Batata Harra (Spicy Lebanese Potatoes)

Jump to Recipe

Batata Harra are Lebanese Spicy Potatoes with cilantro. Typically the potatoes are diced and fried, but we’re making them extra crispy and skipping the frying step altogether! Tossed in a spicy coriander lemony sauce at the end, these potatoes are to die for!

Batata Harra!

That’s not only fun to say but to eat as well! It’s one of the first things we always order at a Lebanese restaurant. And who wouldn’t? Crispy cubed potatoes tossed in garlic cilantro spicy sauce with a hint of tang from freshly squeezed lemon juice – sign this girl right up!

In all seriousness, most restaurants fry the russet potato cubes and then toss them in the red pepper flakes and cilantro sauce – delicious but not fun when you need a vat of oil at home to fry them. And honestly, it’s not so great for the waistline, either. So instead, I’ve taken a page out of my garlicky extra crispy roasted potatoes side dish and gone ahead and boiled the potatoes a bit before adding them to a sheet pan and roasting them into little crispy nibbles of deliciousness.

My recipe for Batata Harra is modeled after one of my favorite cafeteria-style Lebanese restaurants in town. It took me quite a while to figure out what made their potatoes so much better than all the ones I had made at home. And I found it! One little ingredient that I’ve rarely seen mentioned in Batata Harra recipes, but it honestly makes the dish for me!

Ingredients for Batata Harra

Potatoes: The potassium powerhouse! You can use russet potatoes or even Yukon gold potatoes for this appetizer. I like to use russet potatoes more often because they tend to get the crispiest in the oven. White potatoes will also work, but both white and Yukon gold potatoes don’t get as crispy in the oven – they make up for it in flavor, though!
Baking soda: This is a little ingredient that I’ve added to my roasted potato recipes for years, thanks to Kenji. Adding baking soda to the water while boiling potatoes makes the water alkaline, which helps break down the surface of the potatoes. The broken-down edges crisp up in the oven as they roast and create the ultimate crispy roasted potatoes.
Ghee or Oil: I like to use ghee for my Batata Harrarecipe as it provides the best flavor. You can also use any high-heat oil that is safe for roasting. Avocado oil or a high-heat olive oil blend would be my next options.
Coriander Seeds: This is that little ingredient that I just couldn’t make Spicy Lebanese Potatoes without! It adds the perfect fragrance and fresh flavor to the dish. Even if you aren’t a fan of cilantro, give coriander a try! The taste is completely different and has notes of citrus that pair beautifully with the lemon in this dish.
Garlic Cloves: You’ll need a handful of garlic cloves for this recipe. We’ll saute the garlic in the ghee with the spices and chili until it’s fragrant before we toss it with the potatoes.
Red Pepper Flakes: The red chili flakes add just a tad bit of heat to the potatoes
Cilantro: You’ll need a handful of cilantro. Be sure to wash and dry the cilantro thoroughly before using it in the recipe.
Lemons: You’ll need both the lemon zest and the lemon juice. You can try subbing the lemon juice with lime juice if you’d like but the lemon zest is what gives most of the flavor to the ghee that flavors the Batata Harra.

How to make Spicy Lebanese Potatoes

Start by parboiling the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and cube them into 1-inch pieces. Add water to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Salt the water and add baking soda to get the potatoes nice and crinkly! Preheat the oven as the water boils.
Boil the potatoes. Allow the potatoes to come back to a boil and cook about halfway through, you want the knife to pierce through the potatoes with just a bit of resistance. We’ll finish cooking them through in the oven as they roast in a layer. When the potatoes are done, drain them, add them back to the same pot, and toss with a tablespoon of ghee and a big pinch of kosher salt.
Roast the potatoes. When the oven is preheated, line a baking sheet with parchment if you’d like. I usually skip this step and I find that the potatoes are crispier when they roast in a single layer directly on the baking sheet. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray to keep the potatoes from sticking. Then spread the potatoes out and roast them for 20 minutes undisturbed. This gives the cookie sheet a chance to get hot and crisp up the nublets. Toss the potatoes and then continue baking them for a few more minutes while you make the lemon coriander sauce.
Make the lemon cilantro sauce. Once the potatoes are almost done, add the remaining 2 tbsp of ghee to a skillet over medium-low heat. When it melts, add a tsp of crushed up coriander seeds, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook for another 30-45 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Add most of the chopped cilantro add the lemon juice and zest to the pan and stir to combine. Leave the potatoes off the heat and add in the remaining lemon juice and stir.
Toss and serve. When the potatoes are done, toss them in the lemon and cilantro sauce. Return them to the baking sheet and bake for another few minutes until the potatoes soak up all that flavor. Top with the remaining cilantro and serve warm with roasted chicken or whatever else you like.

FAQs about this recipe

How do you store leftovers?

Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to reheat them in the oven or air fryer right before serving.

Is Batata Harra gluten free?

My recipe for Spicy Lebanese potatoes is entirely gluten-free.

What do I serve with Batata Harra?

Spicy Lebanese Potatoes pair beautifully with chicken kebabs and Lebanese rice pilaf as a side, a shawarma wrap instead of fries, and kefta with a bowl of Shirazi salad, hummus, and flatbread. Basically all of your standard middle eastern favorites.

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

Yield: serves 4-5