Patatas a lo pobre in the air fryer is my easy way to an Andalusian classic: thin potato slices, onion and red and green bell pepper, slowly baked until soft in plenty of olive oil. The name means poor man’s potatoes, and that fits well, because the ingredients are few and cheap. The flavour, on the other hand, is anything but poor.
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I make this in an oven-safe dish that fits in the basket. First the potatoes and vegetables are baked under foil, so they turn tender in the oil, and then without foil until the edges are lightly golden. Finally, the oil is poured off, and crushed garlic, parsley and a splash of vinegar are tossed in while the potatoes are piping hot. The result is soft and juicy – not crisp.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love patatas a lo pobre in the air fryer
In a frying pan, you have to stir the potatoes regularly so the bottom slices do not take on too much colour. In the air fryer, the dish almost takes care of itself. The even heat at 160 °C gives the potatoes time to become tender all the way through, while the onions cook down and turn sweet, and the bell pepper gives flavour to the oil. I only have to turn everything over twice along the way.
I also like that the dish is so simple. It is both vegan and gluten-free just as it is, and the drained oil is a bonus: it has taken on the flavour of onion and bell pepper and is far too good to pour away.
Soft and juicy – not crisp like batata harra
Most potato dishes in the air fryer aim for a crisp surface. Patatas a lo pobre does not. Lebanese batata harra is made from crisp, spiced potato cubes, whereas the Andalusian slices should be soft and juicy with only lightly golden edges. That is why the recipe uses a low temperature, foil during the first part of the baking time and plenty of oil – three things I otherwise rarely use in an air fryer.
My kitchen test of patatas a lo pobre
I tested this dish in my Cosori Dual Blaze with a 20 x 20 cm oven-safe dish. The recipe cooks at 160 °C all the way through: first 25 minutes under foil and then 20 minutes without, so 45 minutes of cooking. With 15 minutes for peeling and cutting, the total time comes to 60 minutes. If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
The Dual Blaze has heating elements both above and below, so the dish is heated from both sides. I still turn everything over when the foil comes off, and again 10 minutes later, so that all the slices end up down in the oil. The most important thing I learned is to press the foil firmly around the edge of the dish. If it sits loosely, the airflow can lift it, and then the top slices dry out. The potatoes are done when a knife slides through easily. If they still have some bite, give them 5 more minutes without the foil.
Toss in the garlic, parsley and vinegar while the potatoes are piping hot. The heat takes the raw edge off the garlic, and the vinegar soaks into the potatoes.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is uneven slices. If some are thick and others thin, the thin ones turn mushy before the thick ones are tender, so stick to about 3 mm all the way through. The second mistake is skimping on the oil or skipping the foil because it feels wrong in an air fryer. Then you end up with dry, half-crisp potatoes instead of soft ones. Use the full decilitre – most of it is poured off afterwards anyway. The third mistake is waiting with the garlic, parsley and vinegar until the potatoes have cooled, because then the garlic tastes raw and sharp. Let the oil drip off for 1-2 minutes, and toss everything together straight away.
How to serve patatas a lo pobre
Patatas a lo pobre is first and foremost a side dish, but it can also be a light meal in itself. This is how I most often serve it:
- With a fried egg on top, as they do in Andalusia
- As a side with fried fish, chicken or pork
- Warm as tapas with good bread on the side
- With a green salad, when the potatoes are meant to be the main event
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Reheat the potatoes in an oven-safe dish in the air fryer at 160 °C for 8-10 minutes, until heated through. The dish is not suitable for freezing, because both texture and colour deteriorate. You can keep the drained oil in the fridge and use it within 2-3 days, for example for frying eggs or vegetables.
Patatas a lo pobre shows that the air fryer can do more than make food crisp. Give the potatoes time, oil and a lid of foil, and you get a soft and flavourful side that goes with almost anything. You will find the recipe below.
FAQ
It is Spanish and means poor man’s potatoes. The name refers to the few, cheap ingredients: potatoes, onion, bell pepper and olive oil.
Use waxy potatoes. They keep their shape even when baked completely soft, while floury potatoes easily fall apart when you turn them.
No. They should be soft and juicy with only lightly golden edges. That is why they are baked at 160 °C and under foil for the first part of the time.
Recipe
Patatas a lo pobre in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Oven-safe dish - 20 x 20 cm
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chefs knife
- 1 Vegetable peeler
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Aluminum foil
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Colander
- 1 Garlic press
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Peel 800 g potatoes and cut them into even slices about 3 mm thick.
- Put the potatoes, onions and bell peppers in a large bowl. Add 1 dl olive oil and 1 tsp salt, and toss thoroughly until all the slices are coated in oil and no longer stick together.
- Finely chop the parsley and set it aside for serving.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Place the mixture in an oven-safe dish that fits in the air fryer basket, and scrape all the oil from the bowl over it as well.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, and press the foil firmly around the edge so it does not lift in the airflow.
- Place the dish in the basket and bake the potatoes at 160 °C for 25 minutes.
- Take the foil off and carefully turn everything over with a ladle so the bottom slices end up on top.
- Continue baking without the foil at 160 °C for 20 minutes, and turn everything over again after 10 minutes. The potatoes are done when a knife slides in easily and they are soft with only lightly golden edges. They should not be crisp.
Serving
- Carefully take out the hot dish and pour the contents into a colander set over the large bowl. Let the oil drain off for 1-2 minutes.
- Put the potatoes back in the hot dish. Press 2 clove garlic over them, and add 3 tbsp parsley and 1 tbsp sherry vinegar. Gently toss everything together while the potatoes are still piping hot.
- Season with salt to taste and serve the potatoes warm.
Our notes for the recipe
Patatas a lo pobre should be soft and juicy, not crisp like, for instance, batata harra. That is why they are first baked under foil at a low temperature and turned along the way. Cut the slices to an even thickness so they become tender at the same time, and give them 5 more minutes without the foil if they still have some bite. Toss in the garlic, parsley and vinegar while the potatoes are piping hot, because the heat takes the raw edge off the garlic. Save the oil:
The drained oil has taken on the flavour of onion and bell pepper. Store it in the fridge and use it within 2-3 days for frying eggs or vegetables. Variation:
Bake 4-5 whole, lightly crushed garlic cloves along with the potatoes from the start if you want a milder and sweeter garlic flavour. You can also stick to just green bell pepper, which is the most classic choice, or add a bay leaf to the dish. Serving:
Serve the potatoes as a side with fried fish, chicken or pork, or Andalusian-style with a fried egg on top. They also taste great warm as tapas, with bread on the side. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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