Take your taste buds on a ride with Papitas con Chile, the fiery and tangy Mexican spicy potatoes that are unlike anything you’ve ever tasted.
Also dubbed as Papas con Chile, this dish is not for the faint hearted.
Of course, you can adjust the heat to your liking, but what’s life without a bit of spice right?
We’re a potato loving household, so naturally, we’ve tried and experimented with quite a lot of potato dishes recently.
Our oven roasted sweet potatoes and crispy Parmesan potatoes were both big hits, and I actually tried a spicy Mexican potato dish quite recently too.
This one, however, is starkly different and packs in an intense punch of flavor.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
The addictive flavor of the dish has to be, hands down, my favorite part about it.
It is unlike anything I’ve ever made, and I’m so glad I did.
And of course, since they’re basically potatoes, you can enjoy them in any way you like- as a side, a party appetizer or even a potluck dish.
Plus, it is gluten-free and super easy to make too!
Ingredients For the Papitas con Chile Recipe
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients for the Papas con Chile recipe.
Potatoes: I used baby potatoes, which are the actual classic for this recipe. You could also use regular sized potatoes if you want to- just chop them up into smaller chunks.
Garlic: Garlic and potatoes are a match made in heaven. Add as much as you want to- no restrictions here.
Chicken bouillon: This one’s the actual secret ingredient that works all the magic with this dish. It lends a beautiful savory, umami deliciousness to the spicy potatoes.
Dried chillies: Chile de Arbol is the classic pepper that you’ll need for this recipe. I would highly recommend getting your hands on it, especially if you love Mexican cooking.
Lime juice: Lime juice ties all the flavors together and sort of tones down the heat from the chillies too.
Oil: Use any kind of oil you prefer.
Seasonings: I kept the seasonings simple and used only salt and pepper for the dish. You can, of course, add in your own choice of seasonings too if you want to.
Cilantro: And of course, lots of chopped fresh cilantro on the top really adds to the visual appeal of these spicy Mexican potatoes.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Papitas con Chile
Ready with everything you need? Here’s what you’ll need to do to make this recipe.
Step 1: Heat water in a large pot over high heat. Add potatoes and season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until par-boiled.
Step 2: In a blender jar, add the chilies, garlic, stock powder and seasoning.
Step 3: Blend until you get a smooth paste.
Step 4: Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add in the potatoes and the Chile sauce mixture.
Step 5: Reduce heat, keep stirring occasionally and allow the sauce to thicken.
Step 6: Take it off heat, garnish with lime juice and chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve hot!
Substitutions & Variations
- Don’t have the Chile de árbol that you need for this recipe? Try making a version with any other whole red chilies of your choice. Guajillo chilies and Chipotle chilies are good choices.
- Can’t find baby potatoes? Chop your classic Yukon gold potatoes into cubes and use them instead.
- Want to make a vegetarian version of this recipe? Swap the chicken bouillon with vegetable or mushroom stock powder instead.
💭Top Tip
Remember to cook the sauce at low or medium heat to keep it from burning while in the saucepan. You can also use a skillet if you want to.
Equipment
How to Store Leftover Papitas con Chile
If you have any leftovers, you can refrigerate them for 2 days. I would recommend using an airtight container to store them, and then reheating them in the microwave.
Don’t store the potatoes beyond that point, as they can start to spoil pretty quick.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Make sure you don’t end up overcooking the baby potatoes. They should start to become a bit soft, but still hold their shape when you poke them with a fork.
- To make these spicy potatoes extra flavorful, you can also add 1 tablespoon of Tajin seasoning into the mix.
- I like a bit of texture, which is why I blended the chili mixture just a bit. If you want the sauce to have a uniform consistency, you can also choose to strain the sauce before you add it into the mix.
- Depending on your personal preference, you can choose to peel the potato skin or leave it on.
- To bring a bit of variation to this dish, you can also add some chopped green bell peppers of other veggies into the mix. Add them in along with the fried potatoes, add more salt if needed, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Chopped jalapenos can also be a wonderful addition to this spicy potato dish.
How to Serve Papitas con Chile
These spicy Papitas con Chile can be served as an appetizer or side dish with any of your Mexican favorites.
I personally love teaming it up with some Mexican grilled onions, my favorite Mango con Tajin or my Tajin cucumber salad.
You can also serve them with some avocado lime crema, or with your favorite tacos!
For some extra deliciousness, you can also choose to top the fiery potatoes with some Queso Fresco or any of your favorite cheese- it’ll become your next favorite comfort food.
If you’re making these for a party, you can team them up with some other Mexican party foods like Tajin nuts or avocado Pico de Gallo.
FAQs
You can! The sauce for Papitas con Chile is basically a mix of seasonings and aromatics. You can make it in a batch, bottle it up and refrigerate it for up to 5 days, if not longer.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Papitas con Chile
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby potatoes
- 7-8 dried chile
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 chicken bouillon
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat water in a large pot over high heat. Add potatoes and season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until par-boiled.
- In a blender jar, add the chilies, garlic, stock powder and seasoning.
- Blend until you get a uniform paste.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add in the potatoes and the chile sauce mixture.
- Reduce heat, keep stirring occasionally and allow the sauce to thicken.
- Take it off heat, garnish with lime juice and chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve hot!
