Inspired by one of my most favorite tapas - Patatas Bravas - these roasted potato stacks are seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic powder and a tiny bit of cayenne powder and served with a garlicky dip for the most flavorful side dish. Slice your potatoes as thinly as possible to get a tender middle with those crispy, chip-like edges!

Three potato stacks on plate with garlic mayo

Crispy paprika potato stacks

Author: Mansee
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4-6 1x
Category: Side Dish
Method: Oven
Cuisine: Global

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

4 russet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs)
6 tablespoons olive oil + more for brushing, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon cayenne powder
½ cup mayonnaise
1-2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon lemon juice

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Cut 4 russet potatoes into very thin slices, about ⅛-inch thick. I like to use a mandolin for this, but a nice, sharp knife (and some patience!) work too. Just get them as thin as you possibly can. Put the potatoes in a large bowl, separating any big clumps of slices (it happens, you'll see).
In a small bowl, whisk together 5 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme and ½ teaspoon cayenne powder. Pour mixture over potatoes and toss well to ensure all the potatoes slices are coated in oil and seasoned well. I like to just get in there and use my hands for this.
Grease your muffin tin, if needed (see note below). Layer the potatoes in each tin, pressing and stacking all the way to the top. The stacks will shrink as they roast, so fill them way up! Don't worry if you have slices that are not perfect circles (I tend to have a bunch of random half-moons even when I use a mandolin), just stack them like normal. You can also put those smaller pieces around the side. Brush each stack with a little extra olive oil.
Cover pan with foil and roast for 20 minutes. Remove foil and roast for another 25-30 minutes, until the tops and sides look extra crispy and a toothpick, cake tester or butter knife slides in easily in the center. Because of the seasoning, these might look a little extra-brown early on, but make sure to roast them fully!
While potatoes roast, combine ½ cup mayo with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 grated or minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and mix to combine. Keep in the fridge until needed.
When potatoes are done, run a butter knife around the edges and gently remove from tin. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt, if desired, and serve immediately with garlic-mayo.

Recipe and technique inspired by Half Baked Harvest.

Notes

All of my muffin tins are nonstick so I don't find the need to grease them, but if you are worried about the potatoes sticking definitely brush a little butter or olive oil in there.
I find these potato stacks are best eaten fresh, but leftovers will last for 2-3 days in the fridge. Warm up in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes to keep them crispy.
If mayo isn't your thing, you can skip the dipping sauce here or use your favorite!

The great thing about food photography is sometimes the pictures really are worth a thousand words. As in, actual words are not necessary because the golden brown, crispy potatoes just speak for themselves.

Oh there I go talking about them anyway.

In all seriousness, this potato-cooking technique may just change your life. Perfectly tender AND crispy??

Yes. Let's go!

Tapas-inspired

Potatoes are pretty much my favorite food. In almost any form, potatoes showcase their superiority time and time again. Mashed? Amazing. Hash browns? The best. FRENCH FRIES? Literal perfection.

One of my MOST favorite forms is patatas bravas. Native to Spain, patatas bravas are a popular tapas dish. Also called patatas a la brava or papas bravas (various ways of saying "spicy potatoes" - LOVE), these guys are generally cubed potatoes deep fried until super crispy and served with two sauces: A spicy tomato-based number, and a garlic aioli. Combined, it is one of the greatest things on Earth.

For this dish, I took inspiration from the spicy flavors in the tomato-based sauce and seasoned the thinly sliced potatoes with lots of smoked paprika and garlic (powder is fine!) and some spicy cayenne. A little tomato paste mixed with the oil also adds to the deeply savory, amazing flavor here.

Tips and tricks

These crispy potato stacks are quite easy to make, but there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure they turn out:

raw potato slices in bowl with seasonings

You want to cut your potatoes as thin as possible. The trick to getting those potato chip-like edges is to cut your potatoes as if you are making...potato chips! Imagine that. A mandolin comes in super clutch for the job, but it's totally doable with a sharp knife too. The first time I made potato stacks I used a knife and they still came out great. The mandolin just makes the whole job that much easier (but be careful!). Also, don't worry if they aren't all perfect little circles - some half moons, or uneven slices are perfectly fine.
When you're tossing the potatoes with the spices and oil, take your time and make sure each potato gets seasoned. I like to use my hands so I can get in there and separate each layer so the oil and spices get everywhere. Not only does it ensure delicious potato slices throughout, but it's important that each slice get some oil on it so everything roasts and crisps up perfectly.
Don't be afraid of height. The stacks will shrink as they roast, so you can really stuff a lot of layers in each muffin cup. Use any imperfect slices to layer along the sides for the crispiest edges. A pound and half of potatoes should be the perfect amount for 12 little stacks (aka a normal-sized muffin pan). You'll roast them covered first to start the cooking and kind of steam the potatoes, and then uncover for the rest of the time to get those guys crispy.

raw potatoes stacked in muffin tin before roasting

To dip or not to dip

You all know by now how much I love a dip(see exhibit A, B and C). For these potatoes, I again took a page from Patatas Bravas and made a (admittedly lazy) garlic "aioli" with a little mayo, garlic and olive oil.

It's dealer's choice though. Use your favorite dip or sauce, or leave it out all together! These potatoes are perfect just as they are straight out of the oven.