In some weird way, main dishes are easier to remember than great side dishes. Main dishes usually get all of the glory while sides are relegated, well, to the side. In my quest to find the easiest, fastest, healthiest, and most flavorful side dishes, I came across these incredible instant pot smashed potatoes. What I love about these potatoes is that you don’t have to be careful with them, quite the opposite actually. They have the perfect balance of a crispy outside and perfectly cooked inside with a bunch of flavor coming from the rosemary and chive seasoning. These potatoes go well with any dish, especially chicken, steak, and fish. Enjoy!
Which potatoes go best with this recipe?
My favorite potatoes for this recipe are baby Yukon Golds because they are the perfect size for smashing. You can also use Fingerling potatoes and baby Red Potatoes. I suggest that you stay away from cutting up a large potato into smaller pieces because with the baby potatoes you get the perfect ratio of crispy skin to soft interior and if you use a large potato cut up, you will throw off that ratio.
What is the best kind of butter and oil to use to lightly sauté these potatoes?
For this recipe I like to use real butter so that the flavor infuses into the skin of the potatoes when you are sautéing them. You can also use Ghee if you wish but I think the taste of real butter is important to get these potatoes as flavorful as possible.
My favorite high temperature cooking oil is Grapeseed oil. My favorite brand of Grapeseed oil is Pompeian but any should do. If you can’t find grapeseed oil at your local grocery store you can also use avocado oil. My favorite brand of avocado oil is La Trourangelle which you can find at Whole Foods or other big grocery chains.
One thing I would advise against is using a spray cooking oil because sprays can, over time, ruin pans because they create a really sticky residue that is hard to remove.
What are some great dipping sauces for these potatoes?
I really love dipping these potatoes in sour cream, ranch, or ketchup. You can also add a little more butter on them after you have served them as long as they are still hot so that the butter melts.
Which main dishes would you suggest making these potatoes with?
Here are some great main dish recipes that go perfectly with these instant pot smashed potatoes:
Recipe Video:
Instant Pot Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp chives chopped
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pour water into instant pot and put in potatoes.
- Set the pot to 5 minutes high pressure and cook.
- Once done cooking, let the pot natural release.
- Remove potatoes and drain liquid out of the pot.
- On a pan or cutting board, smash each potato with a fork or potato masher. Set aside.
- Back in the instant pot, heat butter and oil under “sauté” setting. Cook each smashed potato on each side for about 4 min (or until crispy and golden brown on outside). You can also bake in the oven to make it crispier.
- Sprinkle chives, rosemary, salt and pepper over potatoes.