Cajun Potatoes

🥔 Why We Love This Recipe

• So much flavor: These cajun potatoes pack in SO much flavor. They're coated in spices like smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried herbs. Every bite is perfection!
• Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside: The secret to perfectly cooked roasted potatoes? Par-boiling. It allows the potatoes to partially cook on the interior before roasting so they can get super crispy without burning!
• Vegan and gluten free: These cajun potatoes are naturally vegan and gluten free, so they're perfect for just about any dietary needs. A great side dish option for everyone to enjoy!
• Dipping sauce: The spicy paprika lime dipping sauce is optional, but a fantastic pairing for these cajun potatoes. Especially great if you're serving these as an appetizer or small bite for entertaining!

🌶 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these cajun potatoes:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Potatoes: We prefer using fingerling potatoes in this recipe. For one, they're small, so you only have to slice them in half. They also tend to get nice and crispy on the exterior and super soft and fluffy on the interior without breaking apart or burning. You can also substitute with Yukon golds or yellow potatoes – you'll just have to slice into smaller pieces.
• Paprika: We use both paprika and smoked paprika to add flavor to these cajun potatoes. We don't suggest using just one or the other, otherwise the balance will be off. The smoked paprika adds a ton of flavor, but you don't need much of it!
• Italian seasoning blend: We use a blend because it's easier than measuring out several different herbs. If you don't have any of the blend, you can also use 1 teaspoon total of a mixture of dried basil, parsley and oregano instead.
• Cayenne: If you're super sensitive to spice, you may want to cut back on the cayenne. These cajun potatoes are pretty spicy, so you can cut down the cayenne to ⅛-1/4 teaspoon if preferred.
• Salt: We use fine kosher salt both in the seasoning blend for the potatoes and the salted water for boiling.
• Olive oil: We prefer the taste of olive oil, but you can also substitute with a more neutral high heat oil like vegetable, sunflower or avocado oil.
• Dipping sauce ingredients: The spicy paprika lime dipping sauce is made with a base of plain yogurt and mayo. Since we don't eat dairy, we use vegan versions of the mayo and yogurt, but feel free to use regular if preferred. It tastes the same either way!

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat the oven to 400˚F / 205˚C. Wash the potatoes and halve lengthwise.

(1) Fill a large pot with 16 cups of water and 4 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, then drain and let cool for 10 minutes.  

(2) In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, paprika, Italian seasoning, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

(3) Add potatoes to a large mixing bowl and gently toss in the olive oil/spice mixture until well coated.

Transfer the potatoes to two parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake for 35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until crispy and fork tender. 

(4) While the potatoes are roasting, whisk together the ingredients for dipping sauce. 

(5) Serve the potatoes hot with dipping sauce. 

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Don't forget to salt the water: When par-boiling the potatoes, we add 4 teaspoons of salt to the water. It sounds like a lot, but it's the best way to season the potatoes on the interior and exterior. Plus, almost of all the salt will be drained off! This is an essential step to making the most flavorful and tender potatoes.
• Let the potatoes drain well: After draining the potatoes, let them sit for 10 minutes. This allows them to cool off a bit so they're easier to handle, but it also allows them to drain as much moisture as possible, which is essential for crispy potatoes.
• Stir once or twice while roasting: To ensure crispiness on all sides, gently stir the potatoes at least once while they're in the oven.
• Spice level: These roasted cajun potatoes definitely pack in quite a bit of heat. If you are sensitive to spice or are serving to kids, you may want to cut back on the cayenne. We suggest starting with ⅛-1/4 teaspoon.
• Dipping sauce: We serve these cajun potatoes with a simple dipping sauce made with mayo, yogurt, lime juice and some spices. It would also be great with a basic aioli, an avocado crema, or even just ketchup.
• Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
• Reheating: I find that the best way to reheat roasted potatoes without drying them out involves both the microwave and stovetop. Start by microwaving the potatoes for 40-60 seconds so the interior gets warm. Then, transfer to a skillet over medium heat with 1-2 teaspoons of oil. Sauté for a few minutes, until they start to crisp up again.

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