These crispy pan-fried Mexican potatoes are a classic and budget-friendly recipe that can be served as a side dish or main meal for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner!
This type of recipe reminds me of my mom and how she always tried to make the most of my father’s salary to feed all 8 of us (my three brothers, four sisters, and I).
Potatoes were always on our grocery list and my mom would add them to almost anything you can think of. She would make scrambled eggs with potatoes, rice with potatoes, potato tacos, potato patties, tuna potato patties, potato soups, potatoes with chorizo... I think you get the idea.
Additionally, any stew she prepared was bound to have potatoes in it, too!
Nowadays, my mother’s glaucoma has affected her sight and kept her from cooking like she used to, but that doesn’t stop her from telling us (my sisters & I) how we should cook certain family recipes.
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I hope that you try this recipe and enjoy it with your family. This is a very humble dish that renders a satisfying meal. It is not a typical dish you’d find at restaurants in Mexico, as it’s mostly something made at home for breakfast, brunch, and even dinner!
Frequently Asked Questions About Papas Mexicana
Before I share my recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked about my recipe for Mexican potatoes.
Which are the best potatoes to use in this recipe?
The best kind of potatoes for this recipe are non-starchy potatoes like yukon yellow potatoes.
If you want to use russet or red skinned potatoes, I suggest letting the potatoes soak in water to get rid of some of that starchiness. This helps the potatoes get extra crispy.
Can I swap out the white potatoes for sweet potatoes?
Yes, you can! You will need to let the sweet potatoes cook a little longer than a white potato.
What kind of seasonings can I add to these Mexican potatoes?
I usually like to keep this simple and season them with salt. You can also season these Mexican potatoes with:
- Garlic powder or fresh finely chopped garlic for extra flavor
- Mexican oregano, look for it at Latin stores
- Chili powder, or a pinch of cayenne in case you want some heat
- Cumin, this is not too common but in case you like it.
Homemade Mexican Potatoes Recipe
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish...
- Vegetable oil, such as canola, or corn oil
- Potatoes (peeled and diced)
- Diced white onions
- Serrano peppers (or Jalapeño peppers)
- Diced Roma tomatoes
- Salt to taste
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Mexican Potatoes: Step By Step Tutorial
To make things easier for you, I am going to break down the directions to this recipe into sections.
Prep The Potatoes
- Heat up some vegetable oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- While the pan is getting hot, take this time to thoroughly wash and peel the potatoes. Then, evenly dice the potatoes.
Cook The Potatoes
- Add the diced potatoes to the oil in the frying pan.
- Cook and brown the potatoes for about 8-10 minutes.
Add The Veggies and Serve!
- Slowly stir in the diced white onions and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and see-through.
- Add in the serrano (or jalapeño) peppers and cook for another 2 more minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Now, add the chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, and gently stir them in with the potatoes, onion, and peppers.
- Serve and enjoy!
What To Serve With Mexican Potatoes
I love to serve these Mexican potatoes inside of some warm corn tortillas and perhaps with a little bit of chopped cilantro and crumbled queso fresco to make some tacos. You can use them to make a burrito with a homemade flour tortilla, serve with fried or scrambled eggs.
If you would like to add some protein, cook up some homemade chorizo Mexicano, eggs (like these huevos a la Mexicana), or crispy bacon and top it with some fresh salsa roja.
Enjoy!
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican potatoes, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
- Potato Patties With Cheese
- Mexican Potato Soup
- How To Make Crispy Chorizo Potato Tacos
- Pambazo Mexicano Sandwich With Chorizo and Potatoes
- Creamy Poblano Potatoes
For an american version check this Breakfast potatoes.
I hope you make this recipe for papas Mexicana or as we say "Papas a la Mexican"! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
📖 Recipe
Mexican Style Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 2 cups of peeled & diced potatoes
- ⅓ cup diced white onion
- 1 Serrano pepper or Jalapeño pepper finely chopped*
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced about 1 ¼ cup
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large-size frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the diced potatoes and brown for about 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning them. Make sure all the sides of the potatoes are golden.
