Salt and vinegar smashed potatoes with crispy edges and a vinegar bite that doesn’t hold back, finished with rosemary so you know they came from a civilized kitchen, not the tide pool.
Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes Are Overconfident on Purpose
There’s always that one tourist on the Oregon coast, sometimes two, who assume they’re on the same wavelength as Zeus or Poseidon and therefore immune to natural consequences (smh). I see it all the time. They inch out onto a slick boulder, or worse, turn their back to the surf like they’ve been personally assured immunity by the Pacific. You can’t warn them because Oregon waves aren’t quiet. Every local just stares, because we know what’s coming: nature is about to teach a class and file paperwork.
These salt and vinegar smashed potatoes carry the same overconfidence. They don’t ease in, they arrive with the full authority of the ocean behind them. Sharp, briny, tangy enough to make your jaw do paperwork of its own. Mouth-puckering, but in the best way, like the first slap of cold spray when you get too close to the tide line.
These are not gentle potatoes. They’re my side-dish version of a sneaker wave, crispy edges, vinegar that claps back with full trident precision, and just a hint of “here’s what the Pacific would taste like if it were actually delicious.”
They roll onto the table like, “prepare yourself.”
And honestly? I love them for it.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Like my favorite salt and vinegar chips, but hotter.
- Perfect little platforms to deliver a caviar smutz. Promise.
- Crispy, briny, absolutely not gentle. Just as flavorful as my roasted potatoes with asparagus.
Ingredients
The essentials behind these overconfident sheet pan smashed potatoes:
- Small potatoes – Fingerlings or little new potatoes. They smash and crisp the best.
- Olive oil – Gives their jagged edges their tide-pool shimmer.
- Kosher salt – The brine they deserve.
- Black pepper – Just for balance.
- Fresh rosemary – The cultured flourish.
- Apple cider vinegar – the puckery wave that hits last. If you love a vinegar bite, my Carolina-style brown sugar vinegar bbq sauce brings the same sharp thrill to anything you brush it on.
How to Make Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.
- Step One (boil the potatoes):
Get the oven heating to 425°F (220°C) while the potatoes take a dip in salted water. Bring them to a boil and cook until they’re fork tender. Drain them and let them cool down just enough so you’re not juggling lava. - Step Two (smash them):
Coat a sheet pan with olive oil and set the potatoes on top. Press each one down gently with a potato masher until they’re about a half inch (1.25 cm) thick. This is where they start developing some personality. - Step Three (season and roast):
Brush the tops with more olive oil and season with kosher salt, black pepper, and rosemary. Slide the pan into the oven for about twenty five minutes, just long enough for the edges to get brown, crispy, and a little bold. - Step Four (bring the vinegar):
Pull the potatoes out while they’re hot and brush them with apple cider vinegar. It’s the same sharp moment I love in my Western Carolina BBQ sauce. Taste one, adjust the salt or vinegar if you want them punchier, and get them on the table while those edges are still crunchy.
Recipe Tips
A few rules before these crispy potatoes correct you:
- Boil until truly tender – half-cooked potatoes don’t smash and will fight back.
- Dry potatoes crisp better – let them steam off after draining so the sheet pan oil sticks. Same method I use in my cheesy-crushed rosemary roasted red potato coins, where the whole goal is maximum crackle.
- Oil like you’re not paying for it – this is where the crisp comes from.
- Smash height matters – right around that half inch sweet spot gives you the perfect ratio of fluffy center to crispy, feral edge.
- Season while they’re hot – rosemary and salt cling better when the potatoes have just been brushed with oil.
- Season aggressively – they can handle it, they asked for it. Same instinct as my green olive puttanesca pasta, and olive cheese bread, salty from the first bite.
- Vinegar goes on last – the sneaker wave that hits you from behind.
- Taste and adjust – salt and vinegar are a choose-your-own-mouth-pucker.
