Potato Pancakes
Amp up hash browns with Potato Pancakes, the goes-with-everything breakfast or dinner side that is perfectly golden brown, crispy, and exactly what you want to be eating today.
To make potato pancakes, shredded potatoes are mixed with flour and seasonings, bound together with an egg, shaped into patties, and then pan fried to perfection.
Potato pancakes are versatile and make a tasty side with hearty soups and stews and meaty mains, or alongside a hot breakfast.Like homemade Tater Tots, potato pancakes provide a fun, individual potato serving.While this recipe is easy, if you are looking for more of a shortcut, Hash Brown Casserole utilizes pre-shredded, frozen hash browns, cooked in one go in a casserole dish.
Potato Pancakesā Origin
Potato pancakes are an Eastern European dish, originating as peasant food as potatoes were cheap, plentiful, and easy to store.Many cultures have their own version of a potato pancake, with the common denominator being shredded potatoes mixed with a binder and onion, formed into patties, and then pan fried.
How to Make Easy Potato Pancakes
Shredding and draining the potatoes is the biggest step, then you just mix, form patties, and cook!
These pancakes are superb straight off the griddle.
The Ingredients
Potatoes. Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for potato pancakes because they are extra starchy and bind and crisp up well. Yukon gold potatoes are denser. Potatoes are a good source of carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamin C, as well as vitamin B6, potassium and manganese.
Tip!
After shredding the potatoes, be sure to drain and wring out as much moisture as possible with a kitchen or paper towel.
Eggs. The essential ingredient for potato pancakes to bind everything together.White Whole Wheat Flour. One of my subtle, healthy swaps is white whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour, as whole wheat has more fiber and protein content than all purpose.
Seasoning. Fairly bland on their own, potatoes must be seasoned. Onion powder, freshly ground black pepper, and plenty of salt give them a perfect savory flavor. No lingering garlic breath with my potato pancakes!Canola Oil. A neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point is the ticket for pan frying.
The Best Oil for Cooking Potato Pancakes
While I usually love cooking with olive oil, to pan-fry the potato pancakes, we need to use an oil that has a neutral flavor and high smoke point (olive oil is neither of these!).
Canola oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, and grapeseed oil would all work.I prefer canola oil as it is the most heart healthy and is always in my cabinet.
Plan Greek Yogurt. I could really be a saleswoman for Greek yogurt. It is a no-brainer healthy swap for sour cream; no fat, plus a punch of protein.Applesauce. The sweetness of the applesauce lightens up the crispy potato pancake and makes them perfectly balanced. Homemade is worth it! For an easy recipe, whip up some Crockpot Applesauce or Instant Pot Applesauce.
The Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grate potatoes. Whisk eggs.
Add flour and seasoning.
Mix in potatoes.
Heat oil. Cook on the first side until completely golden.
Flip and cook other side. Serve hot with Greek yogurt and applesauce. ENJOY!
Tips for the Best Potato Pancakes
Wring out as much moisture as possible from the shredded potatoes to ensure they crisp.Sufficiently heating oil in the pan prior to placing the patty in the pan is the key to a properly crispy potato pancake.The oil is hot enough when you drop a small amount of the potato mixture onto the surface and it sizzles.
Potato Pancake Topping Ideas
The traditional topping for potato pancakes is applesauce and sour cream (my recipe makes a healthy swap of nonfat Greek yogurt!), but toppings for these crispy babies can be up to your imagination and taste buds.
Salsa and the Best GuacamoleCooked, crumbled Air Fryer Bacon bits or Baked Bacon and shredded cheddar cheesePickled OnionsJalapeƱosChives and plain Greek yogurt or sour creamAir Fryer Onion RingsMashed avocado and a fried eggSmoked Salmon Dip
Storage Tips
To Store. After cooling, leftover potato pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.To Reheat. Reheat leftovers in the oven at 400 degrees F for five to 10 minutes.To Freeze. Potato pancakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. First flash freeze by laying pancakes flat on a baking sheet and placing in the freezer for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a freezer Ziploc bag. Reheat in oven directly from frozen for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Meal Prep Tip
Potato pancakes can be prepped the day before cooking. Prepare the mixture without cooking it, and store tightly-wrapped in refrigerator. Fry just before serving.
Leftover Ideas
Try transforming leftover potato pancakes into a Breakfast Burger, swapping the English muffin ābunā for potato pancakes.
What to Serve with Potato Pancakes
Potato pancakes are scrumptious on their own, dipped in the traditional sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and applesauce. You can also pair them with breakfast and dinner items, such as the following:
Breakfast Favorites. Crustless Quiche; Eggs in Purgatory; Savory Crepes.Salmon. For a twist on lox and cream cheese. Try Poached Salmon, Broiled Salmon, or Baked Salmon.BBQ. Crispy potatoes (like Air Fryer French Fries) and BBQ are besties. Try Slow Cooker Pulled Pork or Crockpot BBQ Chicken.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Mandolin. This multi-blade veggie chopper and grater really does it all. A food processor is also an easy way to quickly shred potatoes.Oil Dispenser. Itās nice storing cooking oils in these containers to keep them fresh and make for easy pouring when cooking.Nesting Mixing Bowls. I use these bowls for all my baking and cooking. They all fit together for easy storage and wash well in the dishwasher.
If you have never tried potato pancakes, Iām thrilled to introduce you to your new favorite side dish!
Frequently Asked Questions
The proper name of a potato pancake depends on the region serving them. Dozens of cultures have their own version of a potato pancake, each with its own name. Placki ziemniaczane is a Polish potato pancake. Boxty is the Irish version. Draniki is the national dish of Belarus and Slovakia (so they clearly agree potato pancakes are amazing!). Kartoffelpuffer is a potato pancake from Germany.
Potato pancakes are more complex than hash browns. Hash browns are pan-fried shredded potatoes, whereas potato pancakes are mixed with a binder, seasoned typically with onion or garlic, and formed into patties before cooking. For a hash brown recipe, check out Sweet Potato Hash Browns.
Latkes include matzo meal and baking powder, which potato pancakes do not.
āLatkeā is a Yiddish name, and they are traditionally served during Hanukkah.
Thoroughly squeeze out moisture from the shredded potatoes prior to cooking to prevent any wateriness. Additionally, the proper ratio of egg to potato is important for keeping the potato pancake from falling apart. If your mixture seems too watery before cooking, add a bit more flour to thicken it up.
Potato pancakes made with leftover mashed potatoes are a great way to use up Crockpot Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes. I have not tested this recipe adapted with mashed potatoes instead of the shredded, but it should work. Youāll get a patty that is crispy on the outside with creamy mashed potatoes on the inside.
Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
Instructions
Video
Notes
To Reheat. Reheat potato pancakes in the oven at 400 degrees F for five to 10 minutes.
To Freeze. Potato pancakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. First flash freeze by laying flat on baking sheet and placing in freezer for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a freezer Ziploc bag. Reheat in oven directly from frozen for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
