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    Home » Lebanese Cuisine

    Spicy Lebanese Potatoes: Batata Harra

    March 22, 2021 by Emily Ackerman 11 Comments

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    These amazing pan roasted potatoes are delicious and different. Lebanese spicy potatoes, or batata harra are first pan fried or oven roasted until golden brown, and then tossed in a delicious spicy infused olive oil.

    Jump to Recipe
    Batata Harra with potato medley

    I am always on a lookout for a delicious potato side dish, and if it's healthy and delicious, even better! These Lebanese potatoes don't require any weird ingredient, yet they are beautiful and full of flavor. They really are the perfect Mediterranean potatoes to serve as a side dish, or compliment to any meat dish or food platter. Did I mention this is a gluten free potato dish? Oh and it's also dairy free, and no one will ever miss a thing!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links. The author may receive commission on purchases made through these links at no cost to you.

    If you have never had Lebanese food you are really missing out! Want to know more about it? Read the article "The Ultimate Guide to Lebanese Food"

    Jump to:
    • Origins
    • 💭 Top tips
    • 🥔 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • FAQ's
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Origins

    What is batata harra?

    Batata harra is literally translated to spicy potatoes. They aren't overly spicy, just enough to give a little kick and to make your potatoes a little more adventurous. This batata harra recipe can be served hot or even cold as a type of Lebanese potato salad. I personally prefer it hot.

    💭 Top tips

    How to prepare Lebanese potatoes for the best results:

    There are several different ways to prepare Lebanese spicy potatoes.

    • Traditionally, these potatoes are actually twice fried- once deep frying them, unseasoned, in oil and the next time pan frying them in a skillet with a spicy infused olive oil.
    • Another way to make these Middle Eastern potatoes is to roast them on high heat, and then toss them in the infused olive oil: this is my preferred method.
    • The cookbook that has been passed down through our family for generations, calls for the potatoes to be slightly boiled, and then fried in the olive oil

    As I said, my preferred way of cooking batata harra is for them to be oven roasted.

    🥔 Ingredients

    The ingredients for this recipe for Lebanese batata harra are very simple:

    One thing I love about Lebanese food, is that it's not scary and it doesn't have crazy ingredients that are hard to come by. It is the same with this batata recipe, the ingredients are very simple.

    • potatoes (I used creamer potatoes, or new potatoes)
    • cilantro
    • parsley
    • garlic
    • crushed red pepper
    • salt
    • ground black pepper
    • olive oil
    • squeeze of fresh lemon juice
    chopped cilantro, parsley, garlic and lemon juice to make Mediterranean potatoes

    🔪 Instructions

    How to make Lebanese spicy potatoes:

    As I said before, there are different ways of preparation for this potato dish. The one I use is the oven roasted potato method. If you are wondering what kind of potatoes to use, there really isn't a wrong answer. If you want to use russet potatoes or red potatoes that would be fine. For this particular batata recipe I used a petite potato medley with a mixture of red, yellow and purple potatoes. It made for a beautiful dish and I loved how the potatoes were nice crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

    petite potatoes medley to make spicy Lebanese potatoes
    Petite Purple Potato
    new potatoes medley for making Lebanese roasted potatoes
    Look at this beautiful potato medley!

    Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take 2.5 lbs of potatoes (about 6 russets) and cut them into bite sized pieces. For the petite potatoes, I halved or quartered them, depending on how big each one was.

    Place the cut up potatoes in a roasting pan and toss them with 1 tablespoon of light olive oil, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place the potatoes uncovered in the preheated oven. After 30 minutes, give the potatoes a toss.

    Roasted new potatoes

    Once the potatoes are almost done roasting, prepare the infused olive oil. Take 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add it into a small sauce pan. On medium heat sauté the minced garlic for one minute, or until fragrant. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, chopped cilantro and chopped parsley. Toss the herbs in the hot oil for about 30 seconds or just until it begins to wilt. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the lemon juice.