Storage and Leftovers
These smashed potatoes do okay in the fridge, but let’s be honest, they’re never as POW-erful on day two without a little coaching.
- Store in an airtight container. They’ll hold in the fridge, but give them a little space so the edges don’t steam themselves soft.
- Reheat in the oven. A hot sheet pan at 375°F (190°C) brings the crunch back in about ten to fifteen minutes. Microwaving these is like sending a sailor into battle with a pool noodle. Don’t.
- Revive. Give them a fresh brush of apple cider vinegar before reheating. Anyone who loves that jolt of tang usually keeps my pickled red onions in their fridge too.
FAQs
- Can I use a different vinegar?
You can, but don’t. ACV is the one that gives these their “I think I can outsmart the ocean” bite. Anything softer turns them into polite potatoes, and that’s not the assignment. - Do I have to smash them?
Yes. A whole potato won’t crisp, and a half-hearted smash won’t either. Give them real pressure. This is not a place for gentle hands. - Can I make them ahead?
Boil and smash ahead is fine. But don’t bake until you’re actually eating. A pre-baked smashed potato sitting in your fridge is like a sneaker wave paused mid-air. It loses all its game. - Why brush the vinegar at the end?
Because roasting it off in the oven loses the punch. The post-bake brush is what gives that sharp, briny, “should I have signed a waiver?” finish. - Can I use dried rosemary?
You could, but it’s not the same. Fresh rosemary is the flex that keeps these from turning fully normal. - Do they reheat well?
Yes, as long as you oven them back to life and re-vinegar before serving. Anything less and they collapse like a tourist who didn’t respect the tide chart.
More Recipes From The Bolder Side Of The Kitchen
If you’ve made it this far, you’re clearly not afraid of a little kitchen turbulence.
- Dill Pickle Soup – briny swagger that snatches taste buds by the collar.
- Pizza Potatoes – a sheet pan potato recipe with a pulse.
- Salt and Vinegar Chip Scalloped Potatoes – sharp and vinegary in the most committed way.
- Homemade Refrigerator Pickles – tangy crunch that stays crisp and alive.
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Salt and Vinegar Smashed PotatoesCrispy salt and vinegar smashed potatoes with sharp tang, crackly edges, and fresh rosemary. A vinegar-forward sheet pan potato that turns out crisp, briny, and full of character every single time.
Servings: 4
Calories: 235kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
VideoNotes
NutritionNutrition Facts
Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
Amount Per Serving (225 g)
Calories 235
Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11% Saturated Fat 1g6% Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Sodium 210mg9% Potassium 900mg26% Carbohydrates 38g13% Fiber 4g17% Sugar 2g2% Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 20IU0% Vitamin C 16mg19% Calcium 25mg3% Iron 1mg6% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Have you made these Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes? I’d love to hear how they turned out — leave a comment below and let me know.
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Laura says
delicious! and for the record, i think when it’s adapted from a million different recipes you can just call it your own recipe 😉
Stephanie says
Wouldn’t you want to use malt vinegar, just to get that real chip shop taste?
Julie says
I absolutely adored the extra tang that the cider vinegar adds…I can almost taste it again now!
Rachel the SdOC says
Good idea to give your potatoes to some tang that way. I love those s&v potato chips after all.
TheKeenanCookBook says
The rosemary in my garden was planted specifically for my potato recipe needs (The Irish blood in me just loves them!). This recipe is being bookmarked for my next steak dinner. Yum!
annbb says
That was just wonderful! I adore salt and vinegar chips, and this is better.
Kim in MD says
I love salt and vinegar chips, so I loved these salt and vinegar potatoes! Great idea!
Mrs. L says
I so love salt and vinegar chips! And I’m a potatoaholic so these were perfect.
Quay Po Cooks says
I love roasted potatoes with herbs. Adding a little vinegar was a great idea. They turned out perfect.
Blond Duck says
Totally drooling! These salt and vinegar potatoes were amazing.
