These old-fashioned fried potatoes are golden and crispy outside, fluffy inside, and taste like the ones your grandma made—if your grandma knew how to season a skillet like a Southern boss.
I loved these for any meal (and I was a picky eater)—they disappeared faster than Mom’s patience on a Sunday morning.
🎧 Listen to the audio version of fried potatoes
Listen to the crispy fried potato recipe recipe, tips, and how-to's. Then sit back and get ready for a quick visit to the fictional town of Picklefork, Texas, where my childhood memories come to life. Just click the arrow to get started.
Table of Contents
I’ve made these in cast iron pans older than some of y'all, to be honest.
If my calculator is right—and it’s been wrong before—I’ve made these about 7,000 times. Tested 'em at least 2,000. Burnt plenty. Cursed some. Perfected it eventually
This is the version that finally got applause from my husband and the dog. (Okay fine, the dog. My husband only cheers for touchdowns and good brisket.)
🎥 Video
Watch how easy it is to make crispy, golden fried potatoes—just like Grandma used to, but faster. This quick one-minute video shows you every step.
🧾 Ingredients
I like peanut oil for frying because of its high smoke point but if there's an allergy then use any light oil. Once the potatoes are cooked I like to sprinkle them with a little creole seasoning to spice 'em up.
The type of potato you choose makes a difference. If you use Russets you definitely want to soak them in water before frying because they have a high starch content but they will be crispier overall.
More tips and a full potato comparison chart are in this free Kitchen Cheat Sheet printable.
📖 Recipe
Pan Fried Potatoes Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 6 - 8 large potatoes, peeled (or not) and sliced about ¼-inch thick
- 1 sweet onion, optional
- 1 clove garlic, optional
- 1 bell pepper, optional - green, red, poblano, jalapeno, all of them - you decide
- salt to taste, I prefer kosher salt
- black pepper to taste, I prefer coarse ground pepper
- ¼ cup peanut oil, light vegetable oil will work if there are allergy issues
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Peel and slice (or cube) potatoes. You can also leave them unpeeled - just wash well.
- Let soak for 5-10 minutes in ice water in a large mixing bowl. You may skip this step if you like.
- Drain well and pat dry - make sure they are VERY dry!
- Heat ¼ cup peanut oil in a large skillet on medium high heat until it's shimmering and almost smoking.
- Add potatoes and let fry for about 2 minutes or until they start to get golden on the bottom.
- Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium. Allow to steam for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove cover and turn the heat back up to medium high. Flip the potatoes. Fry for a minute or two, or until the bottom layer begins to get golden.
- Dump the pan of potatoes into a colander over the sink to remove excess oil and moisture. Blot with a paper towel and return them to the pan on medium heat.
- Add the onion and peppers plus any seasonings you'd like on your potatoes.
- Saute, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and done. Do not cover at this stage of frying because they will get soggy!
- Add the butter at the very end of cooking.
- Taste for seasoning and serve hot with plenty of cracked black pepper.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Step-by-Step: How I Fry These to Crispy Gold Every Time
Need visuals? Here’s how the whole potato-frying process looks in real time.
- Slice or dice evenly.
- Soak in water.
- Heat oil in a heavy skillet.
- Place potatoes in a single layer in hot oil.
- Flip over.
- Cook until beginning to turn golden brown.
- Add onions and peppers if using.
- Add butter
- Cook until done.
❓ What’s the Secret to Perfect Fried Potatoes?
- Dry the potatoes very well
- Use high heat
- Don’t overcrowd the pan
- Flip sparingly
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
Here are more delicious side dishes to complement any meal.
🥔 Cast Iron Country Potatoes have crispy edges, buttery centers, and are cooked up in cast iron like the good Lord intended. This is breakfast-for-dinner energy in a skillet.
🍗 Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes, yes please! One pan. All the flavor. This garlicky, buttery mess of tender chicken and golden potatoes tastes like comfort got promoted.
🧅 Box mix magic strikes again with these Lipton Onion Soup Mix Roast Potatoes. These roasted potatoes are bold, beefy, and straight outta every 1980s church cookbook in the best way.
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tom kaucher says
This is a horrible recipie! No clue about portions! She says 6 to 8 large potatoes? I used 6 small potatoes. Her Pics show maybe a half of a potato in the pan? I put 6 potatoes sliced in the gigantic iron skillet I have and they were 3 layers deep at least. The bottom layer was the only one to get done. Nothing else was close. What a joke!
Marye says
And. yet there are over 200 5 star reviews and many positive comments. The recipe isn't the problem.
Beth says
So delicious!
cis says
Perfect recipe for crispy potatoes. Thank you!
Larry says
very good...will make again!
Cindy says
I love these pan fried breakfast potatoes. They are perfect with your biscuit and gravy recipe.
Marye says
Thanks Cindy! We do love these easy fried potatoes for breakfast!!
Holly says
I have been looking for a good breakfast potatoes! I have never pan fried with peanut oil, but loved the results. These potatoes turn out so crispy and yummy. Thanks!!!
MARK SUGARMAN says
Haven't been cooking much since my stroke. Can't wait to try these taters and start cooking again. Everything is better cooked with cast iron skillet. Amen
Pam Eurto says
These look great.and need to be on the menu this week. Unfortunate for you there will always be someone gripping at you. This is usually due to their inability to.follow directions. Or changing the ingedients.. I did love you comment to him, well done.
Dianne says
I have a glass topped stove, so I can't use my iron skillet and you say not to use nonstick. What is the best alternative?
Marye says
The glass topped stove doesn't allow pans to get hot enough to really get a good caramelization which is the same problem with the non-stick pans... so in that case you can use the nonstick pan because it won't make a difference.
Kathryn says
Actually I have a glass top stove and several cast iron skillets. You can use them and they get plenty hot to fry anything you like.
Squirrel Butler says
Thanks, Marye, I am trying these out today!
Squirrel Butler says
Man, I REALLY want to make these!!
But the instructions are contradictory, at least to me! It says to fry for 2-3 minutes, check bottoms, but it doesn't say to flip them at that point; it says to check them, and then cover the pan and reduce heat. It doesn't say to flip them until after the steaming. Is that correct?
Also, in the helpful notes above the recipe (and they really are helpful, so thank you!), it says to fry for 10 minutes without touching them, until they're browned at the edges, and then flip and fry the other side for 5 more minutes, which is totally different from what the recipe card says to do.
I am not trying to be critical, i really am not. These look delicious, and other reviewers have raved about them, but I suspect they have more 'kitchen intuition' than I do, and know how to make sense of the differing instructions.
Help! Thanks!
Marye says
You flip them after steaming. In the notes it did say to fry 10 minutes but it should have said 5-10 minutes because a lot depends on the exact heat of your pan, the oil you use, the type of potatoes you use and so on. Thank you for your questions - I try to think of how the instructions should read but I don't always get it right. 🙂
Deborah says
The round fried ones are what I grew up calling pan fried potatoes. I learned how to do them from my grandmother. She’d put a lid on the pan for a bit and cook them on a lower temperature, then take the lid off and turn up the heat some to brown and crisp them. Of course she added the onion and black pepper. We ate these with pinto beans or purple hull peas, onion and cornbread. And in season, sliced tomatoes. Makes me so hungry!