Crispy & Golden Batata Harra (Arabic Potatoes)

This recipe for batata harra (or Arabic potatoes) is so delicious! These pan-fried
potatoes are perfectly spiced — and a favorite simple side dish. The secret to
extra delicious batata harra is to first boil the potatoes until they're soft. That will
ensure a soft fluffy interior. Then pan-fry the potatoes to get them nice and crispy.

Believe it or not, Batata Harra is so easy to make. Now I'm sure there are many variations of this famous Arabic potatoes recipe. I've seen it served in restaurants with a delicious spicy chilli sauce as well. This isn't to say my version is the most authentic, but one thing is for sure: it's quick and delicious.

How to make Batata Harra or Arabic Potatoes

I like to use baby potatoes so I can leave the skin on and get it nice and crispy when cooking. But you can use large yellow potatoes as well. You'll need to adjust the cooking time (see recipe notes). The secret to extra delicious batata harra is to first boil the potatoes until they're soft. That will ensure a soft fluffy interior.

Then the potatoes are pan-fried to get them nice and crispy. But do that only after the oil has infused with the garlic and chilli flakes. You then season them with the parsley, coriander, dill, and salt and allow them to cook for about 7 minutes. Once the potatoes look crispy and golden, remove them from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice on top and serve immediately.

I love serving batata harra with steak, chicken, or as part of an Arabic Mezze platter with some of my other side dishes. Anywhere you'd serve regular potatoes, just substitute these Arabic potatoes.

Now of course, you can adjust the level of heat you want in this dish. My family and I don't like it too spicy. Mainly so that my son can also enjoy it freely without gulping water after every bite. If you prefer to make a plain version and avoid the spice completely, I would recommend my crispy roasted potatoes recipe.

For more Middle Eastern sides, check out:

• Traditional creamy hummus
• The Best Tabouli Salad
• Roasted Eggplant Dip
• Za'atar & Feta Cheese Pies

If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page - I'd love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!

Crispy & Golden Batata Harra (Arabic Potatoes)

This recipe for batata harra (or Arabic potatoes) is so delicious! These pan-fried potatoes are perfectly spiced — and a favorite simple side dish. The secret to extra delicious batata harra is to first boil the potatoes until they're soft. That will ensure a soft fluffy interior. Then pan-fry the potatoes to get them nice and crispy.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sides

Cuisine: middle eastern

Keyword: Batata Harra, Lebanese Spicy Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Amina Al-Saigh

Ingredients

• ▢ 1.5 lbs small red potatoes or use regular potatoes if you don't have baby potatoes - see notes
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• ▢ 3 large cloves garlic crushed
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ ¼ tsp coriander powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp chilli flakes more per taste
• ▢ ½ tsp dry dill optional
• ▢ Handful fresh parsley
• ▢ Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions

• Start by boiling the potatoes whole for about 10-15 mins until a fork can be inserted (but they are not overly soft)
• Meanwhile finely chop the parsley and crush the garlic
• Once boiled, rinse the potatoes to cool them, then chop into bite size pieces (I keep the peel on which is optional)
• Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat and add the garlic and chilli flakes and mix for a minute (make sure the garlic doesn't burn or brown too much)
• Add the potatoes right into the pan and season with the salt, paprika, coriander, parsley and dill
• Allow the potatoes to crisp up for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown all sides
• When they're ready, squeeze the lemon juice on top, and turn off the heat. Serve as a side and enjoy!

Notes

• You can use large white or yellow potatoes, and cut them into bite size pieces (instead of the baby potatoes). Just be sure to adjust the boiling time, as they will need longer (closer to 30 minutes)
• Replace the parsley with Cilantro if you like
• Adjust the amount of chilli to your liking

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