Mexican Potatoes (Papas a la Mexicana)

Mexican potatoes on serving dish with spoon.

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Mexican Potatoes (Papas a la Mexicana)

Mexican potatoes, or papas a la Mexicana, is a simple, flavoursome dish made with just four everyday ingredients. The potatoes turn soft inside with a touch of crisp on the outside, while the tomatoes, onion and chilli add juiciness and gentle heat. It’s a budget-friendly side that pairs beautifully with all kinds of meals.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: potatoes

Servings: servings

Calories: 223kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250 g potatoes scrubbed well and diced to about 1cm (½ inch)
1 small onion peeled and finely chopped
2 small ripe tomatoes weighing around 60g in total - diced
1 green chilli mild, medium or hot - roughly chopped
¼ tsp sea or rock salt

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium high heat. Pour in the oils and swirl around the pan.
1 tbsp sunflower oil, ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Add the potatoes and a large pinch of salt. Fry, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes until they're tender.
250 g potatoes
Add the onions and fry for a further two minutes, by which time they should have turned translucent. Stir once or twice whilst they're cooking.
1 small onion
Add the chilli and tomatoes and fry for a further three minutes. Again, give an occasional stir. As soon as the tomatoes have cooked through, the dish is done.
2 small ripe tomatoes, 1 green chilli
Taste test at this point. If you think it needs another pinch of salt, add it now. Serve whilst still warm.

Notes

Double, triple or quadruple the recipe as needed, but use a larger pan as it's best to fry the potatoes in an even layer.

Can swap the green chilli for a red, if easier. Remove seeds and membranes if you're sensitive to chilli heat.

Other additions you can make to dress it up further are:

adding a small clove of grated garlic along with the onion
spicing it up with ¼ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp of cumin seeds (added along with onion) or a few twists of freshly ground black pepper
scattering with some chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
crumbling some cotija or queso fresco over the top. If you can't get these feta cheese makes a good alternative.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition