Beef Loaded Smashed Potatoes
Posted on: March 14, 2025. Updated on: March 14, 2025.
by Carolina Gelen
Table of Contents
Beef Loaded Smashed Potatoes
Are you looking to switch things up on your next weeknight dinner? Try my beef loaded smashed potatoes: spiced ground beef gets spread over tender, smashed potatoes and baked for less than 20 minutes in the oven, until the meat is nice and tender and the potatoes have absorbed all the flavorful juices rendering from the spiced meat. Top the beef loaded smashed potatoes with some fresh toppings like zingy pickled red onions, a chopped salad and garlicky toom for a flavor-packed weeknight dinner.
Best topping for these beef loaded smashed potatoes? A fresh chopped salad. Feel free to use your favorite veggies in here:
Load the smashed potatoes and bake
Looking for other dinner ideas? Try:
- caramelized fennel pasta
- garlic herb pasta with spaghetti squash
- orange chicken roast with fennel and shallots
- one-pan lemon pepper salmon with leeks
- salmon bisque
- sesame chicken pot pie
- miso white bean soup with roasted tomatoes
- sun-dried tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons
- French dip pizza
- one-pot white bean soup with turkey, leeks and kale
- fish katsu piccata
- green goddess chickpea salad
Beef Loaded Smashed Potatoes
Servings: 4
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Pickled Onion
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon caraway seeds
Chopped Salad
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes, diced
- 3 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons sumac, optional
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Beef Loaded Smashed Potatoes
- 4 medium Russet potatoes
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 1 dollop toum or 2 garlic cloves, grated
Instructions
- Make the pickled onion: In a large jar, combine the onion, water, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds and caraway seeds. Mix until the sugar and salt have dissolved and set aside to pickle for at least an hour in the fridge.
- Make the chopped salad: In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapeño, celery, parsley and season with a big pinch of salt. Add the sumac, if using, the rice vinegar and olive oil. Toss everything until combined. Season with more salt or vinegar as needed.
- Cook the potatoes: Boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 10 minutes or microwave the potatoes until fork tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Depending on the microwave, this may take longer so adjust the time accordingly. Allow the potatoes to cool for a few minutes.
- Heat the oven to 425°F (215°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Smash the potatoes: You will notice a potato has a straight side and a slightly curved side. Using a paring knife, slice the potato almost all the way through the curved side. Open up the potato and place on a parchment paper, cut side down. Place another parchment paper on top and press gently, but firmly to flatten the potato. Carefully flip the potato cut-side up on the baking sheet.
- Make the meat mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the beef, a pinch of salt, paprika, parsley and garlic or toum. Divide the mixture into four pieces.
- Assemble the beef loaded smashed potatoes: Grab a fourth of the meat and place it in the middle of a smashed potato. Using your hands or an offset spatula, spread the meat mixture all the way to the sides of the potato. Repeat with remaining meat and potatoes.
- Bake for 12 minutes, then broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the patties are slightly charred on top.
- Serve with a dollop of chopped salad, pickled onion, a dollop of toum (garlic dip) and more parsley.
