These crispy roasted Ranch Smashed Potatoes are the BEST way to make potatoes as a side dish. Transform your red potatoes into a flavor packed side dish that goes with almost anything. This recipe has only 3 ingredients and is a foolproof way to make delicious potatoes.
Ranch Smashed Potatoes
Years ago I had a friend tell me I had to try the Crash Hot Potatoes from The Pioneer Woman. I brushed it off for awhile but she kept insisting and finally I got around to it, and WOW! These were so good there are barely words for it.
Since then I have made these potatoes roughly 23 million times and come up with some of my own twists on them. I am so excited to share my Ranch Smashed Potatoes version today. It is the best because even though it only has 3 ingredients, it really packs in the flavors.
How to Serve Smashed Potatoes
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it really goes with just about anything! If you need a side dish this recipe comes to the rescue and shines as one of the best parts of the meal.The most important thing is to time it right so that when you do serve them up they are nice, hot and crispy. Some of my favorite things to serve these with are:
- Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken
- Avocado Smothered Chicken
- Baked Italian Chicken
- Hamburgers
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Grilled steak/chicken
- Juicy Baked Chicken Bites
- Turkey – We are even doing these for Thanksgiving this year!
- Kabobs
Really if you see a trend here this is a great starch to pair with any protein. A perfect way to round out the meal is to add a something green like a simple salad, some broccoli, or a side of sautéed spinach.
How to Make Ranch Smashed Potatoes
I am going to walk through the steps below sharing all of my tips and tricks for this recipe along the way. Follow along here, or for the super quick version just scroll on down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
One important note before we get started is that I included quantities on this recipe to be helpful for those that really want more direction in the kitchen. This recipe doesn’t need to be super exact. So if you are cooking for a crowd and need more, then just add a little more of everything, if you want to make dinner for two, just reduce it a little. You really don’t need to measure on this one, unless it makes you more comfortable.
I this is how I describe this recipe for my friends:
First boil the potatoes until they are softer than you think they need to be. Then oil the pan and smash them. Add more oil than you think you need, more seasoning than you think you need, then bake them for longer than you think you should at a higher temperature than sounds right.
HA! It is a joke, but in reality that is how I feel every time I make these! Really though, let’s get to the ACTUAL recipe.
Ranch Smashed Potatoes Ingredients
- 24 oz baby red potatoes– The most important note here is to use the baby potatoes. I always use red, but you could also use golden. If you end up with bigger potatoes, they will still work, but you will have to cook them longer, both boiling and in the oven. The small ones are just so much easier to work with for this recipe.
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil- This sounds like kind of a lot and really it is a decent amount. You want enough to really coat the bottom of the pan as well as the tops and sides of all of the potatoes so they can really get crispy. You don’t end up eating it all since quite a bit stays on the pan after you serve it up, but there is no way around needing it on there to make it all nice in crispy the way you want it.
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning- This is the good stuff! I mean there is all this good food in life, but then you can make almost any of it better by adding ranch right? But really, I most often use Hidden Valley (pictured) you can find it in a packet (or box of 4 packets) in most any grocery store right in the section with the salad dressing. Sometimes I make up a big batch of homemade ranch seasoning which also works wonderfully in this recipe.
Ranch Smashed Potatoes Instructions
- Boil the potatoes about 20-30 minutes or until the fork not only can go through but they are very tender. Then drain the potatoes in a colander. Sometimes when you can get the fork in them, they still need a bit longer to really be soft enough to smash well. So make sure they are really tender before you get them out.
- Spread 2 tbsp of olive oil on a baking sheet so that it is completely covered, then arrange the potatoes on the cookie sheet so that they are evenly spaced.
Again, you don’t have to measure it, just make sure to cover the bottom of the pan so that nothing sticks. - Use a potato masher or the bottom of a glass to smash each potato until it is about 1/2 inch thick. I think the potato masher gives it a pretty look, but really all you need is something that can smash the potato down so that it is thin (about 1/2″and flat.)
Then sprinkle the seasoning directly on top of each potato and finish by drizzling the remaining olive oil over each potato generously. Another place where you don’t need to measure just make sure each one gets a nice generous amount.
How long to cook Smashed Potatoes
- Bake at 425˚F for 25-30 minutes or until the edges of the potatoes are browned and crispy. Depending on how thin the potatoes are and how your oven cooks it might be more or less time. I will say that it does seem like it is too long every time I set the timer but then ends up to be just right!
If you get a chance to make it, I would love it if you would take a moment to leave me a note. It just makes my day to know people are making my recipes. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @easyfamilyrecipes so I can see what you are cooking!
Ranch Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 24 oz baby red potatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, + 1 Tbsp extra
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning, Hidden Valley or homemade
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes about 20-30 minutes or until the fork not only can go through but they are very tender. Then drain the potatoes in a colander.
- Spread 2 tbsp of olive oil on a baking sheet so that it is completely covered, then arrange the potatoes on the cookie sheet so that they are evenly spaced.
- Use a potato masher or the bottom of a glass to smash each potato until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Then sprinkle the seasoning directly on top of each potato and finish by drizzling the remaining olive oil over each potato generously.
- Bake at 425˚F for 25-30 minutes or until the edges of the potatoes are browned and crispy. Serve hot and enjoy!
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