Perfect fried potatoes aren’t difficult but there is a trick to it.
One of my friends asked me a week or so ago to do a post on how to make pan fries (home fries, country fried potatoes – whatever you want to call them) so that they were both cooked through AND crispy without being burnt. It is one of those things that just never occurred to me to write about but here it is.
I grew up with fried potatoes — breakfast, lunch, dinner… I would walk in the house after school on a chilly, blustery Eastern Pennsylvania day and before I even got my coat off the aroma of those potatoes would waft down into the foyer (we lived in a tri-level with a foyer and den on the ground floor, the kitchen, formal dining, and formal living on the 2nd floor and the bedrooms up on the 3rd floor) It didn’t matter to me what else we were having — those potatoes said welcome home!
Depending on the meal my mom would make the potatoes with onion, chopped garlic, or green peppers — and sometimes she would get crazy and toss in everything. The potatoes would sizzle and pop in the pan until the undersides were golden, crispy brown and then she would flip them and brown the other side.
It was magic. How did she know that perfect moment to slide the spatula underneath and begin turning?
Why Your Potatoes Aren’t Perfect
If your pan fried potatoes are soggy rather than crispy, or raw rather than tender, or even burnt rather than golden brown you are probably doing (or not doing) one of the following:
You’re using the wrong oil
You’re using very starchy potatoes and not removing some of the starch
You’re putting them in the pan wet
You are over crowding the pan and they are steaming
You are leaving to cover on the pan too long
Even though making home fries isn’t hard it is a bit like riding a bike — easy when you know how.
Tips for Perfect Fried Potates
Slice or cube them the same size so that they all cook evenly
Slice them into salted ice water and let them soak for five minutes or so. Drain, rinse and pat dry before frying.
Use peanut oil unless someone has an allergy. It is the best oil I have found for frying.
Fry them in an iron skillet if you have one – try not to fry them in nonstick. The nonstick coating hampers the frying process.
Let the oil get really hot before adding potatoes.
Don’t overcrowd the skillet.
You can put a cover on the skillet to help them cook for the first bit but take it off for the last part of cooking.
If they still aren’t what you want try this. Boil the potatoes until almost done the night before. Drain and refrigerate. Next day pat them dry and fry.
Another of my all time favorite potato recipes is Creamy Potatoes au Gratin. It’s old fashioned comfort food, just like these home fries!
Great recipe! We made them with canola oil and they turned out excellent. The real trick was soaking them and making sure they were dry before we fried them. Super YUMMY! Thanks for the recipe!
marye
8 mos, 1 wk ago
So glad you liked them!
Elaine
7 mos ago
Is the salt water for a brine or just to keep the raw potatoes from turning brown before cooking? Also, how much water and how much salt? Thank You!
marye
7 mos ago
A little of both. it pulls some of the moisture and allows them to get a crispy outer layer.
bobby
6 mos, 2 wks ago
so how much salt do you add to your water?
marye
6 mos, 2 wks ago
Wow. Ummmm… I usually don’t measure. A tablespoon or so?
DGS
6 mos, 2 wks ago
Ok i’ve made these about 5 times now. First time it worked, since then it hasn’t.
I think I am unclear on when to flip the potatoes, because after 2 minutes on high they start BURNING. So if I don’t flip and cover them it will just get worse.
Having the oil too high
Not enough oil in the pan
An oil with a low smoke point like canola
Use Peanut oil if at all possible. Grapeseed oil is expensive but even better than peanut oil. Hope this helps. If not leave me a message and we can chat on Facebook about it.
Thank you for this! I’ve never had my fried potatoes turn out so yummy. Easy and comforting.
I used Grapeseed oil, which you can actually get at CostCo for less than supermarket.
It doesn’t say when to put the onions, garlic, etc in. I added them in the last stage of cooking, after dumping the excess oil. Is that when you usually do it?
I do like to use Grapeseed oil but I fry so much and in such quantity that I can’t afford it all the time. :/ Thanks for letting me know! When to put the onions in depends on how you like them. I have put them in just before the potatoes to flavor the oil and I have put them in toward the end – just enough time to get tender.
I’ve made these twice this week, and your tips are SO HELPFUL! I love fried potatoes, but have never been able to make them successfully, after many tries. So thankful for your instructions…although it may be dangerous for me to know how to make them. I could eat them for every meal I think. Thanks!
Reading your story brought back so many memories! I also grew up in Eastern PA and would come home to the wonderful smell of fried potatoes. My mom often made them as a side for dinner. They were wonderful!
I happened to see a TV cooking show that featured fried potatoes just the other night. Unfortunately, I didn’t see it from the start. I’m glad to have found your recipe as I love the thought of crispy potatoes. I will give this a try tomorrow night! Onions, garlic, peppers–they all sound delicious!
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24 Responses
YUMMY and YEA!!!! Thanks!
So what kind of oil would you suggest as a runner-up for those who have peanut allergies?
Sunflower
THANKS! I used the ice bath and peanut oil and they were the best fried potatoes I have ever made!
I love fried potatoes!
hmmmmmmmmmmm ymmmmmy i like this
How often should they be turned?
Great recipe! We made them with canola oil and they turned out excellent. The real trick was soaking them and making sure they were dry before we fried them. Super YUMMY! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you liked them!
Is the salt water for a brine or just to keep the raw potatoes from turning brown before cooking? Also, how much water and how much salt? Thank You!
A little of both. it pulls some of the moisture and allows them to get a crispy outer layer.
so how much salt do you add to your water?
Wow. Ummmm… I usually don’t measure. A tablespoon or so?
Ok i’ve made these about 5 times now. First time it worked, since then it hasn’t.
I think I am unclear on when to flip the potatoes, because after 2 minutes on high they start BURNING. So if I don’t flip and cover them it will just get worse.
What am I missing?
I’d guess that you are:
Having the oil too high
Not enough oil in the pan
An oil with a low smoke point like canola
Use Peanut oil if at all possible. Grapeseed oil is expensive but even better than peanut oil. Hope this helps. If not leave me a message and we can chat on Facebook about it.
Thank you for this! I’ve never had my fried potatoes turn out so yummy. Easy and comforting.
I used Grapeseed oil, which you can actually get at CostCo for less than supermarket.
It doesn’t say when to put the onions, garlic, etc in. I added them in the last stage of cooking, after dumping the excess oil. Is that when you usually do it?
I do like to use Grapeseed oil but I fry so much and in such quantity that I can’t afford it all the time. :/ Thanks for letting me know! When to put the onions in depends on how you like them. I have put them in just before the potatoes to flavor the oil and I have put them in toward the end – just enough time to get tender.
hello! i cant wait to try these
let me know how you like them!
I’ve made these twice this week, and your tips are SO HELPFUL! I love fried potatoes, but have never been able to make them successfully, after many tries. So thankful for your instructions…although it may be dangerous for me to know how to make them. I could eat them for every meal I think.
Thanks!
YAY! I am so glad! Thanks for letting me know
Reading your story brought back so many memories! I also grew up in Eastern PA and would come home to the wonderful smell of fried potatoes. My mom often made them as a side for dinner. They were wonderful!
I happened to see a TV cooking show that featured fried potatoes just the other night. Unfortunately, I didn’t see it from the start. I’m glad to have found your recipe as I love the thought of crispy potatoes. I will give this a try tomorrow night! Onions, garlic, peppers–they all sound delicious!