Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Butter
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These smashed sweet potatoes are cozy, crispy, and packed with fall flavor, with golden edges, soft centers, and plenty of savory contrast. Finished with Parmesan, fresh thyme, and a crunchy smoky pecan topping, they’re the kind of side dish that quietly steals the show.
These smashed sweet potatoes hit that sweet spot between cozy and a little indulgent — exactly what I want on a fall table. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are boiled until tender, smashed into rustic little puddles, then finished with butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, and a shower of Parmesan. The broiler works its magic here, turning the edges crisp and golden while the centers stay soft and creamy.
What really takes them over the top is the smoky pecan topping. Pecans get toasted in butter with smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne, bringing warm, toasty crunch and just enough heat to balance the sweetness of the potatoes. The result is a dish full of contrast — crispy and tender, savory and sweet — and one I find myself making again and again once sweet potato season rolls around.
What to serve with smashed sweet potatoes
Smashed sweet potatoes are a delicious side dish with lots of flavor packed in to every bite. Here’s what to serve with them:
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Cranberry Pork Chops
- Roasted Beet and Kale Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Recipe FAQs
Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes?
You can leave the skin on and save the peeling. The skin helps them hold their shape and crisp up in the oven.
How to avoid soggy sweet potatoes
Avoid over-boiling the sweet potatoes. They should be soft but not soggy when they come out of the water. They’ll stand a much better chance of crisping up in the oven when it’s time to broil.
Smashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 sweet potatoes (about 1 lb each)
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cloves garlic (very finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: cayenne, salt, and pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- Fresh thyme (for serving)
Smoky Pecans
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup pecans (coarsely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1 ½ inch rounds. You'll get about 6 per sweet potato.3 sweet potatoes (about 1 lb each)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and boil them for 15 minutes, until they can be pierced with a fork but are not mushy. When they've finished cooking, remove them from the pot and place them on the baking sheet.
- While the sweet potatoes are boiling, make the smoky pecans. Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan over medium heat. Mix in the pecans, smoked paprika, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne and then let them toast, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until they are fragrant.1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 cup pecans, ¼ teaspoon EACH: sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne
- While the pecans are toasting, make the herb and garlic butter. Melt butter in a small pan and add the garlic, Italian seasoning, cayenne, salt, and pepper and let the garlic cook for 1 minute.½ cup butter, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon EACH: cayenne, salt, and pepper
- Carefully smash the sweet potatoes using a fork. It works best to stab the centers a few times and then use the fork to push the sweet potatoes down around the edges of the circles. Drizzle the herb and garlic butter over the sweet potatoes.
- Roast the smashed sweet potatoes for 20 minutes then turn your oven to broil. If you're using the parmesan cheese, sprinkle it over the sweet potatoes. Return the sweet potatoes to the oven and broil for 5 minutes – until the tops start to get crispy. Serve the smashed sweet potatoes with the smoky pecans and some thyme over the top.½ cup grated parmesan cheese, Fresh thyme
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
In step 3, you say while the sweet potatoes are cooking…are they in the oven at that point or while they are still boiling?
It doesn’t state how long to put them in the oven for until step 5 for 20 minutes.
I’m a little confused 🙁
Sorry for the confusion. It is while they are boiling. 🙂
Outstanding! Included it in our Thanksgiving line-up;
everyone very happy! Thanks so much.
Awesome! So happy you like the recipe!
At what oven temp do you toast the pecans at?
How far in advance can you make this?
The pecans are toasted at 400 degrees. You can boil the sweet potatoes, make the butter, and toast the pecans ahead of time. Then all you need to do before dinner is broil the sweet potatoes. Expect a few extra minutes of cook time if the sweet potatoes are cold. 🙂
What spices would you recommend as substitutes if I wanted to make this AIP? I’m new to the lifestyle and still learn flavor profiles of spices. I appreciate any suggestions you can offer.
I’m honestly not familiar with AIP. I’m sorry!
Thank you for a new, fantastic way to prepare sweet potatoes! Total hit this dish. Everyone loved it, especially the pecans, though we couldn’t find smoky paprika and subbed with garam Marsala.
One thing though, ours were kind of soggy after they came out of the oven. They never really crisped even though I left them even longer with the broiler on. Should I try boiling them a little bit less next time?
Thanks!!!
I’m so happy you liked them! Yes, you might want to boil them a little less. They should be soft but not soggy when they come out of the water. 🙂
Do you peel them? I love this flavor combo. I wonder how to turn this into a casserole for a large group. We’re having 40 for Thanksgiving.
Nope! The skin helps keep them together and gets a bit crispy when cooked. If you wanted to make them as is, you can boil them and set them on a baking sheet first and make the pecans and butter ahead of time. When the turkey comes out of the oven, you can pop these in to roast while the turkey rests. 🙂
Kristen… I Love how your Meals Look. I’m wanting to know a few things. 1st~When you are saying Roast in the Oven before turning the Broiler on for a minute or so, “What exactly is Roast Temp, in an Oven? (2) I wish there was a Video, Showing…All the ways to Dice,Chop,Finely Dice, Finely Chop, & so on. It’s very confusing to me. Lastly…These Look Absolutely Amazing! Can’t wait to try them. Thank You!!! ?
So you’re going to want to start out by roasting them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Broiling them (when the heat comes from the top of the oven) is only for the last couple of minutes and is to help crisp the tops a little.
That’s a really great idea for a video! There are so many terms and not many explanations. You’ve got me thinking about a new video!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi. I a man in love with the look of these and want to make them for Thanksgiving. I am confused though. It says I cut up the potatoes but then I smash after cooking the whole potato?
So you want to cut the sweet potatoes into thick rounds and boil them so they are partially cooked. After that, you place them on a baking sheet and gently smash them before you finish cooking them in the oven. Cooking them this way makes the centers creamy (like mashed sweet potatoes) while the skin gets slightly crispy. Does that make more sense?
Wowza. These look amazing!! Love love love sweet potatoes, and this is such a fun and delciious new way to make them!
Thank you so much! They really are my fav sweet potato recipe!
thank you for this since I love sweet potatoes, love the pecans, have never done anything but roast them so this looks wonderful with butter, paprika, cayenne, etc!
You’re so welcome! I love them, too. It’s always nice to switch up how we cook something, isn’t it? 🙂