Who doesn't love Crispy Smashed Breakfast Potatoes? Lately, I’ve been mixing up the breakfast menu and remembered I had this small bunch of baby yukon gold potatoes from our CSA box that I knew I needed to use up this week. I immediately thought about making some crispy smashed potatoes, which are fun to make since you boil them until just knife tender, let them cool, then give them a light smash before frying them up to crisp the edges.
With a crunchy exterior and a slightly soft interior, these are a staple and are super versatile. Top them with a dollop of pesto and grated parmesan or a dollop of sour cream, chopped bacon, shredded cheddar, and chives. To me, they’re a fun take on a deconstructed baked potato.
Why You'll Love This Breakfast Potatoes Recipe
In this version for my Crispy Smashed Breakfast Potatoes, we elevate the easy-to-do smashed potatoes with fresh salsa and a sautéed pico de gallo. I know. Pico de gallo is usually made fresh where we usually don’t cook the ingredients but TRUST. It’s absolutely delicious. Top your potatoes with the sautéed pico de gallo, salsa, cotija, pickled onion, and some torn cilantro or parsley leaves and you’re in business. If opting to keep this vegan, leave out the cotija and top with some slow simmered pinto or black beans. Breakfast potatoes never tasted so good.
Ingredients for the Crispy Smashed Breakfast Potatoes
This breakfast potato recipe will yield two very generous servings or 4 excellent side dish portions. Here's what we need to make them:
- 1 pound baby yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 jalapeños, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
- 1 heirloom tomato, diced
- ¼ small white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Optional Garnishes: your favorite salsa, chopped cilantro, pickled red onion, cotija cheese, slow simmered pinto or black beans
How to Make Crispy Smashed Breakfast Potatoes
In a little more than half an hour these Crispy Smashed Breakfast Potatoes will be ready to devour. Here's how we make them:
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water (this will help to flavor the potatoes) with a few pinches of kosher salt and add in your potatoes. Cook potatoes until just knife tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool slightly.
While the potatoes cook, prep your sautéed pico de gallo by mincing your garlic and dicing your jalepeños, tomato, and onion. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan. Add in your pico de gallo mixture and sauté over medium heat until vegetables have softened and juices from the tomato begin to evaporate, about 10 minutes. Scoop your sautéed pico de gallo into a small bowl and allow to cool slightly while you finish the potatoes.
To finish the potatoes, using the palm of your hand, the bottom of a glass, or the back of a spoon, give the potatoes a gentle smash just to break the skin but not mash them entirely. You want them to keep their shape. Aim to keep the potatoes within about a ½ inch thickness once smashed. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat then add in your smashed potatoes. Let the potatoes fry up in the skillet about 2 to 3 minutes to allow the edges to crisp up before flipping and frying up the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Removed crisped potatoes to a plate and garnish with the sautéed pico de gallo and additional toppings as desired.
More Breakfast Potato Ideas to Love
Breakfast is such a favorite meal in our house and I love playing with so many ways to make potatoes. Here are a couple more ideas:
- These Easy Breakfast Potatoes use up seasonal zucchini and peppers.
- Broccoli Greens and Tomatoes are a wonderful summer addition to this version.
Crispy Smashed Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby yukon gold potatoes scrubbed
- 2 jalapeños stemmed and seeded, finely diced
- 1 heirloom tomato diced
- ¼ small white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Optional Garnishes: your favorite salsa chopped cilantro, pickled red onion, cotija cheese, slow simmered pinto or black beans
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water (this will help to flavor the potatoes) with a few pinches of kosher salt and add in your potatoes. Cook potatoes until just knife tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool slightly.
- While the potatoes cook, prep your sautéed pico de gallo by mincing your garlic and dicing your jalepeños, tomato, and onion. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan. Add in your pico de gallo mixture and sauté over medium heat until vegetables have softened and juices from the tomato begin to evaporate, about 10 minutes. Scoop your sautéed pico de gallo into a small bowl and allow to cool slightly while you finish the potatoes.
- To finish the potatoes, using the palm of your hand, the bottom of a glass, or the back of a spoon, give the potatoes a gentle smash just to break the skin but not mash them entirely. You want them to keep their shape. Aim to keep the potatoes within about a ½ inch thickness once smashed. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat then add in your smashed potatoes. Let the potatoes fry up in the skillet about 2 to 3 minutes to allow the edges to crisp up before flipping and frying up the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Removed crisped potatoes to a plate and garnish with the sautéed pico de gallo and additional toppings as desired.