    Making the infused olive oil for Lebanese Spicy Potatoes recipe

    As soon as the potatoes are golden brown on the outside and fork tender, remove them from the oven and toss them in the herb infused olive oil. Serve hot, or you can serve it cold if you wish.

    Lebanese spicy potatoes

    How to make air fryer batata harra:

    I know that air fryers are all the rage. I have one, but use is sparingly. It's not that I dislike my air fryer, it's that I am feeding a family of 6 and normally I can't cook enough food in the air fryer for my army of hungry kids. You will have to to scale down the recipe by ½ in order for it to fit into your air fryer, and you will need to use less oil.

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    So go ahead and take 2-2 ½ cups of diced potatoes and toss it in 1 teaspoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the prepared potatoes in the air fryer on 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket periodically. Use the same prep method for the infused olive oil as instructed above (only cut the recipe in half). When the potatoes are done, toss them in the prepared olive oil and serve. Enjoy!

    Serve these up with my Mediterranean Grilled Chicken and check out some other popular recipes!

    • Fried potatoes and onions
    • Halloumi Fries
    • Burrata Bruschetta
    • Baked Kibbeh (Lebanese)
    • Lebanese garlic toum

    FAQ's

    How spicy is this batata harra recipe?

    I have a very high tolerance for spicy food and love it with all my heart, so I do not think these potatoes are very spicy. Please feel free to add more crushed red pepper if you want it to be more spicy, or cut it in half if you don't want much spice at all. I think they are tolerable for most human beings and it shouldn't be a problem if you are serving them to guests or anything.

    Can it be made ahead of time and served cold?

    Yes, this recipe can be made ahead of time and served cold, however you will lose the crispiness. My original family cookbook calls for this to be more like a Lebanese potato salad that is served cold. I prefer it hot, crispy and fresh, but it's up to you!

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    📖 Recipe

    Batata Harra with potato medley

    Lebanese Spicy Potatoes (Batata Harra)

    Emily Ackerman
    These Lebanese spicy potatoes are oven roasted and tossed in a delicious olive oil, cilantro and parsley dressing. They are a delicious and beautiful potato side dish that compliments many meals
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Servings 6

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon light olive oil
    • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
    • ½ cup parsley chopped
    • 1 ½ teas salt
    • ¾ teas fresh cracked pepper
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice or ½ lemon- juiced

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 425° F
    • Halve or quarter the petite potatoes. If using russet or a larger potato, dice them into bite sized pieces *see note
    • Toss the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of light olive oil and add the salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place them in a greased roasting pan or glass baking pan
    • Bake the prepared potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes, remove them from the oven and stir them around
    • Place them back in the oven and bake them for another 15 minutes, or until they begin to get golden brown and crispy on the outside
    • When the potatoes are almost done, prepare the dressing or infused olive oil by adding 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a saucepan
    • Heat the pan and sauté the garlic in the olive oil for one minute, or until fragrant
    • Add the crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for another 15 seconds
    • Remove the saucepan from the heat and toss in the chopped cilantro, parsley and lemon juice, stirring for 30 seconds. The cilantro and parsley should just begin to wilt.
    • Remove the potatoes from the oven. Pour the prepared olive oil mixture over the top of the potatoes and toss it all together
    • Serve the potatoes hot, or if you would rather, refrigerate and serve it later as a potato salad *see note

    Air Fryer directions

    • Halve the recipe
    • Toss the potatoes with only 1 teaspoon of light olive oil, salt and pepper and place the prepared potatoes in the air fryer
    • Set the air fryer to 400 degrees and fry the potatoes for 25 minutes, shaking the basket every so often
    • Halve the olive oil dressing ingredients and prepare them according to the directions above.
    • Once the potatoes are golden brown around the edges, remove them and toss them with the infused olive oil

