Looking for a delicious and easy-to-make side dish that's perfect for any occasion? Try these Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce! Baby potatoes are boiled until tender, coated in salt, and smashed before roasting to a golden crisp. The resulting dish includes fluffy and buttery potatoes with delightfully salty and crispy skin. A creamy and tangy lemon dill cream sauce is drizzled over top, ensuring that this easy side dish becomes the highlight of your dinner!
Jump to:
- Ingredients needed for Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
- How to Make Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
- What kind of potatoes are best for smashed potatoes?
- Tips for Perfect Smashed Potatoes
- How to Make Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
- Serving Suggestions for Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
- A note for special diets
- What tools do I need to make these smashed potatoes?
- Looking for more side dish recipes?
- Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
Ingredients needed for Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
- Baby potatoes - I like to use a tri-color of red, gold, and purple but you can use whatever baby potatoes you like best. Fingerling potatoes also work well!
- Unsalted butter
- Sour cream
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon - Just the lemon zest is used so you'll want to have a citrus zester like this one on hand!
- Fresh dill
- Olive oil
- Garlic-infused olive oil - fresh minced garlic or garlic powder can also be used if you prefer!
- Kosher salt
How to Make Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
Smashed potatoes are cooked twice: First, they're boiled, then they're roasted. Boiling the potatoes first allows the potato to become fully cooked and tender while retaining their fluffy insides. Then, after coating in olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, the potatoes are gently smashed with a fork (or potato masher), drizzled with melted butter, and roasted in the oven until their skins are nice and crispy. The 2-step cooking method produces a fluffy and crispy combination that is really the best of both worlds.
What kind of potatoes are best for smashed potatoes?
Baby potatoes are best for smashed potatoes because they can be boiled and roasted whole, which helps ensure that the texture of the inside of the potato stays soft and fluffy and the outside crisp. Larger potatoes will not cook as evenly when boiled whole and slicing a large potato before boiling will not yield the same texture as the skin helps create a barrier to steam the inside of the potato and prevent them from disintegrating.
For this smashed potato recipe I usually use a mix of red, gold, and purple baby potatoes, but feel free to use whatever baby potatoes are easily accessible to you. This recipe also works really well with fingerling potatoes as an alternative.
Tips for Perfect Smashed Potatoes
- Use baby potatoes of a similar size - Potatoes of a similar size will roast and crisp more evenly than those that are oddly sized.
- Gently pat potatoes dry after boiling - After boiling the potatoes I like to gently pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel so they are not water-logged. Water will encourage the potatoes to steam in the oven rather than crisp, and will make it that much harder for olive oil to coat the skins. Be gentle when patting dry or your potato skins are likely to peel off the flesh.
- Coat the potatoes in oil and salt - After the potatoes have been pat dry to remove excess water, I like to lightly coat them in olive oil and then generously sprinkle them with kosher salt -- This is my go-to kosher salt! The olive oil will help the skins crisp and brown better and helps the salt stick to the skins.
- Roast them in one even layer - The smashed potatoes will take up most of the space on a baker's half-sheet pan, but they should all fit in one even layer.
- Use unsalted butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter for drizzling the insides of the smashed potatoes for two reasons. One, because the skins are already generously coated in salt, and second because the lemon dill cream sauce will add additional salt once added to the potatoes. If you feel that the potatoes would benefit from additional salt, I find that it's best to add it to taste once fully assembled.
- Drizzle with a creamy sauce - The lemon dill cream sauce is one of my favorite ways to enjoy smashed potatoes. Other favorite smashed potato recipes are these Buffalo Smashed Potatoes or these Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce.
How to Make Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
The lemon dill cream sauce is creamy, bright, and tangy owing to a balance of creamy mayo and sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, garlic-infused olive oil, fresh dill, and just a pinch of kosher salt. Simply mix the ingredients together until combined and top your smashed potatoes!
I prefer to use lemon zest rather than lemon juice in this creamy lemon sauce because the natural oils of the peel offer a pure lemon flavor that nicely balances the flavor of the sauce without overpowering it with acidity. Lemon juice, on the other hand, has a sharp acidity that can sometimes overpower a creamy sauce like this. Although most traditional graters come with a fine grating side, I find that a citrus zester makes a world of difference when zesting citrus -- This is a good citrus zester!
Some of my other favorite easy sauce recipes that would be delicious on smashed potatoes:
- Avocado Chimichurri Sauce
- Romesco Sauce
- Buttermilk Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
- Lemon Herb Tartar Sauce
- Special Sauce
- Basil Walnut Pesto
Serving Suggestions for Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
These Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce pair perfectly as a side dish to main courses such as roasted chicken, steak, or fish -- I particularly love serving these potatoes with roasted salmon! If there happens to be any leftover sauce, I love to drizzle it over roasted veggies like asparagus, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts.
A note for special diets
These Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce are easily enjoyed as a grain-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian dish. If you opt to use garlic-infused olive oil and lactose-free sour cream, they can also be considered friendly for low-FODMAP diets.
What tools do I need to make these smashed potatoes?
- A cutting board
- A chefs knife
- A citrus zester
- A kitchen scale
- Measuring spoons
- A large pot
- A colander
- A clean kitchen towel
- A small bowl
- A regular fork (or potato masher)
- A regular spoon (for mixing and drizzling the sauce)
Are you looking to upgrade your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more side dish recipes?
Love this Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce recipe? Here are some more of my favorite easy side dish recipes to make your dinner extra delicious!
- Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce
- Buffalo Smashed Potatoes
- Twice-Baked Colcannon Potatoes
- Creamy Dijon Dill Potato Salad
- Roasted Greek Potatoes with Whipped Feta
- Roasted Cinnamon Garlic Sweet Potatoes
- Charred Broccolini with Lemon, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan
- Za'atar Roasted Carrots with Labneh, Honey, and Pistachios
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Sriracha Sauce
Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Oven / Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Looking for a delicious and easy-to-make side dish that's perfect for any occasion? Try these Smashed Potatoes with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce! Baby potatoes are boiled until tender, coated in salt, and smashed before roasting to a golden crisp. The resulting dish includes fluffy and buttery potatoes with delightfully salty and crispy skin. A creamy and tangy lemon dill cream sauce is drizzled over top, ensuring that this easy side dish becomes the highlight of your dinner!
Ingredients
For the smashed potatoes:
- 2 lbs baby potatoes, scrubbed clean (I used tri-color)*
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the lemon dill cream sauce:
- 6 tbsp (90 g) sour cream
- 4 tbsp (56 g) mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (see notes for substitutions)**
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced, plus more to garnish if desired
- Zest of 1 lemon, plus more to garnish if desired
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Optional: cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the smashed potatoes:
- Add the potatoes to a large pot, cover with water, and set to boil over high heat. Cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender. I find in most cases that this takes around 25 minutes from when you first set the pot to heat.
- While the potatoes boil, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit / 220 degrees Celcius. Line a baker's half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set it to the side.
- Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them into a large colander. I like to take a clean kitchen towel and give them a gentle pat dry. Don't worry about getting all the water or drying the potatoes individually! You just want to make sure that the potatoes aren't water-logged so that the oil coats the skins properly and they crisp up better.
- Transfer the potatoes to the sheet pan and give them another pat dry if needed. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil on top of the potatoes and coat by hand (or gently with a wooden spoon if they are too hot to the touch!). Repeat with 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, until the potato skins have an oily, grainy texture.
- Using a fork (or a potato masher), gently press down on each potato with the flat portion of the fork tines until the skin breaks and they flatten slightly leaving a crater in the center. Don't worry if some of the potatoes break in half, some of them likely will and they will still be perfectly delicious.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the potatoes, making sure that each crater has butter.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes (depending on size of your potatoes) or until the skins and edges have gone crisp and the lighter-colored potatoes are starting to turn golden.
For the lemon dill cream sauce:
- Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic-infused olive oil (or olive oil + garlic), Dijon mustard, minced dill, lemon zest, and kosher salt (all of the sauce ingredients) in a small prep bowl. Mix together with a spoon until well combined.
- Once the potatoes have come out of the oven, drizzle them with the sauce. If there's any sauce left over, it's delicious on fish, chicken, veggies, etc.
- Garnish with the optional extra chopped fresh dill, lemon zest, and a few cracks of black pepper if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
4/4/23 This recipe was updated and may no longer fit specified dietary preferences from previous versions of this post.
* I usually use a mix of red, gold, and purple baby potatoes, but feel free to use whatever baby potatoes are easily accessible to you. This recipe also works really well with fingerling potatoes as an alternative.
** Garlic-infused olive oil is a staple in low-fodmap pantries. If it's not easily accessible to you, feel free to swap for an equal 1 tablespoon portion of olive oil plus 1 minced clove of garlic or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 422
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 653 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 48 mg
Donny says
Drooling over here. Love your idea of serving it with salmon. Totally trying that!
Yang says
wow, your smashed potatoes look amazing! I am definitely going to try it next time and make that magic lemon dill sauce!! Yum.
Jessica says
I love that "smashed" is in the title 🙂 I'll be sure to invite my children to join the fun!
Megan Stevens says
Love the cream sauce to make these extra special, and love that you've reminded me to buy the heirloom purples! Great recipe, thanks!
Sophia says
Smashed potatoes are such a simple and delicious side dish! I love the idea of a dill sauce, yum!
Stephanie says
Holy cow do these look delicious or what! I've been wanting to try smashed potatoes for the longest time and these look like the perfect place to start.
Marlynn | Urban Bliss Life says
I love the different kinds of potatoes you used! That lemon dill cream sauce sounds delicious.
Emmanuella Sjögren says
These look so amazing! I love smashe potatotiess. I love the use of the different kinds of potatoes and the flavor combo. Makes me want to grab that fork.
Kelly Anthony says
I'm also a lover of all things potatoes and these look amazing. The dill cream sauce really makes this recipe stand out.
Mimi says
When I think of smashed potatoes, I have an exactly same picture in my mind as the one you have here. And the amount of that sauce is just perfect!
April says
No doubts this is one of the best potato recipes I have seen lately. So much attention to details, and all that flavor must be out of this world!
Jori says
I always associate lemon, dill and cream with seafood, but they're definitely a win with potatoes, too! Bet this would be perfect on a bubble and squeak as well.
Jayashree says
We are potato lovers at home and this is a great way to use them Would love to try these.
Danieal says
Absolutely adore that you used different colors of potatoes and wanna take the fork from the first pic and put in right in my mouth! Looks mouth watering delicious! Def inspired to get my smashed potato game on! Thanks so much for sharing :).
Lorie says
I know 100% that this lemon dill sauce will become my new obsession. I plan on making double the batch so that I can put it on more than just these potatoes’
Whip & Wander says
I always like to make a little extra to drizzle on fish and asparagus!