This crispy smashed potato salad is a fun twist on the classic! Everything you love about a good old-fashioned potato salad, but with crispy and creamy texture, as well as smoky flavors.
Tender baby potatoes are smashed and roasted until crispy, then tossed with a creamy and tangy dressing and more. Try it with my best homemade burger recipe!
Potato salads are almost mandatory for summer cookouts. They are a true BBQ staple! I keep a rotation going every year, including favorites like my Pesto Potato Salad and this creamy Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad.
This smashed potato salad takes everything you love about a classic potato salad but with a twist: crispy, smashed golden brown potatoes!
This creates an amazing crispy texture on the outside, while remaining tender inside. Plus, roasting adds amazing flavor! The crispy edges soak up all the delicious creamy dressing.
Serve this smashed potato salad with your favorite summer mains! Try my Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers or my delicious salmon burger recipe!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Amazing texture. Crispy, crunchy potatoes tossed with a creamy dressing.
- A twist on the classic! Everything you love about a good classic potato salad, but make with added texture and deeper flavors.
- Perfect side dish. Great for summer cookouts, but ideal year-round.
- Make ahead friendly!
Ingredients Notes
Below, I included a few notes and substitution ideas from recipe testing that I hope you find helpful.
- Baby yellow potatoes: You need about 2 pounds for 6-8 servings. Baby potatoes (preferably yellow, but reds work too) are the perfect size. That way, you get the crispiness from the potato skin all around.
- Smoked paprika and garlic powder: Hints of smoky and garlicky goodness, for roasting. Also, salt and pepper.
- Vegetable or olive oil: Always needed for roasting and to prevent sticking.
- Hard boiled eggs: This is a classic potato salad component! Hard boiled and roughly chopped. I included instructions for how to hard-boil eggs in the recipe card.
- Celery: Diced, adds a fresh crunch.
- Dill pickles and capers: For that briny salty flavoring that compliments the creamy dressing.
- Shallots and fresh minced garlic: For amazing flavor.
- Fresh parsley and scallions: Both fresh, for that fresh touch and a pop of color.
- For the dressing: Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, and Dijon mustard.
As always, quantities are located in the recipe card down below.
How to Make Smashed Potato Salad
This crispy smashed potato salad is easy to make with just a few simple steps. Let’s make it!
Step 1 | Par-boil and smash potatoes
Preheat the oven to 450F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, making sure the potatoes are fully submerged. Boil for about 15 minutes or until just fork-tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and pat dry thoroughly.
Transfer the potatoes to a large sheet pan or two, then toss with oil to prevent sticking. Using the bottom of a glass, carefully smash each potato.
Step 2 | Season and roast potatoes
Brush the tops of the smashed potatoes with more olive oil, then season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping them at the 25-minute mark, until crispy and golden brown.
Tip: Save a few pieces, especially the crispy edges, for garnish!
Step 3 | Make the dressing
Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and Dijon mustard until evenly combined. Set aside.
Step 4 | Toss to combine
Combine the roasted smashed potatoes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, diced dill pickles, capers, shallot, minced garlic, parsley and scallions. Toss with the prepared dressing then garnish with the reserved roasted potato bits and scallions. Enjoy your smashed potato salad either warm or cold!
Tips for Success
- Choose the right potatoes. I recommend baby yellow potatoes. They’re the perfect size to maximize crispy skin all around.
- Boil until fork tender. They need to be soft enough to smash but not fall apart. Don’t overcook.
- How to smash: Use the bottom of a glass jar. Make sure the potatoes are tossed with oil first, otherwise they will stick to the glass.
- Season potatoes generously! I use paprika and garlic powder, but feel free to add your favorite seasoning blends.
- Roast at a high temp of 450F for that perfect golden crisp.
Make Ahead Tips
This crispy smashed potato salad is best when served immediately to preserve the texture of the crispy potatoes, but you can also make it ahead. Here’s how:
- Boil, smash, and roast the potatoes up to 2 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Chop the veggies and hard-boil the eggs. Refrigerate separately in airtight containers.
- The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
- When ready to serve your smashed potato salad, reheat the potatoes or serve cold. Toss everything with the dressing.
- To prevent the salad from becoming soggy, add the dressing right before serving.
Recipe FAQs
It can be served either warm (my preference) or cold. Totally up to you!
Baby yellow or red potatoes are the ideal kind to boil then smash easily.
I use the bottom of a glass, but everything flat will work. Oil the potatoes before smashing so they don’t stick.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
Grilled proteins pair so well with this crispy smashed potato salad! Here are my recommendations:
Need more summer-worthy sides? Try my easy Greek Pasta Salad, Tomato Burrata Salad, and Grilled Peach Salad!
More Potato Side Dishes
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Crispy Smashed Potato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby yellow potatoes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil - or vegetable oil
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped - see notes below
- ½ cup diced celery
- ⅓ cup diced dill pickles
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 small clove fresh garlic, finely minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 chopped scallions
Dressing:
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Par-boil potatoes: In a large pot, bring water to a boil, enough to fully submerge potatoes. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes until just fork tender. Drain, rinse through cold water, and pat dry.
- Smash potatoes Transfer potatoes to a large sheet pan (or use sheet 2 pans). Lightly toss with olive oil evenly – this prevents sticking. Using the bottom of a glass, carefully smash the potatoes. Brush generously with olive oil, and then season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Roast potatoes: Roast the smashed potatoes in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until crispy and golden brown, flipping at the 25-minute mark. Once ready, let them cool just slightly. Tip: Save some for garnish, especially the crispy edges.
- Hard-boil eggs: If you haven't yet, cook the eggs. In a pot, bring water to a boil, enough to fully submerge. Add the eggs, bring back to a low boil, then turn off the heat. Cover and let them sit for 13 minutes. Then rinse under very cold water, peel and chop.
- Make the dressing: Meanwhile, in the serving bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dijon mustard until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Assemble: To the serving bow, add the roasted smashed potatoes, chopped eggs, celery, pickles, capers, shallot, minced garlic, parsley, and scallions. Toss with the prepared dressing until evenly combined.
- Serve with garnish on top and enjoy warm or cold.
Notes
- How to hard-boil eggs: In a pot, bring water to a boil (enough to fully submerge eggs). Add the eggs, bring back to a low boil, then turn off the heat. Cover immediately then let them sit for 13 minutes. Then rinse under very cold water – or use an ice bath – then peel and chop.
- Choice of potatoes: Use baby yellow potatoes to maximize the crispy texture from the outer skin. Don’t use russet potatoes – they will not hold their shape since they tend to be fluffier.
- Boil potatoes until just fork-tender, soft enough to smash but not falling apart.
- Generously oil the potatoes on both sides before smashing to prevent sticking. Use the bottom of a glass jar.
- Make ahead: Boil, smash, and roast potatoes up to 2 days in advance; store in an airtight container. Prep veggies and hard boil eggs ahead. Make dressing up to 3 days in advance; keep refrigerated in a sealed container.
- Storage: Place any leftovers in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Baby potatoes: Can use regular yukon gold, cut into quarters, but make sure the skin is on top when smashing.
- Don’t use russet potatoes for this recipe.
- Add-ins: Crispy bacon, chives, pickled red onions.
Jessica Park says
Wow! I’m actually not usually a fan of most potato salads, but this one looked so enticing, and I’m so glad I gave it a go. I mean, it somehow got better with each bite. Totally making this one again!
Tania says
Thank you so much for trying our recipe, Jessica!