If you ask my family members, each has their own favorite fast food restaurant. For my husband, it’s Taco Bell. I have tried to recreate his favorite meals at home, and of all my copycat recipes, Taco Bell cheesy fiesta potatoes are the best.
He loves Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes Taco Bell-style, and he was so sad when they discontinued them. I had to learn how to make them myself!
The secret is in the sauce, as they say! When you read how easy this Taco Bell potato recipe is, you will want to make them again and again.
It’s as easy as adding spices to diced potatoes, pan-frying them, and smothering them with a mixture of cheese and salsa.
No big secrets here! Easy enough to make them whenever you get a craving. If you love potato recipes, try these as well: Pan-Fried Potatoes and Onions, Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage & Potatoes, Patatas Bravas, and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
What You’ll Need
- Potatoes: 2 lbs of russet potatoes peeled and cubed into ½ – 1-inch cubes depending on your preference.
- Garlic powder, cumin, and paprika- great spice mix with a Tex-Mex flair.
- Butter and olive oil Butter add a creamy flavor, and olive oil is added to prevent the butter from burning at high temperatures.
- Velveeta cheese– you can use mild cheddar too, but I think Velveeta melts easier and better than cheddar.
- Salsa– use your favorite store-bought salsa. Mild, medium, or hot, your choice.
- Sour cream and green onions are served on top for garnish. You can also add a dash of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce.
The full recipe and amounts can be found in the recipe card below!
How To Make Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes?
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Peel and cube the potatoes.
- Make the spice mixture by combining the powdered garlic, cumin, paprika, and salt. Make sure they are well combined in a big bowl.
- Add the potatoes to the bowl, and toss them until they are well covered in the spice mix.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and melt the butter. Wait until the oil and butter mixture is hot, and add the potatoes to the skillet. Fry them on medium-high heat until they are golden brown. Put the lid on and cook them for 10 more minutes until fully cooked.
- Place the cooked potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until crispy. You may need to mix them around a little to ensure they are crisp all the way.
- In a microwave-safe dish, combine salsa and cheese and microwave them for a minute at a time until the cheese is fully melted, mixing every time you take them out of the oven.
- Serve the potatoes in individual bowls with the cheesy salsa on top and a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of green onions. Tabasco or hot sauce is optional.
Can I Make These Ahead Of Time?
You can make the cheesy salsa ahead of time and cook the potatoes. When you are ready to serve them, put the potatoes in the oven to crisp up and the cheesy salsa in the microwave to melt.
Suggested Variations and Toppings
- Why not make them cheesy bacon potatoes? Instead of adding salsa to the cheese, add a bit of milk and bacon before melting it in the microwave and top with more bacon.
- How about adding sliced jalapenos and black olives on top?
- Another great topping would be pico de gallo, cilantro, and guacamole.
- If you want to go all out, add black beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and shredded cheese on top and make potato “nachos.”
Serving Suggestion
This is perfect party food, so I like to serve them when we have company or watch sports games. Other foods I like to serve are Mustard Fried Chicken Wings, Making Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Dip in a Crockpot, Crab Casserole Dip, and Cream Cheese Sausage Balls.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t leave peeled potato cubes standing on the counter for too long, or they will turn brown.
- When pan-frying them, do not do it on high heat. They will easily burn. Do it on medium-high heat.
- When melting the cheese with the salsa, do it a minute at a time and mix in between minutes to ensure the cheese melts properly and doesn’t explode all over the inside of your microwave.
Potatoes make a great side dish, but if you don’t have them on hand, Homemade Rice Pilaf is a great option, as well as Easy Mexican Rice.
Taco Bell Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lb medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups Velveeta cheese cubed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 green onions chopped for garnish
- ½ cup store-bought salsa
- Tabasco sauce for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F. In a large bowl, add the garlic powder, paprika, and cumin. Mix them well.
- Add the cubed potatoes to the spice mix and toss until potatoes are well covered.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the oil. When the oil is hot and the butter melted, add the potatoes and pan-fry them until golden brown. Put the lid on and cook for 5 more minutes until they are cooked through.
- Spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet, season them with salt and pepper, and bake them for 10 minutes until they become crispy and crunchy.
- In a microwave-safe dish, combine the cheese and salsa. Microwave for one minute at a time, mixing after each minute until the cheese is melted and well incorporated with the salsa.
- Serve the potatoes with cheesy salsa, sour cream, and green onions on top.
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