Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (2024)

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Whether you’re looking for a new party recipe or a side dish to brighten up any protein, Chimichurri Smashed Potatoes are up to the task.

Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (1)

Have you heard about smashed potatoes?

They’re basically the best of both mashed and roasted potato worlds. Two delicious preparations all rolled into one.

I love this recipe when baby potatoes are in season during early spring. Spuds add a certain level of heartiness to vegetarian stews and other main dishes, but my favorite way to eat them is all on their own.

Extra points if they’re crispy.

To be honest, it took me a little bit to give the smashed-potato technique a try. Mostly because of the time.

You’ll need a solid hour to cook these baby yellow potatoes to crispy, smashed perfection, but it’s worth it. Most of the minutes are hands-off, so the actual labor involved is almost nothing. They’re actually pretty weeknight friendly!

Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (2)

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

The first step is boiling the potatoes until they’re soft enough to easily pierce with a fork (and I do mean easily). Softer potatoes are easier to smash, so it’s better to err on the side of overcooking them versus trying to pluck them out of the pot too soon.

The potatoes will be really hot at first, so allow them to cool for a few minutes after they’re drained. Then spread them on a baking sheet and get to smashing.

Use a fork or a potato masher to press into the center of each potato until it begins to break open. The trick is to remove the fork just before it hits the bottom portion of the potato so everything still holds together. (It’s no big deal if some of the pieces fall apart during this process!)

Once the potatoes are smashed, I like to brush them with grapeseed oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper before they go into the oven.

The oil helps the potatoes get nice and crispy, and this is obviously what we’re after.

Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (3)
Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (4)

Now we chimichurri.

Don’t get me wrong. These smashed potatoes are delicious all on their own, but their flavor reaches a whole new peak with the addition of homemade chimichurri.

Fresh herbs make anything feel more springy. There’s just something about all that green.

Some people make chimichurri in the food processor, but I like to go au naturel and mix by hand. A knife and a whisk (or fork) are all you need to make a zippy and herbaceous chimichurri sauce out of fresh herbs, garlic, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

I also took the liberty of adding some hemp hearts for a boost of texture and essential omega fats. It may not be authentic to the chimichurri recipes from Argentina and Uruguay, but I had to give it my own little spin.

Serve these Chimichurri Smashed Potatoes as a party app or on the side with your favorite protein. Either way, they're going to to make your day.

📖 Recipe

Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (5)

Chimichurri Smashed Potatoes

Crispy baby yellow potatoes smashed and topped with a zippy and herbaceous homemade chimichurri sauce.

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Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: gluten-free, Latin American, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Author: Stephanie McKercher, RDN

Ingredients

Potatoes:

  • 12 baby potatoes (1 ½ pound)
  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
  • Salt and pepper

Chimichurri Sauce:

  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
  • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon hemp hearts (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (reduce or omit for mild flavor)
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Prepare the potatoes:

  • Boil potatoes in a large stockpot 30 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. While the potatoes are boiling, preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet.

  • Drain cooked potatoes and spread on prepared baking sheet to cool. Once potatoes are cool enough to touch, use the flat side of a fork or a potato masher to press into the center of each potato until it smashes. Remove the fork just before you reach the bottom of the potato to hold it together. Brush with grapeseed oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  • Place baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake 30 minutes, or until the edges of the potatoes turn brown and crispy.

Prepare the chimichurri sauce:

  • While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the chimichurri sauce. Whisk parsley, cilantro, red wine vinegar, garlic, hemp hearts (if using), crushed red pepper and salt and pepper. Stir in extra virgin olive oil and allow the sauce to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.

Serve:

  • Remove potatoes from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Spoon chimichurri on top of each potato. Serve any remaining sauce on the side if desired.

Notes

If you prefer smooth and creamy chimichurri sauce, pulse in a food processor before spooning on top of the potatoes.

Use this chimichurri sauce on tacos, grain bowls, or any roasted vegetable.

Tried this recipe? Tag me on Instagram!Mention @GratefulGrazer or tag #gratefulgrazer.

