These perfectly tender potatoes sauté with onion, bell pepper, and seasonings. They’re a delicious side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You’re going to want to make them over and over again!

Update: This recipe was originally published in 2020 and has been republished with all new photos.

I grew up in a home where almost no meal was complete without skillet potatoes. It’s what inspired me to create my Skillet Breakfast Potatoes which have been a hit on the website for several years. The breakfast potatoes recipe I’m sharing today is potatoes with peppers and onions. It’s an easy recipe and a simple side dish I could eat every day.

This is one of my very favorite ways to make potatoes but if you’re looking for more ideas I have plenty! You’ll love these simple recipes. My Easy Diced Air Fryer Potatoes get crispy and tender with very little olive oil. Fancy making yours on a sheet pan? Try Easy Seasoned Oven Roasted Potatoes. Big fan of lemon? My Crispy Lemon Roasted Potatoes are the answer to your citrus loving prayers.

These potatoes seriously have so much flavor! They’re the best addition to a hearty breakfast but also delicious as a side for lunch or dinner. Any meal will do!

Ingredients for Southwestern Skillet Potatoes

  • Olive or avocado oil: For perfectly tender diced potatoes we want to really coat them in a little oil.
  • Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes, russet potatoes, baby potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or red potatoes work well. Yukon golds are my personal favorite type of potato for this easy side dish. You can even use sweet potatoes for a different flavor.
  • Bell pepper: I prefer a mix of 1/2 red bell pepper and 1/2 green bell pepper. Red peppers are great because they are a little sweet. Any color will work well though.
  • Onion: White onion, yellow onion, or red onion all work well.
  • Simple seasonings: Garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper are all you need to add more flavor to this easy potatoes recipe.

How to make Southwestern Skillet Potatoes

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, place potatoes with bell pepper and onion to the skillet. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until sides of potatoes are golden brown. Season. Once you’ve achieved the browning you want, cover and reduce temperature to medium heat or medium low heat. Cook potatoes until tender.

What kind of potatoes should you use?

Yukon gold potatoes, russet potatoes, baby potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or red potatoes work well. Yukon golds are my personal favorite kind of potato for this easy side dish. I find they have a natural buttery taste! You can even use sweet potatoes for a different flavor.

Tips for the Best Potatoes

  1. Don’t peel them. Peeling adds a completely unnecessary prep. Why would you do that? Let’s just not. The peel helps keep the potatoes from completely breaking down in the skillet. We don’t want mashed potatoes here!
  2. Don’t start with the cover on your skillet. This will cause your potatoes to get too mushy. We want to first achieve that beautiful browning on the outside of the potatoes before covering.
  3. Stir frequently and use a large frying pan. Potatoes have to touch the bottom of the skillet to brown. If you leave them all piled up you’re going to have some potatoes that never touch the bottom. Move them around so everybody gets an opportunity to brown.
  4. Bonus tip! This one is just for fun. If you want to turn these potatoes into a main dish just add eggs! I like to scramble mine in a bowl with a little water, salt, and pepper. Follow the recipe instructions to let the potatoes completely cook. When the potatoes are done, pour in your egg mixture. Keep the heat on medium low or low and stir the eggs into the potatoes. They’ll cook super fast since the skillet and potatoes are already hot. Now you have a meal!

How to Store Leftover Potatoes

Want to enjoy these perfect breakfast potatoes the next day or later in the week? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop on low to medium-low heat until warmed through. You can also heat in the microwave.

How to Serve Breakfast Potatoes

To create a complete meal serve these potatoes with eggs and bacon or sausages. You’ll also enjoy them paired with french toast, a breakfast burrito, or a tofu scramble. No matter how you serve these you’ll quickly see why they’re a family favorite.

More recipes like this:

Skillet Breakfast Potatoes

Easy Diced Air Fryer Potatoes

Baked Herb Potato Rounds

Easy Seasoned Roasted Potatoes

Cinnamon Pecan Sweet Potato Rounds

5 from 1 vote

Southwestern Skillet Potatoes with Potatoes and Onions

These perfectly tender potatoes sauté with onion, bell pepper, and seasonings. They're a delicious side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You're going to want to make them over and over again!
Print Pin Rate
Yield: 4 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
  • 1½ pounds potatoes, diced, unpeeled
  • 1 bell pepper, diced, any color (I like 1/2 red and 1/2 green)
  • ½ white or yellow onion, diced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add the diced potatoes, bell pepper, and onion to the skillet. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until sides of potatoes have browned. (If your potatoes aren't diced small it will take longer to brown the sides.)
  • Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Stir to combine.
  • Once you've achieved the browning you want, cover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Cook potatoes for another 5 to 10 minutes or until tender.
  • Taste. Add more salt or paprika if desired. Serve as is or top with your favorite hot sauce!

Notes

I prefer yellow or gold potatoes but you can use any kind you like.
This is an easy recipe to double and we do it often when we have company over. When doubling, I recommend stirring the potatoes more frequently. A very full skillet means that the potatoes on top won’t get a turn at the bottom (where they brown) unless you move them around often. After covering you’ll also want to increase the cooking time so the potatoes all have plenty of time to soften.
The nutrition information assumes you’re serving 4. These are fairly large servings. You can serve 6 with no problem if you don’t mind smaller servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 303mg, Potassium: 810mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 998IU, Vitamin C: 73mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thewholecook and hashtag it #thewholecook on Instagram.

Share the Love: