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Calling all Taco Bell lovers with these Copycat Crispy Fiesta Potatoes! These crispy potatoes are perfectly spiced and just as flavorful as the fast food chain’s popular menu item. Enjoy these Taco Bell potatoes as is, stuffed in a Crunchwrap Supreme, or drizzled with vegan nacho sauce and sour cream for the ultimate comfort food snack!
Are Taco Bell Fiesta Potatoes Vegan?
Taco Bell’s Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes are not vegan if you order them off the menu as is because they come served with nacho cheese and sour cream. However, the potatoes themselves are naturally vegan and are safe to order plain, or added to any of your favorite menu items like the spicy potato tacos or a veganized crunchwrap supreme. It’s a great vegetarian replacement for ground beef and adds a fantastic heartiness to any meal!
We originally recreated the recipe in 2020 after Taco Bell removed the crispy potatoes from its menu in an effort to “simplify their menu.” Thankfully Taco Bell potatoes are now back and a fast food staple for vegetarians and vegans. If you’re not lucky enough to live near fast food options or simply want to save some money, you can experience the delicious-ness at home with this simple recipe. It tastes spot on to the original recipe and everyone loves this Taco Bell Copycat Recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes – The best potatoes to use are russet potatoes, but Yukon Gold would work great too. If you want to put a unique twist on this recipe you can also use sweet potatoes.
- Avocado oil – This will help coat the potatoes to make the seasoning blend stick nicely. If you don’t have avocado oil, you can also use olive oil, vegetable oil, or any oil of your choice.
- Corn starch – Coating your potatoes in corn starch helps get them extra crispy in the oven. If you don’t have any corn starch on hand, you can use all-purpose flour for a non-gluten-free option.
- Spices – The spice blend for these copycat Taco Bell potatoes is rather simple. We are using a blend of paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. All of these spices combined are *chefs kiss* and make these potatoes taste like absolute perfection.
Equipment Needed
- Large pot
- Full sized baking sheet (or two half sheets)
- Parchment paper or silicone mat
- Small mixing bowl
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
- Spatula
How to Make Taco Bell Potatoes
- Par-boil the potatoes. Add the scrubbed potatoes to a large pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Set the pot over high heat and cover with a lid. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes (time starts when you turn on the burner), or until the potatoes are just slightly fork tender. We do not want the potatoes to be cooked through all the way – they will finish cooking in the oven.
- Prep the seasoning. While the potatoes boil, mix together the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and cumin in a small bowl.
- Dice and season the potatoes. Once the potatoes are parboiled, drain potatoes then rinse them with cool water to stop the cooking process. Dice the potatoes into 1″ cubes, and add them to a large bowl. Toss the potatoes in 1/4 cup of olive oil until well coated. Sprinkle the spice blend over the potatoes and toss again until the potatoes are coated on all sides.
- Bake. Transfer the Taco Bell potatoes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and spread into a single layer. Bake for 40 minutes, mixing the potatoes halfway through. When ready, the cubed potatoes should be golden brown and crispy on the edges.
- Serve. Once fork tender and golden, remove the Taco Bell potatoes from the oven. Cool slightly, then serve as desired while warm and creamy. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Taco Bell’s potatoes are topped with nacho cheese sauce and a dollop of sour cream. In order to make this homemade version vegan-friendly, we top ours with our homemade vegan nacho cheese and a store-bought vegan sour cream from either Tofutti or Follow Your Heart. We also like to sprinkle on green onions for a fresh addition!
Here are a few other variations that you can choose inspired by the Taco Bell menu:
- Add a spicy creamy sauce – Our Vegan Chipotle Sauce would be perfect
- Add diced onions, shredded vegan cheddar cheese, salsa, or guacamole.
You can also load these Taco Bell potatoes up very much like you’d load up a tray of classic nachos or tachos to make a cheesy potato bowl. Or, turn them into a fresco-style spicy potato soft taco, quesadilla filling, Crunchwrap Supreme, vegan cheesy potato grillers, or homemade vegan breakfast burritos. These savory potatoes truly go well with everything!
Storage Instructions
Leftover Taco Bell potatoes will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers in the microwave, toaster oven, air fryer basket, or convectional oven preheated to 350 F for 10 minutes, or until warmed through.
More Copycat Recipes You May Enjoy:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Taco Bell Crispy Fiesta Potatoes Recipe (Copycat!)
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Calling all Taco Bell lovers with these copycat crispy fiesta potatoes! These crispy potatoes are perfectly spiced and just as flavorful as the fast food chain’s popular menu item. Enjoy as is, stuffed in a Crunchwrap Supreme, or drizzled with vegan nacho sauce and sour cream for the ultimate comfort food snack!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. russet potatoes, washed
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill it with water about 1-2 inches above the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil on high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes (timed from turning on the burner), or until slightly fork-tender. We do not want the potatoes to cook all the way since we will be baking them after this.
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425°F and line a full sized baking sheet (or two half sheets) with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Grab a small bowl and mix together the corn starch, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and cumin.
- Once the potatoes are parboiled, dice them into 1″ squares, and add them to a large bowl. Add oil to your potatoes and gently mix together until fully coated. Sprinkle over the spice blend and mix through until they are coated on all sides.
- Transfer seasoned potatoes to the baking sheet(s) and spread out to a single layer.
- Place into the oven and bake for 40 minutes, mixing potatoes halfway through.
- Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- For this recipe, we like to use russet potatoes, but Yukon Gold would work great too. If you want to put a unique twist on this recipe you can also use sweet potatoes.
- You can also use olive oil or any oil of your choice.
- If you don’t have any corn starch on hand, you can use all-purpose for a non-gluten-free option.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: Oven
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
The potatoes came out a good texture but the seasoning was far too understated.
I made this as written besides using generic vegetable oil, my family loved it! I have a 7 yo that “hates potatoes”, but everyone mowed this down.
we luv dem (๑╹O╹๑)
OMG this sounds so delish, I will 100% be making this for dinner this week! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
~ XOXO, Amanda
Oh, they look SO good! Love the seasoning:)