. Rotate the masher 90 degrees and press down a second time. You’re looking for a crosshatched top with jagged, uneven edges sticking up. Repeat with the rest of the crash hot potatoes.
Oil and season. Brush the tops with more olive oil until every ridge looks glossy, and stop before it puddles underneath. Sprinkle each one with a generous pinch of kosher salt and the black pepper, so the seasoning catches in the cracks.
Bake until crisp. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and crisp and the edges are sizzling in the oil. If they’re still pale, give them a few more minutes and check again.
Cook the bacon. If you’re making them loaded, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat while the potatoes bake, flipping as needed, until fully crisp, about 12 minutes. Let it cool on a plate, then crumble it.
Load and serve. The moment the potatoes come out, sprinkle the cheddar over each one so it softens on the hot tops. Move them to a platter, add a small spoonful of sour cream, the crumbled bacon and the chives, and serve right away.

Tips for Success

Don’t skip the drying. Potatoes that go onto the sheet wet tend to steam instead of brown, and the tops won’t crackle the same way.
Press gently. A few cracks and torn edges are what you want, and a potato that falls into pieces just needs a lighter hand on the next one.
The recipe I follow doesn’t say anything about the baking sheet, while the other one sprays it generously with oil. I brush a thin coat on mine so the bottoms let go easily.
VANDA stirs rosemary, minced garlic and diced pancetta into the oil before brushing, and notes that thyme or other herbs can stand in for the rosemary. It’s a good switch when you want more than salt and pepper.
I don’t measure the salt on top. A generous pinch is all the recipe asks, and I’m happy to eyeball it.

How to Store It

None of the sources cover leftovers or making these ahead, and they’re at their crispest straight from the oven. If you do have extras, get them into a covered container in the fridge within 2 hours.

I eat them soon after. To bring back some crunch, spread them on a baking sheet and warm them in a hot oven until the edges sizzle again.

The microwave heats them, but the tops go soft. I don’t boil the potatoes ahead, and the sources don’t either.

The whole thing takes about 50 minutes, so I start it while the main dish cooks.

What Goes With Crash Hot Potatoes

Roast chicken, since the crisp potatoes soak up any pan juices on the plate.
A seared steak or pork chops, where the craggy tops stand up to a hearty main.
A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, which cuts through the olive oil.
Fried or scrambled eggs, for a breakfast plate with crunch.

What I Use to Make This

A medium saucepan, big enough to hold the potatoes in one layer under the water.
A sturdy potato masher with a flat grid, which leaves the crosshatch pattern on top.
A rimmed baking sheet that won’t warp in a 475°F oven.
A pastry brush for the masher, the potato tops and the sheet.
A fork or thin paring knife to test the boiled potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of potatoes work for crash hot potatoes? Small yellow potatoes, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches across. They boil through quickly and flatten into rounds that fit nicely on a baking sheet.

Do you peel crash hot potatoes? No. The recipe I follow doesn’t say, but the other version boils them in their skins, and the skin is what crisps up at the torn edges.

How much oil do crash hot potatoes need? The two recipes I compared disagree, 5 tablespoons for 6 small potatoes in one and 3 tablespoons for 8 medium potatoes plus oil on the sheet in the other. Go by the look instead: every ridge glossy, nothing puddling.

Can I make crash hot potatoes in an air fryer? None of the recipes I compared uses one, so I can’t give you a tested time or temperature. The oven method is the one I’d stick with.

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