Papas Con Chile (Printable)

Tender potatoes in a savory, mildly spicy Mexican chile sauce. Hearty, comforting, and full of flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
02 - 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium roma tomatoes, chopped (optional)

→ Chiles and Spices

05 - 2–3 fresh jalapeño or serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
08 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Other

09 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 - 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or water
11 - Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
02 - Add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.
03 - Stir in the garlic, chopped chiles, and tomatoes (if using). Cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and the tomatoes begin to soften.
04 - Add the diced potatoes, ground cumin, smoked paprika (if using), salt, and pepper. Toss everything together to coat the potatoes evenly in the spices.
05 - Pour in the vegetable broth or water. Cover the skillet with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
06 - Taste the dish and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Serve warm as a side or main course.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It uses humble pantry ingredients but tastes like you spent all day cooking.
  • The potatoes soak up every bit of that smoky chile flavor and become irresistibly tender.
  • It is naturally vegetarian and gluten free so almost everyone at the table can dig in.
02 -
  • Do not skip covering the skillet because that trapped steam is what cooks the potatoes through without burning the bottom.
  • If the liquid evaporates before the potatoes are tender add another splash of broth or water and keep going.
03 -
  • Let the covered potatoes cook undisturbed for the first 5 minutes so a light crust forms on the bottom.
  • A squeeze of lime juice at the very end wakes up all the flavors in a way nothing else can.

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