A baked casserole of thinly sliced potatoes, peppers and chorizo in the style of patatas a lo pobre.
Patatas a lo pobre — literally "poor man's potatoes" — is a humble but deeply flavorful Andalusian dish of thinly sliced potatoes slowly cooked in olive oil with green peppers and onion until soft and lightly caramelized. This casserole takes that same combination and bakes it together with chorizo in one dish, layering the potatoes so they cook evenly and pick up the rendered chorizo fat throughout.\n\nThe technique that decides whether this dish turns out right is slicing the potatoes thin and uniform — thick or unevenly cut slices cook unevenly, leaving some pieces mushy and others still firm. A generous amount of olive oil is essential too; this is meant to be a rich, slow-cooked dish, not a lean one.\n\nServe hot, straight from the baking dish, as a rustic side or a simple main with crusty bread and perhaps a fried egg on top — a common way this dish is served in Andalusian homes.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl, toss potatoes, onion, peppers, chorizo and garlic with olive oil, paprika and salt until evenly coated.
Spread the mixture evenly in a large baking dish, pressing down gently so the ingredients are in an even, compact layer.
Cover tightly with foil and bake 35 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake 15-20 more minutes until the potatoes are fully tender and lightly golden on top.
Check a potato slice from the center of the dish for doneness — the middle takes longest to cook through in a tightly packed casserole.
Let rest 5 minutes, then top with parsley and serve hot straight from the dish.
Slice the potatoes as thin and evenly as possible, ideally with a mandoline, so everything cooks through at the same rate.
Don't skimp on the olive oil — this dish is meant to be rich, and the oil is what keeps the potatoes from drying out during the long bake.
Check the center of the casserole for doneness, not just the edges — it cooks slower than the perimeter in a tightly packed dish.
Top with a fried egg per serving right before eating, a very traditional Andalusian way to turn this into a full meal.
Add sliced red peppers alongside the green for more color and a touch of sweetness.
Make it vegetarian by skipping the chorizo and adding extra smoked paprika and a pinch of cumin for depth.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven or in the microwave until warmed through.
Patatas a lo pobre is a classic dish from Andalusia in southern Spain, born from a tradition of resourceful, olive-oil-based cooking using inexpensive, widely available ingredients like potatoes and peppers. It remains a common side dish and, with the addition of egg or meat, a full meal in homes across the region.
Yes, the traditional method is stovetop, cooking the potatoes low and slow in a wide pan with plenty of oil — this baked version is simply a hands-off adaptation for cooking a larger batch at once.
That's almost always from inconsistent slice thickness — use a mandoline or slice very carefully by hand so every piece is roughly the same size.
Yes, it's still a satisfying dish without it — just add a bit more smoked paprika to compensate for the smoky flavor the chorizo would have contributed.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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