- Stir in the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. By that time the onion should be translucent.
- Add the Serrano or Jalapeño pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Now, add the chopped tomato, salt to taste, and gently stir them in with the potatoes, onion, and peppers. I like the tomatoes cubes to still hold some of their shape when serving, so this step is a quick one, just 1 or 2 minutes before proceeding to serve. Of course, if you like your tomatoes well cooked, then cook them a little bit longer.
Heff
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I've been looking for something like this since I was a teenager when my best friend's mother taught me how to cook so many Mexican dishes. I've used the several times now and it's really great just like I remember.
Jim
This was delicious. I did add a little garlic powder, chili powder, and a little of my cumin/coriander mix and loved those flavors. I'll make this again and again.
Mary
I actually havent made these. I was cleaning my house and as a distraction decided to cook a potato in the microwave. Added butter and cheese. Seasoned with chili powder and red pepper. As I was eating that, I got to thinking if there was such a thing as "mexican pototos". I said of course there has to be. But I have never seen potatoes of any kind in a Mexican restaurant. It makes us Americans think that perhaps all the Mexicans eat only rice and beans as their sides, which of course that thought is quite ignorant and plain old stupid.
Anyway. I shall try this in the near future and am sure it will be great!.
Kelly J
Just made these tonight, they are awesome. I did scale back to a half a jalapeño since we are wimps, but they turned out awesome. My husband wants me to add to the rotation!
Brent Duncan
Do you need to pre cook the potatoes before frying them?
mmartinez
Hello Brent,
No, the potatoes are cooked with the rest of the ingredients. But, you can precook the, if you want.
JimmyD
Your recipes and stories are wonderful. This weekend I cooked exclusively with your recipes. My Mexican cooking has really skyrocketed because of you. Made these Mexican style potatoes for breakfast along side bacon and eggs topped with your Salsa Ranchero. Just awesome. Thanks for the inspiration.
mmartinez
Hello JimmyD,
Thank you for following along in this cooking journey. Those Mexican Style Potatoes are a great side dish for fried eggs. Have fun!
Esther
Oh, this recipe brings back such good memories! We often had these potatoes with scrambled eggs. Other times, my mom would shred the potatoes & add a can of corned beef hash along with the other ingredients, then make tacos doraditos. Absolute comfort food. Thanks, Mely; I'll make this soon!
Heriberto
Great recipe wish i could post a picture
mmartinez
Hello Heriberto,
Thank you for trying the recipe. People usually share the pictures on our Facebook page. I hope you can go stop by and post your picture. here is the link to the page: Facebook Notifications
Chris
Your dishes always inspire me. I want to make these this weekend to go with a green chile brisket point that I am going to smoke and braise until tender.
Dhanya Samuel
These look really amazing; definitely trying it out
Ernesto
Yes I understand how important potatoes were to my mom also we had a even 12 in our family one of my favorites was chorizo and potatoes,or beans and chorizo the chorizo and potatoes my mom would make enchiladas with her made from scratch sauce using chili enchos Great memories, I will no doubt try your recipes.
Thanks
Ernesto
mmartinez
Hello Ernesto,
Thank you for stopping by! Happy cooking!
Diane
Thank you for sharing this homey comfort food - potatoes are on sale - I'm trying this!
mmartinez
Hello Diane,
It sure is comfort food! Enjoy!
Anonymous
Love this one...just like my mom made.
Catherine Flores
It looks like you're missing tomatoes in the ingredients list.
mmartinez
Thank you for noticing Catherine. another reader was kind enough sent me an email telling about it. I updated the recipe. Happy cooking!
JandP
Catherine Flores is my daughter's name! Even with a 'C'!!
Corsy
I love Mexican food but I didn't know this recipe. I so wanna try it 🙂