Pamela says
Cathy, you have provided so many good foods in my area via references to your blog I have given and dishes I have made for friends and events courtesy of your posted recipes, thank you. Tonight I made your vinegar and salt potatoes, for my family and friends. They loved them and asked for your connection! I hope all is going well, growing great grapes, family happy! End of the school year yet? Take care,
Pam
Barbara says
I used to love french fries with vinegar when I was a kid. So I knew I was going to love these.
Bob says
I never thought to do crash hots with vinegar, I loved it. This is so how I’m doing them from now on.
Rae says
I made these on Saturday for a party that I hosted. They were an instant hit. I used fingerling potatoes that were different colors. They provided such an unique presentation. Some guests suggested that they could even be an appetizer. They preferred these over calorie laden potato skins. Definitely a keeper recipe. Thanks!
Shelby says
We made this last night and oh my were they delicious! We used fleur de sel instead of kosher salt. So yummy! One of my new fav side dishes!!!
Jill says
Great recipe! My family and I loved it. One question, how do you get the potatoes to stay as one piece? As soon as I “gently mashed” they just broke all over the place. I used small potatoes that looked exactly like your before mashing. They were what I considered fork tender and after then baking for 25 minutes tasted delicious. They just didn’t look quite as pretty!
Ashley says
I have made this type of potatoes several times, but I made them tonight with the cider vinegar. I’m not a fan of salt and vinegar chips, but I decided to try them with it anyway. It has made these by far the most delicious ones to date. I never need to make them another way!
Kevin says
this is great. I actually did a similar recipe but boiled the potatoes first in white vinegar and water 50/50. Then smashed them under a broil with rosemary, rock salt and olive oil. Yum. pretty vinegary but I like that.
Mama B says
Just added this to my “food I want to try” board on Pinterest (minus the rosemary). Thanks for sharing!
ruth says
always looking for new potato recipes. this one is super easy and so tasty! i made this for breakfast and served with fresh fruit. thanks
Megan's Cookin' says
What a fun side dish! You always have some of the best food. Thank you Cathy,I will be making these soon.
Katherine says
Love this recipe! Salt and vinegar chips are my favorite, and I just made these potatoes, and they’re delicious. Better than the chips I think. 🙂
ahoova says
if you want them even tangier, you can boil the potatoes in vinegar instead of water.
Lauren Kelly says
Even my potato-hating son loved these! They are so delicious and will definitely make again soon!
Beth Pierce says
Yummy! This looks so delicious!
wilhelmina says
These salt and vinegar potatoes are so good! The fluffy insides, the crispy edge = perfection. This salt and vinegar version was a new one for me, but it is yummy!
Cathy says
Agreed! Baked salt and vinegar potatoes are the best!
Katie says
I love smashed roasted potatoes with rosemary and this adds an extra salt and vinegar zip to the flavor. So tasty!
Cathy says
Yep, we definitely love salt and vinegar potatoes at our house!
Delia says
These salt and vinegar potatoes are seriously the best thing ever.
Cathy says
Glad you love them.
Belle says
The absolute best salt and vinegar potatoes.
Jena says
These salt and vinegar potatoes were the perfect side dish for our roast chicken. Total winner.
Kristyn says
Love this!! I can eat potatoes in any form, any day! They are my favorite, but these are up there! Love the flavor!
Agnes says
I love both rosemary and salt and vinegar chips, so this recipe was a real winner!! It was the perfect side dish for steak!
Caroline Y says
This recipe got my picky 12 year old to eat potatoes! SO good!
Eden says
Smashed potatoes are my favorite!! These were incredibly flavorful and so good. I’m going to make them for Thanksgiving this year too!
Sally says
Just made these for dinner and they were so wonderful! Loved every bite.
Harry says
Honestly everyone loved these potatoes, they were perfection.
Pat Nugent says
I used a mixture of malt vinegar and cider vinegar. I also brushed with unsalted butter after removing from oven. Yummy!