Blackstone smashed potatoes are a delicious side dish that’s loaded with flavor. Though this recipe is often made in the oven, cooking smashed potatoes on your Blackstone griddle is an excellent way to achieve a fast, even cook with a perfectly golden crispy crust. Potatoes are the ultimate side dish for complementing many hearty entrees. When cooked on the Blackstone, these potatoes offer the additional bonus of being an extremely simple solution for a well-rounded and exciting meal.
Smashed potatoes are essentially a marriage between baked potatoes and fried potatoes. First, they’re softened over the stovetop until tender, then they’re flattened and cooked up on the griddle until their crispy perfection sets in. The end result is a creamy golden side that you can load up with your favorite toppings to enjoy exactly the way you prefer them.
Why you should try this recipe
- Texture: The texture of these Blackstone smashed potatoes can’t be beaten. Soft bites of potato are highlighted with a dark golden crust with a punchy herb and butter flavor.
- Easy prep: These potatoes can be prepped the night before so meal time can run even smoother. You can boil them ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator so when it’s time to cook, you’re just 15 minutes away from delicious smashed potatoes.
- Perfect side dish: Whether you’re cooking The Perfect Steak on the Blackstone or a batch of Blackstone Smash Burgers, these potatoes make an excellent sidekick. You can even switch up their seasoning to perfectly match your meal.
Ingredients in Blackstone Smashed Potatoes
- 1 pound Yellow Baby Potatoes: Creamy on the inside with a thin skin that crisps up easily, these potatoes are the perfect choice for making smashed potatoes.
- 2 tablespoons Salted Butter: Butter adds an excellent flavor to this recipe. By itself, butter has a low smoke point, which makes it less than ideal for direct use on the Blackstone. When paired with olive oil, however, it’s diluted and burns much less quickly.
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil: A high-quality olive oil will add rich flavor and the necessary moisture to keep these potatoes fluffy on the inside while the edges get nice and crispy.
- 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley: Fresh herbs brighten up this easy side dish, giving it more visual appeal and a necessary herbal flavor boost.
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan: Parmesan adds a bold distinct flavor that perfectly complements potatoes. You’ll want to use the dry powdery kind that’s sold in plastic jars.
- 1 tablespoon Salt: Potatoes need a lot of salt to reach their maximum flavor potential. This amount will be divided between the boiling and the Blackstone cooking.
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper: While simple, pepper is an important addition to this dish. It cuts the starchy flavor and provides a subtle heat that is the perfect counterpart for the rich buttery flavors.
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder: Garlic powder provides a convenient yet flavorful taste that evenly coats the potatoes with solid garlic flavor without the risk of overcooking that garlic cloves would introduce.
Instructions for making Blackstone Smashed Potatoes
1. Prepare the water: Fill a medium-sized pot with water. Add the potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then bring it to a boil.
2. Boil the potatoes: Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender enough for a fork to easily pierce them. Drain the potatoes and place into a large bowl to cool for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the Blackstone: Oil the Blackstone with vegetable oil or cooking spray and preheat to medium-high heat.
4. Prepare the potatoes: Drizzle the olive oil and butter on top of the potatoes then toss to coat.
5. Add the potatoes: Place the potatoes onto the griddle, leaving at least 3 inches of space between each one.
6. Smash the potatoes: Use the bottom of a mason jar, measuring cup, or spatula to smash the potatoes to about ¼” thickness.
7. Add seasoning: Sprinkle the potatoes with lightly salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Continue cooking until the bottom of the potatoes are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
8. Flip the potatoes: Flip the potatoes and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown, about 3 additional minutes.
9. Serve: When done, the potatoes will be tender and browned. Top with parmesan and parsley. Serve warm.
Variations and Substitutions
- Potato variety: Feel free to use a different variety of potatoes. Petite red potatoes or Russet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and even fingerling potatoes will work great. Just be sure that as you chop them, all the pieces are roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Herbs: Feel free to switch up the flavors for this recipe. You can try a different assortment of herbs or add some spice blends such as smoky Cajun seasoning or lemon pepper for a zesty alternative.
- Cheeses: Parmesan is a great place to start, but you can make these Blackstone smashed potatoes even more decadent with the addition of sharp cheddar for a bold taste or even gouda for a creamy, smoky twist. Additionally, instead of topping the cheese once the potatoes come off of the griddle, you can sprinkle some on right before flipping to create a crispy, golden crust.
- Garnishes: Let your creativity run wild with topping ideas. Try adding crispy bacon bits, chopped green onions, or even a dollop of sour cream to enhance these smashed potatoes specifically to your liking.
Tips and Tricks for Making Blackstone Smashed Potato
- Allow time to cool: The potatoes should be cooled before smashing them for the best results. Smashing them while warm can cause them to fall apart.
- Adjust the heat as needed: If you find that your potatoes are browning too quickly, feel free to reduce the heat a little so they don’t burn. It’s better to start with a lower heat than risk burning your batch of potatoes.
- Add the cheese and herbs last: With oven-baked smashed potatoes, you can add these during the baking process, however, the concentrated heat of the Blackstone makes this less ideal. Cheese and herbs can quickly burn. Adding them right before serving can help preserve their taste.
Related Recipes
Blackstone Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb yellow baby potatoes
- 2 tbsp butter, salted
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Fill a medium-sized pot with water. Add the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt, then bring it to a boil.
- Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender enough for a fork to easily pierce them. Drain the potatoes and place into a large bowl to cool for 30 minutes.
- Oil the Blackstone with vegetable oil or cooking spray and preheat to medium-high heat.
- Drizzle the olive oil and butter on top of the potatoes then toss to coat.
- Place the potatoes onto the griddle, leaving at least 3 inches of space between each one.
- Use the bottom of a mason jar, measuring cup, or spatula to smash the potatoes to about ¼” thickness.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with lightly remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Continue cooking until the bottom of the potatoes are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Flip the potatoes and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown, about 3 additional minutes.
- When done, the potatoes will be tender and browned. Top with parmesan and parsley. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
