Microwavable Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes in Under 5 Minutes

I recently published a recipe for loaded air fried chicken and potatoes on my primary blog and tons of Taco Bell fans mentioned they looked like Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.

So, I thought I should pay homage to the Taco Bell classic with a healthier copycat that can be prepped in the microwave.

Here’s a look at how things turned out:

The Original Taco Bell Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes: 240 calories, 3 grams of protein, 29 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of fat

Copycat Microwavable Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes: 182 calories, 10 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of fat (with an option to reduce the fat and calories even further)

You’ll get a protein boost, save some carbs and calories, and you won’t be tempted to order other things off the menu by going with the copycat recipe.

 

What are Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes?

If you’ve never heard of these potatoes, they’re crispy potato bites topped with sour cream and nacho cheese sauce.

In recent years, Taco Bell has been using seasoned potatoes more and more throughout their menu (like in the Spicy Potato Soft Taco or Cheesy Potato Toasted Breakfast Burrito) and these Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes has quickly risen in popularity.

While they may not be as popular as cinnamon twists or nacho fries, it’s a Taco Bell menu item that we hope is here to stay.

 

How to Make Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes in the Microwave

Traditionally, this type of dish would turn russet potatoes into cubed potatoes, which would then be baked in the oven or deep-fried like hash browns to achieve that crispy potato texture.

However, for this copycat recipe, we’re want to keep things simple. We’re going to use canned potatoes and a microwave to speed the process without sacrificing any of the flavor you’d expect from a fiesta potato dish.

This recipe has a short ingredient list other than a few spices. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• a can of diced new potatoes (you could also use frozen diced hash browns)
• plain fat free Greek yogurt
• your choice of salsa
• reduced fat shredded cheddar or your choice of cheese

That’s it!

Obviously, using canned potatoes or even hash browns means you’ll lose some of the crisp that the original Taco Bell potato has. But with all the spics we’re adding, you’ll hardly notice these aren’t the same crispy potatoes, especially if you top this dish with delicious salsa.

Speaking of spices, you’ll need black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. You can also use a bit of taco seasoning and ranch dip seasoning if you have those on hand as well.

Since this recipe is such a simple one, you can spice it up even more with onion powder, nacho cheese sauce, hot sauce, or anything else you can think of.

If you make this recipe more than once (because who doesn’t want cheesy potatoes ALL the time?) you’ll be able to experiment with the ratios as needed.

Add more cheddar cheese or nacho cheese sauce, we promise not to judge.

And I think that’s all you need to know. I’ll include notes on other ingredient modifications in the recipe card below. If you make these cheesy fiesta potatoes, I wanna see them.

Grab a photo and tag me on Instagram @mugsformuscles or join my free Facebook group and share it with everyone.

 

More Recipes You Might Like

If you’re a true Taco Bell fan, you know how great their Cheesy Gordita Crunch is. That’s why I made a healthier copycat of that as well. Go check out my Healthy Cheesy Gordita Crunch recipe to double up the protein of the original.

If you’re searching for another southwest inspired recipe, my chipotle cheddar or Mexican mug cornbread may be right up your alley.