Smashed potatoes are truly one of the best potato dishes out there—and the only thing that can make them better is bacon! I personally love the combination of bacon and potatoes, and this recipe was inspired by my hatred of potato salad. I’ve never liked its soft, thick texture, and I started thinking about how I could make it better. That’s when bacon smashed potatoes came to mind. Smashing the potatoes got rid of that mushy texture, and the bacon vinaigrette replaced the nasty mayo with a delicious warm dressing. Is it close to potato salad? Not at all—but it is a potato dish dressed in a flavorful vinaigrette, and it’s perfect for a potluck!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Small Red Potatoes – Any small white / red potato works here. They are the best for smashing.
- Bacon – Make sure to get pork bacon for this recipe. Turkey bacon doesn’t produce enough fat for the dressing.
- Shallots + Garlic – These are used to flavor the dressing. Don’t omit if you can.
- Dijon + Maple Syrup – These are also used to flavor the dressing. Any mustard or sugar will work here.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe. However you can use a vinegar like apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Bacon Smashed Potatoes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hours
Total Time: 1 Hour 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 lb red baby potatoes
- olive oil to coat
- salt and pepper to taste
Bacon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 lb bacon
- 1 shallot, minced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
STEP 2.
Boil a medium pot of water and season with a few large pinches of salt. Add the potatoes and boil until they are fork tender, around 14-20 minutes. Drain and dry.
STEP 3.
Smash each potato with a flat object like a bench scraper. Place on a parchment lined sheet tray. Coat each side with an even layer of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
STEP 4.
Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove and flip them over and roast for another 10-20 minutes until they are crispy.
STEP 5.
Make the sauce – add bacon the bacon to a large pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook on each side until the bacon is cooked through and crispy, around 5-10 minutes per side. Remove the bacon and set aside.
STEP 6.
Add the shallot to the pan over medium heat and cook the shallots for 2 minutes, making sure to salt and stir. After 2 minutes stir in the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the bacon fat and shallot / garlic mixture to a bowl.
STEP 7.
In that bowl, whisk in maple syrup, dijon mustard. Once incorporated, whisk in lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
STEP 8.
Pour the sauce over the crispy smashed potatoes and garnish with green onions and the cooke bacon pieces. Enjoy!
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