Crispy, cheesy smashed potatoes loaded with bacon and BBQ sauce!
If you hadn’t clicked on already, these beauties are inspired by the British pub classic Hunters Chicken! Because is there any greater combination of BBQ, cheese and bacon? Well, there certainly is when you get potatoes involved Follow me…
Preparing Smashed Potatoes
Every time I make smashed potatoes, I’m always reminded of how awesome they are in comparison to regular roasted potatoes. By smashing the potatoes you increase the surface area of the potato, which results in the potatoes turning extra crispy. Plus, smashing potatoes is incredibly therapeutic too.
What kind of potatoes to use?
I highly recommend using baby potatoes. Some recipes use slightly larger varieties, but I find the smaller the spud the crispier they’ll be. Plus baby potatoes will cook a lot quicker too.
Boiling/Steaming the potatoes
The best way to prep the potatoes so they’re ready to be smashed is to boil them. Once they’re fork tender, I recommend then letting them steam dry for 5 or so minutes. This will help some of the moisture escape the potatoes and help them crisp up in the oven.
Process shots: add potatoes to salted water and boil (photo 1), drain and steam dry (photo 2), add to baking tray (photo 3).
Cheesy Smashed Potatoes
Once you’ve added the potatoes to a tray, you’ll want to coat them in olive oil and a simple seasoning mix of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Then, it’s time to smash!
How do you smash potatoes?
Press down on the potatoes until they’re flat. You’ll want to smash them fairly thin, but not so much that they break apart. I typically use a mug or measuring cup to do this.
From there, top with a pinch of cheddar and roast until deep golden and crispy!
Process shots: add seasoning and oil to potatoes (photo 1), toss (photo 2), smash potatoes (photos 3&4), add cheese (photo 5), bake (photo 6).
Hunters Smashed Potatoes FAQ
Can I use a different cheese?
Cheddar is the classic option for Hunters Chicken, so I definitely recommend using it here. Plus it crisps up really well and adds heaps of flavour.
What else could I use to smash the potatoes?
If I haven’t got a large-based mug on hand, I typically just use a fork or spatula, but honestly, any sort of flat utensil will do the trick!
How thin should I smash the potatoes?
The thinner you smash them, the crispier they’ll be. I typically smash as thin as I can get them without them falling apart, but you could keep them a little thicker if you’d prefer
Serving Hunters Smashed Potatoes
Once the smashed potatoes are out of the oven, you can go ahead and drizzle will BBQ sauce, then sprinkle with crispy bacon and fresh chives. I typically serve these in two different contexts:
- Finger Food – These work great as Finger Food with a Dip (here I’ve just used sour cream, but check out my Dips for more inspo).
- Side – You can also serve them as a Side. Chicken Tenders and Chicken Drumsticks work really well!
For another delicious ‘smashed’ recipe check out my Smashed Brussels Sprouts!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these Hunters Smashed Potatoes shall we?!
How to make Hunters Smashed Potatoes (Full Recipe & Video)
Hunters Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Pot & Colander (for boiling potatoes)
- Mug/Measuring Cup (for smashing potatoes)
- Large Baking Tray & Plastic Spatula (for baking potatoes)
- Tray or Pan (for cooking bacon)
- Box Grater (for cheese)
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board (for chives/bacon)
Ingredients
- 6 slices of Streaky Bacon, cooked & diced (see notes)
- 20 Baby Potatoes (approx 700g/1.5lb)
- 2 tsp + 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 100-120g / 3-4oz Cheddar, grated
- finely diced Fresh Chives, to garnish
- BBQ Sauce, as needed
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and add enough cold water to just about cover them. Stir in 2 tsp salt then bring to a boil. Cook for around 20 mins, or until fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and let them sit in the colander for 5 minutes to allow some steam to escape. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
- Add the potatoes to a large baking tray and toss them in olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread them out then use a mug or measuring cup to press down on each potato. The thinner you smash them, the crispier they'll be. Just be careful they don't break apart. You want them still intact. Use two trays if you need more room.
- Top the smashed potatoes with a pinch of cheese, then bake them in the oven for 30-35mins, or until deep golden & visibly crispy.
- Push the potatoes toward the centre of the tray to close up the gaps, then drizzle over BBQ sauce. You may need to use a spatula to lift them slightly. Top with bacon and chives then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Smashed Potato Recipes
- Loaded Smashed Potatoes
- Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
- Greek Smashed Potatoes
- EXTRA Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Brie, Bacon and Cranberry Smashed Potatoes
What temperature should you bake them at?
At the end of step 2 you’ll see ‘Preheat the oven to 200C/390F.’
Just made these and they are absolutely delicious! Had issues smashing the potatoes though, so some were thicker than I’d liked but still very tasty 🙂
Thanks so much for the review, Lisa! Glad to hear they went down well 🙂 C.