This Paprika Potatoes recipe is a delicious and easy 4-ingredient potato side dish that will enhance any meal. And it’s vegan too!
Paprika Potatoes are quick to prepare, and are great as leftovers. They are so good that they often don’t make it to the serving plate, as we will just stand around and eat them straight from the pan! I’ve actually have to make a second batch to be placed on the table!
Want other delicious potato recipes? Try Garlic Potatoes and Garlic and Rosemary Potatoes
General information regarding cooking:
The following information may not particularly pertain to this recipe but rather answers general useful questions related to cooking.
What are the different oils used in cooking?
“High-heat” oils have neutral flavors and have been processed in order to handle high temperatures and are good for sautéing, searing, and frying. These include canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, and grapeseed oil, each with its own “best for” with chefs.
Some oils have their own flavor and are good for sautéing and roasting and add a little extra to the dish. These include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and peanut oil. Extra virgin olive oil works well with roasting or sautéing, but not for deep frying.
Coconut oil is good in dishes where a slightly coconut flavor enhances the dish, and peanut oil is good for deep frying and will add a subtle nutty taste and smell. Many Asian dishes call for peanut oil in the ingredients.
Then there are oils that are not used with heat but rather for dressing up foods, such as sesame oil, flaxseed oil, and walnut oil, among others.
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it. Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
What cooking measurement expressions mean:
Drop – ¹/₆₄ teaspoon (or less—it’s however a literal drop comes out)
Smidgen – ¹/₃₂ teaspoon
Pinch – ¹⁄₁₆ teaspoon (what you can grab between your finger and thumb)
Dash – ⅛ teaspoon (what comes out when you shake out of a shaker or bottle)
Tad – ¼ teaspoon
Dollop—a glob on a spoon (like with mayonnaise or ice cream)
Scant—a scant cup is almost a cup, just below the line.
Heaping—above the line of the spoon (teaspoon, tablespoon)*
Some useful cooking terms:
Sauté: Cooking quickly in a small amount of oil or fat in a frying pan on a relatively high heat that causes a slight browning of the food on the outside.
Sear: Browning the outside of meat at a high temperature.
Sweat: Cooking vegetables (often onions) in a little oil or fat on a low heat until they become soft and translucent (no browning).
Simmer: Heating liquid to just below the boiling point (has slow bubbles).
Boil: Cooking food submerged in water hot enough to have rapid, rolling bubbles.
Poach: Cooking in a liquid, or partially submerged, on low heat.
Roast: Cooking with consistent dry heat in an enclosed space, over 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake: Cooking with dry heat in an enclosed space, under 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Broil: Cooking with intense heat from above.
Grill: Cooking with heat from below, typically over a flame or coals.
Braise: Cooking already-seared meat in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
Blanch: Quickly submerging food into boiling water and then immediately into ice water to stop the cooking.
Steam: Cooking with vapor from hot simmering water from below.
Shred: Creating long, thin strips (not necessarily uniform) of vegetables, like in coleslaw.
Grate: Scraping food against a surface with rough, tiny holes that break it down into very small, fine pieces.
Zest: The scrapings of the colorful outer skin of a citrus fruit.
Mince: Cutting into the smallest pieces possible.
Dice: Cutting into small cubes.
Chop: Cutting into small (bite-size) pieces.
Julienne: Cutting into long, thin strips (like matchsticks).
Glaze: a thin liquid with high-sugar or high-fat coating applied to food or baked goods that gives a shiny look and adds flavor.
Fold in: To gently combine a light ingredient into a heavier one.
Al dente: Cooking rice or pasta to the point before it gets soft (is slightly firm).
Emulsify: Forcing two liquids together that don’t normally combine (like oil and vinegar) into a smooth sauce or dressing.
Deglaze: Adding a liquid to a hot pan after searing meat to loosen the browned bits (called fond) that got stuck.
Slurry: A mixture of liquid and dry starch, such as cornstarch or potato starch, into a paste that is used to thicken sauces and soups. One can use flour to make a slurry as well.
Roux: (pronounced “roo”) is acooked mixture of fat and flour.
Not only is the preparation for Easy Roasted Potatoes with Paprika SO EASY, they are great even if you overcook them, so (as long as you don’t burn them, you’re good (and, to be honest, I have burned them slightly and they were still good!).
You can make them with peeled or non-peeled potatoes; both come out terrific.
Best way to make Easy Roasted Potatoes with Paprika
I think that the easiest/quickest way to make these is in a toaster oven (mine can fit a lasagna-size pan).
I use the “toast” setting for the majority of the roasting time, and then, when the potatoes are slightly brown on top, I turn to the “bake” setting and cook for the rest of the time.
If you like your potatoes more on the firm side, then cook just until you can slide a fork through. I like mine on the soft side, where you can just about mash the roasted pieces with a fork (truly melt-in-your-mouth) and cook longer.
You have to be careful, though, not to let them dry out if you choose the cook-longer option.
Easy Roasted Potatoes with Paprika leftovers
If you didn’t overcook the potatoes, you can certainly keep these in your fridge for several days after cooking (I have kept them for a week, and they were fine).
Personally, I wouldn’t freeze them, though. Potatoes that have been frozen often come out mushy when reheated.
Tip
If you have already cut potatoes and they have gone a little brown, this is a perfect way to save them from being tossed out. As long as the potatoes are still good (not rancid), then no one will be the wiser.
Benefits of potatoes
Potatoes are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and nutrients. However, their nutritional content depends on the type of potato. Much of the nutrition is in the skin of the potato, and peeling them reduces their nutritional value.
Adding fattening toppings, such as sour cream or butter, adds flavor but also calories and fat.
Potatoes are gluten-free and very filling. In addition, they are a good source of antioxidants, some more than others, and they contain resistant starch.
Fun Facts
- Potatoes were first cultivated in Peru by the Incas.
- Potatoes were introduced to Europe (Ireland) toward the end of the 16th century.
- Potatoes began to be planted in the colonies in the early 1700s.
- Potatoes are the #1 vegetable crop in the United States and the 4th most consumed in the world.
- Idaho is the largest grower of potatoes.
- The potato was the first vegetable to be grown in space.
Paprika Potatoes
A delicious, 4-ingredient, vegan potato side dish that goes great with any main!
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes (any) cut into approximately 1 - 1 1/2-inch chunks.
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place potato pieces in a baking pan and generously coat with oil.
- Then coat well with the paprika and salt.
- Roast on middle rack at 400°F for approximately 1 hour or until soft (some types of potatoes may take less or more time to cook than others).
- Drain excess oil before serving or use a slatted spoon to move from pan to dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 353mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g