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Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (6)
Smashed Potatoes Chimichurri Sauce Recipe | Grateful Grazer (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay make smashed potatoes? ›

Gordon Ramsay begins by boiling the potatoes in salted water. Next, he drains the potatoes. After that, he stirs in butter, sour cream, herbs, and seasoning. This is Gordon Ramsay's version of smashed potatoes, which differs from the one in this recipe.

What is chimichurri sauce used for? ›

Chimichurri complements any number of meats and vegetables. Here are some of our favorite ways to use chimichurri sauce: Serve it alongside grilled steak or pork chops, roasted chicken, poached salmon or sauteed shrimp. Drizzle it over grilled vegetable kebabs or oven-roasted vegetables.

How long is homemade chimichurri? ›

How long does chimichurri sauce last? Shelf life: Chimichurri evolves in its flavor as it ages. The fresh stage lasts about 2 to 3 weeks when refrigerated, and about 7 days if not.

Why are my smashed potatoes falling apart? ›

This could be caused by a few things. Your potatoes may be under-cooked: If the potatoes aren't boiled all the way through, they may not hold their shape when being smashed and then crumble. Your potatoes may be over-smashed: Don't be too aggressive when smashing the potatoes as this can cause them to break apart.

How do you thicken smashed potatoes? ›

Option 1: Turn up the heat on your stovetop to draw out the moisture. Option 2: Add a teaspoon of a thickening agent like cornstarch, flour or powdered milk until you reach the desired thickness. Option 3: Mix in 1 tablespoon of dehydrated potatoes until mashed potatoes are thicker.

Why put a raw egg in mashed potatoes? ›

Adding egg yolks to a pot of mashed potatoes is an easy, dairy-free texture and taste upgrade that doesn't require any special techniques. The yolks harbor all the flavorful fats and emulsifying components and will thus effectively unify the fat and water in potatoes, translating to a smoother, uniformly creamy pot.

Why do chefs soak potatoes in water? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

How many smashed potatoes per person? ›

Although the serving size for mashed potatoes is 1 cup, if you're making mash as a side dish, you can halve this amount. Or not! It depends on how hungry you're feeling. You can also batch cook mashed potatoes and have leftovers for the next day.

Why is my chimichurri bitter? ›

Chimichurri can become bitter if the ingredients aren't balanced properly. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to fix bitter-tasting chimichurri. Adding more acidity, like citrus or vinegar, can counteract bitter flavors. You can also add a touch of sweetness in the form of honey or sugar.

Why is chimichurri so good? ›

The tang of the vinegar combined with herbs (usually parsley and/or cilantro, but often oregano too), punchy fresh garlic and mellow olive oil creates something like the perfect dinner party in your mouth: interesting and balanced—with no single element dominating the conversation.

Can chimichurri go bad? ›

It doesn't go bad; no oil so it won't go rancid. Do refrigerate it. You could freeze it, but there's not really a point to it since the vinegar basically pickles the parsley. That being said, there are about as many chimichurri recipes as there are Argentinians.

Why is my chimichurri brown? ›

Recipe Tips

Use the sharpest knife in your kitchen when making this recipe. A dull knife can pulverize the herbs making the chimichurri look kind of brown.

Should you refrigerate chimichurri? ›

Chimichurri sauce keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it! I like to portion it into ice cube trays so that I can thaw a little at a time. The cubes will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How does Rachael Ray keep her mashed potatoes warm? ›

Rachael Ray's Solution for Keeping Mashed Potatoes Warm

"Hold your mashed potatoes in a bain-marie, or water bath, with a lid on top [and] they stay for hours — days really," Ray, who recently partnered with Home Chef, said in an interview with Allrecipes. The method is oh-so-simple.

What's the difference between smashed potatoes and mashed potatoes? ›

And yes, smashed and mashed are two distinct things. While some people might use the terms smash and mash interchangeably, they are not the same. 'Smash' is when you merely break something into pieces. However, "mash" means you reduce a food to a soft, pulpy mass.

How to make mashed potatoes Paula Deen? ›

directions
  1. In a medium saucepan, cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. ...
  2. Add the butter, sour cream and garlic.
  3. Mashr the potatoes with a potato masher or the back of a fork until the ingredients are blended.
  4. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes are the desired consistency.

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