Have you ever been excited to order breakfast potatoes, and then they come out, and they’re just incredibly dry and bland? Story of my life.
So, when I told my husband I was making breakfast potatoes. He chortled and said, “but you don’t even like breakfast potatoes.” Not true.
I love breakfast potatoes when they’re cooked properly. That is, par-boiled and roasted in the oven for that creamy, tender center and caramelized bits of bell pepper and onion. The very best.
If you’ve never tried this method, I encourage you to pause pan-frying those potatoes and try it. I spent years pan-frying potatoes and felt like I was doing something wrong. Little did I know, the secret lies in partially boiling the potatoes first. Those starches get sticky and when they steam off all that moisture? It’s the perfect surface for the olive oil to cling to.
Turmeric and Paprika Spiced Breakfast Potatoes
These potatoes are incredibly tender and flavorful thanks to the earthy flavor of turmeric and the slightly smoky flavor of paprika. Both spices create this vibrant orange-red color. I like to sprinkle the finished potatoes with cayenne for a spicy bang and top everything off with fresh basil, a welcome reprieve.
Oven-Safe Skillet for Breakfast Potatoes
When we talk about an oven-safe skillet, we typically mean cast iron or a metal skillet with a metal handle, preferably something heavy duty like an All-Clad stainless steel skillet. Do you have both? You lucky duck. Feel free to use your favorite in this recipe. Note: If you use cast iron, it’s more absorbent and you need to increase the amount of oil to fully coat the pan.
Which Bell Peppers to Buy
You can use any color bell pepper in this recipe. I love red, orange, or yellow for the color. That said, I did use a jarred roasted bell pepper, and it was amazing. If you want to use the jarred kind, cook the onions first and add the bell pepper right as you’re adding the boiled potatoes.
Why Salt the Water
I encourage you to salt the water you boil the potatoes in for 2 reasons. Salt seasons the potatoes (obviously) and it also does a good job of preserving the nutrient properties of food. In culinary school, we were taught that salted water protects the color of vegetables because the pH of the water is higher. Fun facts.
Best Oven Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium red potatoes 1-inch cubes
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow/white onion cut into large pieces
- 1 bell pepper any color, roughly chopped or 2 jarred roasted bell peppers
- 4 garlic cloves cut into thin slices
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 dash cayenne
- 10 basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Fill a large oven-safe cast iron or metal skillet with 1-inch water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potato pieces and season the water with about 1 tablespoon salt. Boil for 3 minutes to partially cook. Strain over a colander set in the sink, allowing the potatoes to steam.
- Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potatoes. Stir well and season with turmeric, paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, toss the potatoes, and continue roasting until the vegetables begin to caramelize and the potatoes develop a deep orange color, about 7 minutes longer.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a dash of cayenne pepper for a spicy bang. Cut or tear the basil leaves and garnish over the potatoes.
Nutrition
Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you!
