Smashed Potato and Chorizo Sheet Pan Salad

An unconventional salad packed with flavor.

By
Sheela Prakash
Sheela Prakash
Sheela Prakash
Food and wine writer, recipe developer, and the author of Mediterranean Every Day. Her work can be found in numerous online and print publications.
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Updated April 26, 2023
Sheela Prakash
Smashed Potato and Chorizo Sheet Pan Salad

Kristin Teig / Salad Seasons: Vegetable-Forward Dishes All Year by Sheela Prakash

This unconventional salad isn’t shy. Smashed baby potatoes soak up the spicy juices from Mexican chorizo as they roast together harmoniously on a sheet pan. The two become a dinner salad once they’re tossed with shredded lettuce and scallions, drizzled with a puckering lime vinaigrette, and finished with plenty of salty cheese crumbles.

Queso fresco is a semisoft Mexican cheese, similar to feta in milky-tangy flavor and crumbly texture, that can be found in rounds in the cheese section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, a mild feta can be substituted.

Excerpted from Salad Seasons: Vegetable-Forward Dishes All Year (c) 2023 by Sheela Prakash. Used with permission of the publisher, Rizzoli. Photography by Kristin Teig. All rights reserved.

Smashed Potato and Chorizo Sheet Pan Salad

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 33 mins
Total Time 43 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds baby red or Yukon Gold potatoes

  • Kosher salt

  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed if using links 

  • 4 medium scallions, white and pale green parts cut into 1-inch pieces and dark green parts thinly sliced, divided 

  • Finely grated zest of 1 medium lime 

  • Juice of 1 medium lime (about 2 tablespoons)

  • 1 small clove garlic, grated or minced 

  • 1⁄2 medium romaine lettuce heart, sliced into thin ribbons 

  • 4 ounces queso fresco cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Method

  1. Cook potatoes and preheat oven:

    Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover with cool water by 1 inch, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to cool slightly. Set aside in the colander to let the skins dry.

  2. Preheat the oven:

    Meanwhile, arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

  3. Flatten potatoes:

    Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and shake the baking sheet to coat the potatoes in the oil. Press down on each potato with the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass until it splits and flattens to about 1⁄4 inch thick.

  4. Top with chorizo and scallions:

    Pull the chorizo into bite-sized clumps with your hands and scatter them in the open spaces between the potatoes. Scatter the white and pale green parts of the scallions on top. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper.

  5. Roast potatoes again:

    Roast on the bottom rack until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Switch the oven to broil on high, transfer the baking sheet to the top rack, and broil until the tops of the potatoes are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more.

  6. Prepare the vinaigrette:

    Meanwhile, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, garlic, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and several grinds of pepper in a small bowl.

  7. Assemble and serve:

    Scatter the lettuce and thinly sliced dark green parts of the scallions over the potatoes and chorizo. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss gently on the baking sheet to lightly wilt the lettuce and coat everything in the vinaigrette. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle the crumbled queso fresco on top and serve the salad right off the baking sheet. (Alternatively, transfer to a large serving bowl.) 

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
438 Calories
27g Fat
40g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 438
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 34%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 401mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 25mg 124%
Calcium 211mg 16%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 1101mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.