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Are you tired of the same old potato salad recipes? Well, get ready to have your taste buds blown away by this roasted garlic crispy smashed potato salad! This recipe is made with roasted garlic as well as crispy, golden-brown potatoes and has a creamy, lemon herb-infused dressing. It’s so much better than any potato salad from the grocery store and is also a simple side dish to make. Grab your taters, it’s smashing time—there’s nothing not to love about this delicious smashed potato salad recipe.
The bold flavors of roasted garlic, fresh herbs, lemon, and a creamy dressing makes this salad of smashed potatoes one of the most popular side dishes ever.
Also try garlic parmesan baby potatoes, cheesy ranch bacon potatoes, smoked potato salad with bacon, or loaded mashed potato casserole.
Why You’ll Love It
A great side dish: Whether you’re serving up beef, pork, chicken, seafood, or something else, you’ll find this smashed potato salad pairs beautifully.
A fun twist: This dish is a novel twist on classic potato salad.
Great textures: The potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft and tender inside (perfection!)
Feeds a crowd: It’s easy enough to double or triple the recipe.
Gluten-free: There’s no gluten in here!
Crispy Smashed Potato Salad Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Baby potatoes: You don’t need to peel them.
Olive oil: To crisp the potatoes and to stop the garlic cloves from drying out.
Baking soda: Helps crisp the potatoes.
Fresh garlic: Roasted garlic really makes this potato salad stand out.
Mayonnaise: The basis of the smashed potatoes salad dressing.
Fresh herbs: Fresh dill and parsley add aromatic flavors.
Lemon juice: Fresh is best.
Green onions: For crunch and another flavor.
How to Make Smashed Potato Salad
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the potatoes: Boil the potatoes in a large pot until fork tender and preheat the oven. Drain off the water. Smash the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush with oil.
Prepare the garlic: Cut the top off the garlic bulb and drizzle over some oil before putting it in a covered ramekin or wrapping it in foil.
Roast potatoes and garlic: Roast them in the oven until tender.
Make the salad dressing: Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb into a bowl, and add the salad dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine.
Assemble the smashed potato salad: Let the roasted potatoes cool a little and then toss them in the salad dressing.
Substitutions and Variations
Mayonnaise: For a lighter version, use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise in the dressing.
Different herbs: Use your favorite herbs. Chives, tarragon and basil are also delicious in this recipe.
Make it tangy: Add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the dressing.
Green onions: Sub minced shallot or red onion.
Spice it up: Add a dash of hot sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes or minced pickled jalapeno slices for some heat.
Optional add-ins: Chopped cucumber would be good in here, or you could add halved cherry tomatoes.
Top with a garnish: Crumble over crispy bacon or add grated cheese. Crispy French fried onions also add a great texture.
Serving Suggestions
With meat: Enjoy smashed potato salad with coffee-rubbed steak or slow cooker brisket.
With seafood: It would be delicious with shrimp scampi or grilled scallop skewers.
With chicken: Holiday roasted chicken is great paired with potato salad, or how about these easy chicken patties?
How to Store Smashed Potato Salad
Store: Smashed potato salad is best served immediately, but you can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: This isn’t a good recipe for freezing.
Reheat: You can leave it to warm up to room temperature if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend reheating in case the dressing separates.
Top Tips
Don’t peel the potatoes: Give them a thorough scrub. You don’t need to peel them, as baby potatoes have thin skins.
Cover the garlic: When roasting the garlic, it must be covered or wrapped in foil to prevent burning and allow it to soften and caramelize. The cooking time depends on the size of your garlic.
Let the potatoes cool: Give them about 10 minutes to cool a bit before mixing with the dressing. If they’re too hot, they can cause the dressing to separate.
Easy Smashed Potato Salad FAQs
The baking soda in the water helps make the potatoes go extra-crispy in the oven.
While both are delicious, they aren’t the same. Smashed potatoes are broken down a little (in this recipe, pressed down with the bottom of a glass) so there are soft parts and chunky parts, while mashed potatoes are uniformly mashed into a puree.
Crispy Smashed Potato Salad Recipe
Smashed Potato Salad
Equipment
- Pot Large
Ingredients
For the Potato Salad:
- 2 Pounds baby potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
For the Roasted Garlic:
- 1 Bulb garlic
- 1 Teaspoon olive oil
For the Dressing:
- 1 Cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons green onions, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon dill weed, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
- 1 Teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add nonstick cooking spray on top or brush the parchment paper with olive oil.
Prepare the Potatoes:
- Fill a large pot with water, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and boil until fork-tender, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and transfer them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Use the bottom of a glass jar or cup to smash each potato to your desired thickness.
- Brush the top of the potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Prepare the Garlic:
- Cut the top off the head of garlic and discard any loose papery outer layers.
- Put the garlic cut side up in a small ramekin or on a small piece of foil.
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil on top of the garlic.
- Put the lid on the ramekin or wrap the garlic in foil and either put it on the baking sheet with the potatoes or use a new one if there isn’t room.
Roast the Potatoes and Garlic:
- Roast the potatoes and garlic in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Remove the garlic after 30 to 35 minutes. The roasting time will vary based on the size of garlic.
- Set aside the garlic to cool, and then squeeze out the cloves into a medium mixing bowl.
Make the Dressing:
- Add the mayonnaise, parsley, green onions, dill weed, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the mixing bowl with the roasted garlic.
- Whisk to combine.
Assemble the Smashed Potato Salad:
- Cool the potatoes for 5 to 10 minutes and then add them to the bowl of prepared dressing.
- Toss to combine and serve.
Notes
Cover the garlic: When roasting the garlic, it must be covered or wrapped in foil to prevent burning and allow it to soften and caramelize. The cooking time depends on the size of your garlic.
Let the potatoes cool: Give them about 10 minutes to cool a bit before mixing with the dressing. If they’re too hot, they can cause the dressing to separate.
Nutrition
This delicious smashed potato salad makes a change from traditional potato salad. Crispy potatoes and juicy roasted garlic combine with a lemon and herb dressing that’s tasty and creamy. You will find that not only are roasted potatoes perfect for making potato salad but also that crispy smashed potatoes might become your new favorite spud-based dish! There’s no other potato salad quite this special.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This smashed potato salad was a hit! The roasted garlic dressing is amazing.
I loved the crispy texture and flavors! And so did my family.