Batata harra is a Lebanese spicy potato dish that uses lots of fresh herbs and is quite simple to make. It goes well as an appetizer, side dish, in falafel sandwich wrap, or on a platter!

Ingredients for the Lebanese potatoes

The basis of this dish is cooking the potatoes, seasoning them with spices, and garnishing them with herbs.

• Yukon gold potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes 
• Paprika
• Turmeric
• Lemon juice
• Cilantro 
• Parsley
• Dill
• Salt

How to make batata harra 

There are 3 main ways you can achieve the perfect Lebanese potatoes in batata harra. In each of these methods, you’ll want to start with dicing your potatoes into small cubes, about a half-inch. This creates more surface areas for the potatoes to get super crispy. 

Pan-fry 

This is my favorite method for cooking the potatoes because it absorbs the flavors from the spices the best and has a super easy clean up with only one pan. It does require a more hands-on approach than boiling or roasting. To pan-fry, add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the potatoes. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until tender, occasionally stirring. Once tender, add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, turmeric, and lemon juice and mix until incorporated. Continue to fry for about another 4 to 5 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.

Roast 

Roasting is a great way of getting a super crispy potato without lots of excess oil. This method is great for if you are preparing multiple things at once, as you can take your eyes off the potatoes as they cook. However, the downside to this method is that the spices don’t absorb into the potatoes skins as well. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl with the spice and lemon juice until combined. 

Boil 

If you’d like to change things up a bit, try boiling your potatoes. This method will create a super fluffy potato on the inside and become crisp on the outside after a quick pan fry. 

Start by peeling the potatoes, then fill a large pot with water and boil for 10 minutes. They should be cooked through but still be firm. Cut them into cubes and add to a cast iron pan with the spices and lemon juice, but cook for 5 or so more minutes until tender. 

All methods will work great for this recipe, however, it’s up to you to decide based on how much time you have, how much clean-up, and attention you want to put in!

What to serve with this recipe

• Baba ganoush (eggplant dip)
• Tunisian shakshuka
• Falafels
• Lebanese platter

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5 from 1 vote

Batata Harra (Lebanese Spicy Potatoes)

Batata Harra is a Lebanese spicy potato dish that uses lots of fresh herbs and is quite simple to make. It goes well as an appetizer, side dish, in falafel sandwich wrap, or on a platter!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Lebanese

Keyword: batata harra

Servings: 4

Author: Globally Flavored

Ingredients

• 6 medium-sized gold potatoes
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves chopped
• ½ cup fresh dill chopped
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Instructions

• Cut the potatoes into small bite-sized chunks. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the potatoes. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until tender, occasionally stirring.
• Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, paprika, turmeric, and lemon juice and mix until incorporated. Pan-fry until potatoes are crispy and golden brown, about another 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and stir in the chopped cilantro, parsley, and dill. Season with a few cracks of salt. Add additional red pepper flakes if desired.

Notes

Roasted Potatoes Method: Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Add the potatoes to a mixing bowl with the spice and lemon juice until combined.

Boiled Potatoes Method: Start by peeling the potatoes, then fill a large pot with water and boil for 10 minutes. They should be cooked through but still be firm. Cut them into cubes and add to a cast iron pan with the spices and lemon juice, but cook for 5 or so more minutes until tender.

Let me know how you liked this recipe in the comments below!