Crispy Roasted Mexican Potatoes

🥔 Why We Love This Recipe

• Super crispy on the exterior, fluffy on the interior: There are a few tricks to making these Mexican potatoes extra crispy. The first is soaking the potatoes in cold water before roasting, which removes any excess starch. The second is a little bit of cornstarch, which makes for the perfect crispy coating!
• No burnt spices: Soaking the potatoes ahead of time makes it so that the potatoes cook a bit faster and more evenly, which means you don't risk leaving them in too long and burning all of those delicious spices!
• Easy to make: Simply soak the potatoes, toss in the spice mixture and roast.
• Versatile: These crispy Mexican potatoes are incredible on their own (especially with the avocado crema dipping sauce). They're also an excellent side dish for so many different meals, and they're amazing in tacos, burritos, bowls, etc.
• Naturally vegan and gluten free: Perfect for just about any dietary needs!

🥘 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these crispy roasted Mexican potatoes:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Potatoes: We used red potatoes in this recipe, but Yukon golds (or yellow potatoes) are also a great choice. For truly crispy potatoes, it's essential to soak them in cold water before roasting, so be sure to factor that in to your prep time.
• Oil: We used vegetable oil because of its neutral flavor and high heat capabilities. Any other high heat oil will work well for these Mexican potatoes.
• Cornstarch: You can also sub with arrowroot starch. Don't skip this – it helps the potatoes get super crispy!
• Spices: We use quite a few spices for flavor on these Mexican potatoes, including chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, oregano, cumin and more. They do end up being pretty spicy, so if you're sensitive to spice, feel free to cut back on the chili powder and/or cayenne.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Add diced potatoes to a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 40-60 minutes, then drain and rinse thoroughly (this removes excess starch for super crispy potatoes). Pat the potatoes dry with a clean towel.

Preheat oven to 400˚F / 205˚C. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

(2) In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch, salt, chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.

(3) In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes with vegetable oil and spice mixture until evenly coated. 

(4) Spread out the potatoes in an even layer between two baking sheets. Roast for 35-40 minutes, stirring 1-2 times, until crispy and fork tender. 

(Optional) To make the avocado crema, add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth and well incorporated. Serve with roasted potatoes. 

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Serving ideas:
  • Add them to your favorite taco recipe (I especially love them paired with black beans!)
  • Add to (or serve alongside) a taco salad
  • A topping for burrito bowls (especially good with lime pickled red onion!)
  • Add to a breakfast burrito or breakfast bowl
  • Serve as a side dish to a protein of choice (I love them with this sofritas tofu)
  • Enjoy straight from the pan with our avocado crema!
• Switch it up with sweet potatoes: You can follow this recipe the exact same by using sweet potatoes (or even purple sweet potatoes)! Don't skip the soaking – it makes for the best crispy sweet potatoes (seriously not soggy at all).
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• How to reheat roasted potatoes: My favorite method is to start by microwaving them for 30-60 seconds (until warmed), then transfer to a skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté until they're nicely crisped and warmed through.
  • Alternatively, spread them on a sheet pan, cover with aluminum foil and place in a 400˚ oven for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through.
• Stir once or twice while roasting: This makes sure the potatoes are all cooked evenly, and also helps the crisping process so each potato has as much crispy surface area as possible!
• Avocado crema: optional, but highly encouraged! If you're making these Mexican potatoes to go in or with another recipe, feel free to skip the crema. But if you're making them just to enjoy on their own, don't skip it! The creaminess pairs so perfectly with these potatoes, and the acidity from lime juice balances all of the spices.

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