Today, we’re putting a delicious vegan twist on this fun TikTok-inspired recipe.
These baked accordion potatoes look as good as the original viral recipe but are made without butter or cheese. Olive oil replaces the dairy products and provides an even more delectable crunch while smoked paprika and fresh spring onions bring a ton of awesome flavor.
This amazing appetizer or side dish takes a little extra time to prep and cook. But it is well worth the effort for these stunning—and absolutely tasty—results. Pair it with your favorite vegan sour cream or vegan ranch dip for a complete flavor fiesta.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Potatoes. Russet potatoes work the best for this recipe. I recommend finding the largest, smoothest spuds you can. Avoid funny-shaped potatoes, as they will be more difficult to cut and spear.
- Spring onions. You can substitute scallions or green onions here, but we highly recommend using spring onions if you can find them. The most mature of the three, green onions have the boldest flavor and add another dimension of deliciousness to the entire dish.
- Smoked paprika. While normal paprika is made by crushing dried red peppers, smoked paprika is made from smoke-dried peppers. This key difference adds real smokey flavor to the spuds and gives them an extra bit of spice.
How to Make Vegan Baked Accordion Potatoes
Don’t rush your prep process with this recipe. Soaking the potatoes and creating precision cuts helps create a beautiful final product. But, more importantly, these steps are what allow the spuds to develop such an awesomely addictive crunch.
1. Start by peeling the potatoes. You’ll want to remove all the skin using a sturdy, sharp peeler like this one.
2. Once peeled, cut the potatoes lengthwise into slices just under a ½ inch thick.
3. Prepare each potato slice one at a time by placing them on your cutting board, and then placing two skewer sticks along each long side of the slice. The skewers will act as a barrier to prevent you from cutting all the way through the potato.
4. Use a sharp knife to cut horizontal slits in each potato slice. It helps to rest the end of your knife blade on the far skewer stick and slice down until the closer edge of the knife contacts the near skewer.
5. Flip the slice over and repeat the process, but create diagonal slits this time. Again, be sure to use the skewers as a stopping point so you don’t cut all the way through.
6. Now take one of your skewer sticks and carefully insert it into the bottom of the potato slice and push it all the way through.
7. Repeat with all of your potato slices.
8. Place all of your cut and skewered potato slices in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes. The cold water will remove some of the starch from the spuds and make the final product crunchier.
9. While waiting for your potatoes to cure, place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
10. After 30 minutes, dry the potato slices using a clean cloth or paper towel.
11. Place them on the baking sheet and brush them with olive oil on both sides. Then dust them with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
12. Put the sheet of spuds in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. They are done once they turn a delightful golden brown.
13. Top the cooked spuds with chopped spring onions and serve with the sauce of your choice.
Recipe Variations
There is an endless list of spices you can add or substitute for this recipe. Some of our favorite combinations include:
- Garlic powder and nutritional yeast
- Thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and sea salt
- Paprika and vegan bacon bits
Cooking in an Air Fryer
To cook your accordion potatoes in an air fryer, follow steps 1 through 8 above. After drying your slices, place them in the air fryer at 375 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Baked Accordion Potatoes
For best results, we highly recommend eating these pretty potatoes fresh. But if you do have leftovers you certainly don’t want to throw them out.
Instead, place the leftover slices in an airtight container and put them in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to five days.
The downside of not eating these spuds fresh is they will lose their crispness. You can regain some of that crunch by heating up any leftovers in the oven. Start by baking them on 350 until warmed through, then switch to broil for one or two minutes until the edges begin to brown.
Try These Other Creative Potato Recipes
Looking for more interesting ways to use potatoes? We’ve got you covered with these great recipes.
- Salt and Vinegar Potatoes – Healthier than the chips but a very similar taste! And they make a great side dish.
- Vegan Potato Salad – Simple yet amazing, and a much healthier take on traditional recipes.
- Crispy Baked French Fries – Use sweet potatoes or russets—either way, these are awesome.
- Creamy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes – Comforting without overdoing it, and simple to prepare in under 20 minutes.
- Crispy Vegan Hash Browns – Learn how to make your homemade hash browns crunchy without using butter.
Baked Accordion Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes medium russets
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp spring onion sliced
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices.
- Place two skewer sticks along each long side of the slice, and use a sharp knife to cut shallow horizontal slits in each potato slice, using the skewers to prevent cutting all the way through.
- Flip the slice over and repeat the process, but create diagonal slits this time. Again, use the skewers as a stopping point so you don’t cut all the way through.
- Now take one of your skewer sticks and carefully insert it vertically into the bottom of the potato slice and push it all the way through.
- Repeat with all of your potato slices.
- Place all of your cut and skewered potatoes in a bowl of cold water. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes, and then dry them using a clean cloth or paper towel.
- Place them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with olive oil, and then dust with smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping halfway through. They are done once they turn a delightful golden brown. Top with chopped spring onions and serve with the sauce of your choice.
Notes
- Garlic powder and nutritional yeast
- Thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, and sea salt
- Paprika and vegan bacon bits
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