Name: Greek Smashed Potatoes with Feta (Air Fryer or Oven)
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8-12 medium potatoes (roasting potatoes); 7 oz (200g) feta cheese (crumbled); 3 tbsp small capers or sliced black olives; 2 large whole cloves of garlic, (sliced); 1 red onion (sliced into very thin rounds); small rosemary sprig (torn); 1 lemon (cut into quarters); olive oil to drizzle; salt and pepper to season

Make these Smashed Greek potatoes with feta and rosemary whenever you need a delicious side dish in a hurry… or add some protein and turn it into a main. Cook them in your oven or your air fryer with a little assistance from your microwave!

Taking a break from the never ending parade of festive recipes to offer this quick dish that will delight year-round and give your taste buds a real treat.

Smashed potatoes are one of life’s great joys – so crispy on the outside, so deliciously fluffy and soft within. Basically they are an upgrade on the humble jacket potato and, using this method, a much faster one too.

Smashed Potatoes PDQ!

My trick with smashed potatoes is to blast them in the microwave until softened enough to smash. This can take between 7-12 minutes depending on your microwave’s wattage and the size of the potatoes. I’ve suggested King Edward in the recipe card ingredient list below, but Yukon Gold potatoes or other small potatoes will work just as well, even baby potatoes.

Don’t forget to rinse the potatoes in cold water and pierce the skin all over with a sharp knife.Place the potatoes in a microwaveable bowl and then cover with moistened paper towel so that they don’t dry out. Cook for 6-7 minutes on full power and then check.

If a knife pierces them easily, you can probably proceed to the next step which is crisping them up in the oven until they are golden brown. I usually find they need another few minutes before you can smash them easily.

Greek smashed potatoes with feta cheese, rosemary, garlic, capers and onions

Once the potatoes are soft enough, smash them with a potato masher or the bottom of a glass to expose some of the soft flesh. Give them a drizzle of olive oil and season generously, including the lemon wedges and loads of garlic goodness, before transferring to the oven (or an air fryer – see below!) to give them those irresistible crispy edges.

A skillet is a great way to cook them but a tray will work as well. The feta, onions and capers go in at the very end so that the cheese has a chance to soften slightly.

These quick smashed Greek potatoes with feta and rosemary are basically a winter version of my mum’s famous and popular recipe for Greek potato salad and I know you will LOVE them. But you can also add any ingredients, fresh herbs and spices that take your fancy – the flavorful potatoes can carry most of them with ease, from a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt to Kalamata olives!

Smashed potatoes take a lot less time to cook if you pre-cook them in the microwave first.

Helpful Cheats

By the way this method of microwaving the potatoes before smashing, which I also employ on roast potatoes as well, caused my husband to call this recipe ‘cheating’ which I naturally took great offense at!

If you really want to save time, why not try cooking this delicious Greek potato recipe in your air fryer instead of the oven? Check out my video explainer and the recipe card below for more info!

If technology makes your life a little bit easier, I am all for it and this means I can serve the kids jacket potatoes for their dinner without having to cook them for hours first.

Recipe Notes

If you want to make baked potatoes in the microwave, rinse them, pierce them several times with a knife and then wrap them in slightly damp paper towels before microwaving them for about 6 minutes on each side.

Large potatoes might need a little longer and remember to put them on a plate otherwise hot spots can cause the skin to dry out in places. Check out my Air Fryer Baked Potatoes for more info!

Serving Suggestions

This Greek smashed potato recipe is the perfect side dish, but can become a main meal if you add some lentils or some tinned tuna.

These crispy smashed potatoes even taste great reheated the next day or you can turn the leftovers into a salad. They are really an all-round winner. Here are some great dishes you can pair them with:

Alternatively, you might be interested in some of my other potato serving suggestions: