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These crispy roasted Mexican potatoes seasoned with chili powder, garlic, sea salt and Parmesan cheese are baked, not fried and are the perfect side to weekday meals.
Is there anything better than crispy roasted Mexican potatoes that are baked to golden perfection, so crispy that they almost border on crunchy, all topped with salty delicious Parmesan cheese?!
Yeaahh, doubt it. These puppies are pretty much the best side dish ever, if they even make it to your dinner plate. And that’s a big if.
Roasted potatoes are one of those sides that everyone loves. They’re like fries, but a little fancier and somehow more acceptable for weeknight family dinners. Maybe it’s because they’re roasted and not fried? I’m not sure, but I love it and am totally running with it.
How to get your Mexican Potatoes crispy!
The secret to how to make crispy roasted potatoes actually, well, crispy is dependent on a few key factors:
- the amount of oil
- the oven temperature
- the baking time
For this 1 1/2 pound batch of quartered potatoes, I used 2 tablespoons of oil as well as some parchment paper to prevent any sticking. This ensures maximum crispness without all the oil needed for frying.
You also need a very hot oven. I cranked up the heat to 400 degrees, which is actually a bit less than what other recipes call for. But since these red petite potatoes are a little less starchy than your usual Yukon Gold, 400 degrees is just right.
To get the potatoes and the Parmesan cheese super crispy and perfect, I recommend baking them for 20 minutes, flipping them over and then baking them again for another 20. Roasted potatoes are all about texture, so make sure to flip them to get ever inch as crisp as possible.
For the final touch, I topped everything with a little sea salt and some finely chopped cilantro. All that’s left to do is to serve them up with your favorite veggies and protein for the best weeknight meal ever! Here’s a few ideas just in case.
Serving Suggestions
- Pollo Asado
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Grill Shrimp Skewers
- Spicy Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower
- Cilantro Cauliflower Rice
Mexican Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds petite red potatoes, washed and quartered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the olive oil, salt, chili powder, oregano, coriander, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne. Toss together until potatoes are fully coated with spices. Transfer to baking sheet.Be careful not to overcrowd the potatoes. They should have plenty of room to breathe. If they don’t, divide them onto two baking sheets.
- Sprinkle potatoes with Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over the potatoes and bake for another 20 minutes, until crispy.
- Sprinkle potatoes with cilantro, more salt if desired and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m new to the air fryer craze (gift). Would these be possible for the air fryer rather than heating up the oven. Of course, with cold weather, we might not mind the oven on!
Hi Susan! You can definitely try them in an air fryer!
A great alternative to french fries! Easy to prepare, with crunch and flavor. Someone mentioned using an air fryer, so we cooked them at 410 degrees for 20 minutes without stopping to turn them. They came out fine in our cooker, but anyone using an air fryer might want to keep an eye on them. All in all, a nice, quick addition as a side dish.
My family loves these potatoes—it’s one of my go-to sides. Spice combo is just right (unlike others I don’t find them too salty), not greasy, and the Parmesan gets a little crispy and gives them good texture. I always use parchment paper. Great recipe!
I made these in my air-fryer, awesome!!! Made a half-batch due to the size of my fryer. Only took 20 min at 400.
If available would you prefer recommend using Mexican oregano in this recipe for Crispy Roasted Potatoes?
Yes! I think that would be great. Let us know if you try it!
I made these potatoes last night and my family loved them! I barely had enough, because they all wanted seconds or even thirds. Really good and so easy to make.
These potatoes were delicious!!!! They were very crispy and the flavor was delicious!! We will be making these again!
Too salty. Next time I make these, I will go easier on the salt. Other than that, pretty good and easy.
These are great but, as others have suggested, too much salt. I’ve cut it by 2/3 and now it’s fine.
Use kosher salt and never table salt. It makes a huge difference in the actual salt level in the food.
Thank you Isabel, these are 6 star GREAT!!!! better than Peruvian fries, better than English chips..same texture, but,mas flavor…i’ll try them in my air fryer next?…muchas gracias…
love this spin on flavor for a familiar side dish! thank you
These were SO GOOD. I used yellow potatoes because that’s what I had on hand. I cut them small, skipped the cayenne (kids 😂), and used a scant tsp of salt after reading reviews. They were a big hit (even my potato-hater had a serving) and we will definitely be adding them to the regular rotation. Thanks so much!