How to Cook Potatoes in the Microwave
You will love these 5-minute paprika potatoes. Delicious, buttery potatoes with paprika in just 5 minutes.
This is my favourite of all microwave potato recipes; you will love them! Cooking potatoes in the microwave is a great way to save time and energy.
Microwave steam bags are a real game-changer and a fast way to cook potatoes and make dinnertime so much easier.
Ideally, you need a microwave steam bag. I got mine from Tesco, but they are available in any good supermarket or on Amazon via the link above.
Can I make this without a steam bag?
If you don't have a microwave steam bag, you can just put the prepared potatoes into a glass dish and cover it with cling film.
You will need to make a hole to allow the steam to escape.
The downside is that potatoes cooked this way won’t steam as well, so they’ll take much longer to cook. Microwave steam bags are definitely the way to go!
Ingredients
- 360g new potatoes - cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 20g butter
- ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
- a good pinch of sweet smoked paprika
- sea salt and black pepper
- freshly snipped chives - just as an attempt to be a tiny bit fancy!
Of course, if you don't fancy paprika, you can use whatever takes your fancy, here are just a few suggestions for seasoning potatoes - but the list is pretty much endless.
Sprinkle with dried herbs or spices, such as:
- oregano
- thyme
- rosemary
- Italian seasoning
- cayenne pepper - if you like a bit of heat!
- curry powder
- cajun seasoning
- you could also use minced garlic
How long do potatoes take to cook in a microwave?
First off, ignore the timings on the bag. For these Tesco steam bags, it says 3 minutes, but I added more than the 175g listed, and they ended up taking 5 minutes.😉
The exact time will depend on how small your chopped potatoes are and the power of your microwave.
How do microwave steam bags work?
I'm assuming all microwave steam bags work in the same way as these ones from Tesco.
Notice there is a correct way to put the bag into your microwave.
This matters because if you look closely, one side of the bag has a strip above the words “Place in the microwave this side up.” As the potatoes cook, the bag will puff up, and when that happens, the strip is designed to perforate with tiny holes, letting the steam escape.
If the bag is the wrong way up, the butter and oil will leak all over your microwave! 😱
How to make microwave paprika potatoes
Using new potatoes (no need to peel them), cut each potato into small bite-sized pieces.
In a bowl, combine ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper, then toss in the potatoes and mix until evenly coated. Transfer the potatoes to a steam bag, add 20g of cubed butter, and seal. Place the bag upright on the turntable, or, if using a flatbed microwave, put the glass shelf at the bottom and set the steam bag directly on it.
Microwave on full power for 5 minutes (1000-watt microwave).
Take care, as the bag will be HOT with steam.
You can do as I did and, using a tea towel, carefully press on one of the potatoes - it should squash easily. If not, return to the microwave for another minute, until the potatoes are cooked through.
Carefully tip the potatoes into a serving dish. Sprinkle with freshly snipped chives, or chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve immediately.
Give them a go today!
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!
Microwave Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 360g new potatoes - cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 20g butter - cubed
- ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
- a good pinch of sweet smoked paprika
- sea salt and black pepper
- freshly snipped chives
Instructions
- Using new potatoes (no need to peel them) cut each potato into small bite-sized pieces. Rinse and pat dry.
- In a bowl, add the vegetable oil and paprika along with sea salt and black pepper, mix together, add the potatoes and mix to coat evenly.
- Put the potatoes into the steam bag and add the cubed butter.
- Place the bag facing the correct way up directly onto the turntable. If you have a flatbed microwave, put the glass shelf in the bottom position and put the steam bag directly onto that.
- Microwave on full power for 5 minutes (1000-watt microwave).
- Take care as the bag will be HOT! You can do as I did and use a tea towel to carefully press on one of the potatoes; it should squash easily. If not, return to the microwave for a further minute until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Carefully tip the potatoes into a serving dish. Sprinkle with freshly snipped chives, or chopped flat leaf parsley and serve immediately.
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