    Notes

    * Petite potatoes or new potatoes are wonderful in the recipe.  They make for a creamy inside and a crispy outside, however russet or red potatoes can be substituted and will be delicious as well
    * This recipe is delicious when the potatoes are hot and crispy, some recipes call for it to be chilled and served as a potato salad.  Either way works, but my personal preference is when it is hot out of the oven
    These spicy Lebanese style potatoes (batata harra recipe) are an amazing roasted potato side dish to compliment any meal. These spicy roasted potatoes in oven are perfectly seasoned and crisp. This petite potatoes recipe can be done in the air fryer or can be a recipe for oven roasted new potatoes. These Lebanese garlic potatoes are flavorful and are the perfect vegan potatoes that are healthy, gluten free and dairy free. It's the best recipe with purple potatoes ever!
    These spicy Lebanese style potatoes (batata harra recipe) are an amazing roasted potato side dish to compliment any meal. These spicy roasted potatoes in oven are perfectly seasoned and crisp. This petite potatoes recipe can be done in the air fryer or can be a recipe for oven roasted new potatoes. These Lebanese garlic potatoes are flavorful and are the perfect vegan potatoes that are healthy, gluten free and dairy free. It's the best recipe with purple potatoes ever!
    These spicy Lebanese style potatoes (batata harra recipe) are an amazing roasted potato side dish to compliment any meal. These spicy roasted potatoes in oven are perfectly seasoned and crisp. This petite potatoes recipe can be done in the air fryer or can be a recipe for oven roasted new potatoes. These Lebanese garlic potatoes are flavorful and are the perfect vegan potatoes that are healthy, gluten free and dairy free. It's the best recipe with purple potatoes ever!
    These spicy Lebanese style potatoes (batata harra recipe) are an amazing roasted potato side dish to compliment any meal. These spicy roasted potatoes in oven are perfectly seasoned and crisp. This petite potatoes recipe can be done in the air fryer or can be a recipe for oven roasted new potatoes. These Lebanese garlic potatoes are flavorful and are the perfect vegan potatoes that are healthy, gluten free and dairy free. It's the best recipe with purple potatoes ever!
    These spicy Lebanese style potatoes (batata harra) are an amazing roasted potato side dish to compliment any meal. These spicy roasted potatoes in oven are perfectly seasoned and crisp. This petite potatoes recipe can be done in the air fryer or can be a recipe for oven roasted new potatoes. These Lebanese garlic potatoes are flavorful and are the perfect vegan potatoes that are healthy, gluten free and dairy free. It's the best recipe with purple potatoes ever!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marianne

      March 23, 2021 at 6:17 am

      These look delicious! I would definitely enjoy something like this... and as long as they are not too spicy, the kids would love them too!

      Reply
      • Emily Ackerman

        March 23, 2021 at 9:21 am

        They shouldn't be, but you could always cut the crushed red pepper in half!

        Reply
    2. Allison

      March 23, 2021 at 7:03 am

      My family loves a good potato, especially if it is spicy and roasted! I pinned it to try later this week.

      Reply
    3. Tricia Snow

      March 23, 2021 at 7:13 am

      5 stars
      This looks delicious! I have never considered adding lemon and cilantro to my potatoes. I am definitely giving this a try! Thanks!

      Reply
    4. Alexis Farmer

      March 23, 2021 at 7:46 am

      I love potatoes and Lebanese food, so I'm all about this!

      Reply
    5. Kristen W Allred

      March 23, 2021 at 1:03 pm

      These look so delicious. I love potatoes and spice!! Sounds like a great combo.

      Reply
    6. Heather Jandrue

      March 24, 2021 at 6:26 am

      These potatoes look great. I love the simple ingredients. This is a dish my kids would like as well.

      Reply
    7. Barbara

      March 24, 2021 at 8:21 am

      YUM! Sounds wonderful!

      Reply
    8. Angela

      March 24, 2021 at 11:06 am

      5 stars
      I was just reading about these spicy potatoes and so excited to find this recipe.

      Reply
    9. Sabrina DeWalt

      March 24, 2021 at 5:26 pm

      These look delicious!

      Reply
    10. Cindy Moore

      March 28, 2021 at 9:11 pm

      These potatoes look wonderful! Being plant based, potatoes are a staple in my diet. I'm trying this recipe.

      Reply

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