A delicious shredded potato dish with a spicy, salty, tangy flavours that hits the spot! These quick and easy Chinese spicy sour potatoes are made with minimal ingredients in 30 minutes. Great as a side dish and it's also vegan!
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Chinese Spicy Sour Potatoes (or "Suan La Tu Dou Si" ้ ธ่พฃๅ่ฑไธ) features tender shredded potatoes stir-fried in a scrumptious spicy salt and vinegar sauce with aromatics!
It's a unique and delicious Chinese potato dish that is intriguing with its flavor profile. This Asian potato dish originates from Sichuan, China. This easy vegetable side dish is made with simple ingredients in one-pan!
They almost taste like salt and vinegar chips with a hint of spice from the red chilis. If you can't tolerant spice, you can easily omit the red chilies.
In traditional Chinese spicy and sour potatoes, they use Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese black vinegar. But to make this dish accessible for all as these ingredients can be tricky to find, I've omitted the peppercorns and substitutes the black vinegar with white.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Small-medium russet potatoes: or substitute with yukon gold or yellow potatoes.
- Red chili: feel free to use any large red chilis that you enjoy.
- Fresh garlic
- White granulated sugar: to balance out the salty and tangy flavors! Don't skip.
- Salt
- Regular soy sauce:ย or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If youโre gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- White vinegar: or substitute with Chinese black vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. I chose to use white vinegar to make this recipe accessible for all.
- Sesame oil: for that nutty flavor but if you're allergic, omit completely.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or any heavy scented oils with a low smoke point.
- Green onions: for garnishing.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Use russet potatoes for best results because they absorb the flavors better and they're starchier.
- Thinly slice potatoes into recommended dimensions or they may not cook through properly.
- Use a mandolin slicer if you have one. This cuts down on the preparation time but if you don't, you can just use a sharp knife.
- Dry the potato shreds well by shaking out excess water and using paper towel to dry them or the water can cause for soggy potatoes.
- Taste test the potatoes after 7 minutes of cooking to check consistency. This allows for perfectly cooked potatoes that suits your taste buds as you don't want undercooked or overcooked potatoes.
- Don't add the vinegar at the start and add at the end or you will burn off all the vinegar and it won't taste as sour.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to makeย Chinese Spicy Sour Potatoes:
- Thinly slice peeled potatoes into ยฝ-cm thick pieces that are about 2-inches long. This ensures a faster cooking process.
- In a large bowl, soak potato slices in cold water for a couple of minutes and strain out the water using a colander. Shake out as much excess water as possible and dry the potatoes with a clean paper towels.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Sautรฉ garlic and red chilli and avoid inhaling the red chilis as they can cause you to cough.
- Toss in thinly sliced potatoes with aromatics.
- Season potatoes with salt, regular soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix well. Cook for 7-9 minutes until potatoes are tender to taste. At the 7 minute mark, taste test the potatoes to check if they're tender enough and if they're not ready, continue cooking until they are. Lastly, toss in green onions and season with white vinegar and remove off heat. Serve hot and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing Chinese Spicy Sour Potatoes as it will change the texture of the potatoes and aromatics.
Pairing Suggestions
These Chinese spicy sour potatoes serve well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, or lo mein,
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Soy Sauce Chicken, Oven-Roasted Char Siu or Air Fryer Char Siu, or Chinese Roasted Pork Belly, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!
FAQ
Chinese spicy sour potatoes can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
Yes, feel free to add thinly sliced vegetables with a low water content like carrots, bell peppers, snap peas or snow peas or sliced protein like chicken, pork, beef, extra-firm tofu or shrimp after cooking the aromatics. Make sure the protein is cooked through.
๐ Recipe
Quick & Easy Chinese Spicy Sour Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 small-medium russet potatoes peeled
- 3 green onions sliced into 1 inch long pieces
- 1 large red chilli chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ยฝ teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoon white vinegar or Chinese black vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Thinly slice peeled potatoes into ยฝ-cm thick pieces that are about 2-inches long. This ensures a faster cooking process.
- In a large bowl, soak potato slices in cold water for a couple of minutes and strain out the water using a colander. Shake out as much excess water as possible and dry the potatoes with a clean paper towels.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Sautรฉ garlic and red chilli and avoid inhaling the red chilis as they can cause you to cough.
- Toss in thinly sliced potatoes with aromatics.
- Season potatoes with salt, regular soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Mix well. Cook for 7-9 minutes until potatoes are tender to taste. At the 7 minute mark, taste test the potatoes to check if they're tender enough and if they're not ready, continue cooking until they are.
- Lastly, toss in green onions and season with white vinegar and remove off heat. Serve hot and enjoy
Alexandra
The flavours with the potatoes are fantastic - one of the most unique dishes I have ever tried! And SO delicious!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I love how this recipe only requires 30 minutes and the vinegar really give these potatoes a fun bite of flavor! ๐๐
Sherri
Adding to my must-try list for sure! My husband is a huge fan of salt and vinegar chips and I am all about anything potatoes so this would be perfect for us! ๐
Rebecca Dillon
This looks great! What a wonderful side or snack!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Ooh how perfectly crispy and delicious! I love these potatoes! You always make my mouth water, Christie!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
What an interesting dish! I LOVE black vinegar and sichuan peppercorns, so I'll have to try it out!
Never Ending Journeys
What a tasty idea! I bet the red chili really took these potatoes to a whole new level. My favorite sauce is sriracha, so I'd definitely love to try this flavorful chili-spiced dish!
Josiah - DIY Thrill
This looks like such a delicious potato dish!