These Sour Cream and Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes are layered with sweet jammy onions, grated gruyere, chives, and several dollops of sour cream. A side dish that may just steal the show!
This dish is a variation of one of our favorite side dishes, our Caramelized Shallot Mashed Potatoes. Instead of creamy mashed potatoes, these Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes are wonderfully crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They even double as chips so you can easily use them to scoop up bits of jammy onions and extra sour cream.
As usual with caramelized onions, they require a bit of time and patience, but the wait is well worth it. A longer cook time allows all those natural sugars in the onions to come out, resulting in the sweetest, most deeply caramelized onions that you’ll want to put on everything.
While the onions are cooking, it’s best to start on the potatoes, that way you’re not waiting too long for them to be done. Then once everything is finished, all that’s left to do is put it all together with grated gruyere, chives, and tangy sour cream. And the best part is that they go with just about anything. You can add them to your holiday dinner spread or pair the with a steak or roasted chicken dinner.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Sweet Yellow Onions: As the name suggests, these onions have a higher sugar content which helps with the caramelization process.
- Sherry Vinegar: This vinegar has a rich aroma that adds so much depth and complexity to the onions. The sugar in it also helps with caramelization. If you don’t have any on hand, you can try balsamic vinegar, but the flavor won’t be quite the same.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Caramelize the onions. Add thinly sliced onions to a pan with melted butter then add the other ingredients. Cook while stirring occasionally until deeply caramelized and jammy. The whole process should take about 1 hour.
2. Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a pot and cover them with about 2 inches of water. Add salt and boil until fork tender then drain. Let them rest for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
3. Smash the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to a lined baking sheet then flatten them with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, making sure they’re still in one piece.
4. Season the potatoes. Brush the tops of the potatoes with melted butter then sprinkle with a generous amount of flaky sea salt and black pepper.
5. Bake. Bake for 40-45 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2-4 minutes until the skins are golden brown and crispy.
6. Assemble the dish. Transfer the potatoes to a serving plate then top with the caramelized onions, gruyere, chives, and several dollops of sour cream. Finish them off with a sprinkle of black pepper.
Tips for Making Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes
- Use an extra large baking sheet. The potatoes need a lot of room since they spread out quite a bit from being smashed down.
- Season liberally with flaky sea salt. Before baking, be sure to sprinkle on a generous amount of flaky sea salt onto the potatoes. This could make or break the end results and could be the difference between slightly bland potatoes and super flavorful ones.
If you made this recipe for Sour Cream and Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review down below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Sour Cream and Caramelized Onion Smashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Extra Large Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 2 large sweet yellow onions very thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Smashed Potatoes
- 2 lbs (907 g) baby potatoes
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter melted
- Flaky sea salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
Toppings
- ¼ cup (11 g) grated gruyere packed
- Chopped chives
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
Caramelized Onions
- Heat a large pan over-medium high heat. Melt the butter, swirling it around in the pan. Add the sliced onions and toss to coat in the butter.
- Add the sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper then toss to combine.
- Cook, while stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and golden brown. The pan should also have a lot of browning on the bottom of it.
- Add a splash of water and scrape up the brown bits to deglaze the pan. Stir the liquid into the onions then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Stir the onions occasionally until they're deeply caramelized and jammy, about 1 hour. Add a splash of water every so often to unstick any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. As the onions start to caramelize more, you may find that you need to stir and add water more often to prevent them from burning.
- Once the onions are caramelized, set them aside in a bowl.
Smashed Potatoes
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover them with about 2 inches of water. Add 1 tsp of fine sea salt to the water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Continue boiling for 10-15 minutes or until you can easily poke them with a fork. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line an extra large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them rest for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
- Spread them out onto the prepared baking sheet and use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to flatten the potatoes, being sure to keep them in one piece.
- Brush the tops of the potatoes with the melted butter then sprinkle with a generous amount of flaky sea salt and top them with ground black pepper.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Flip on the broiler and broil for 2-4 minutes until the skins are golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on them at this stage to make sure they don't burn.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving plate then spread the caramelized onions over top. Sprinkle with the grated gruyere and chives then add dollops of sour cream. Finish it off with a bit of ground black pepper.
Notes
- While the onions are cooking (step 5), start the potatoes so you’re not waiting too long for them to be done after the onions.
- Be careful not to add too much water while you’re deglazing the pan. A splash here and there is enough. Too much will cause you to boil the onions and it might take longer to get them to caramelize.
- Place any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
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