The Crispy Varna-Style Potato Upgrade That Leaves Boring Boiled Spuds in the Dust
A clever Bulgarian-inspired crunch trick transforms humble potatoes into a total showstopper.
Known as Varna-style potatoes, this incredibly easy dish takes basic spuds and tosses them with sweet bell peppers, onions, and a punchy blend of aromatic herbs and garlic. The real genius move is the addition of simple breadcrumbs right before baking, which creates a spectacular, shatteringly crisp outer crust while keeping the inside beautifully fluffy and tender.
Ingredients: 450 g of potatoes, 60 g of bell pepper, 40 g of onion, 10 g of garlic, 30 g of breadcrumbs, a pinch of ground black pepper, dried rosemary, dried basil, dried marjoram, salt to taste, 40 ml of sunflower oil.
Cut the peeled potatoes into quarters, then slice each quarter into pieces no more than 0.5 cm thick. Small potatoes can be sliced into rounds.
Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and cut it into long strips. Peel the onion and garlic as well. Slice the onion into half-rings and crush the garlic with a knife.
In a baking dish, combine the potatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, vegetable oil, and spices. Mix everything well.
Now add salt and breadcrumbs. Mix again. Drizzle the remaining vegetable oil over the potatoes.
Cover the baking dish with a lid or foil, and place it in an oven preheated to 180°C for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and stir the contents. Return it to the oven to bake for another 25–30 minutes.
