Fried Potatoes – Crispy, Easy, and Perfect

Name: Easy, Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes – Perfect Every Time
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 6 - 8 large potatoes (peeled (or not) and sliced about 1/4-inch thick); 1 large onion (optional); 1 clove garlic (optional); 1 pepper optional (green, red, poblano, jalapeno - you decide); Salt to taste; Pepper to taste; 1/4 cup Peanut Oil (no good substitute, sorry); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

February 21, 2016 by Marye Audet 130 Comments

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Pan fried potatoes, or home fries, that are perfectly crispy aren’t difficult but there is a trick to getting that golden crust and tender, buttery interior. I’m sharing my tips and tricks for getting them perfect every time. Here they are — just like you remember.

For this recipe you’ll need: potatoes, onion, fresh garlic, Bell pepper, poblano, or jalapeno, salt, pepper, peanut oil, butter, heavy cast iron frying pan

Need something this easy but a little different? Try my easy “top of the stove” au gratin potatoes! If you are in a hurry Jump to Recipe

Click HERE to pin for later

One of my friends and I were talking about the best way to fry potatoes. She was having trouble getting her fried potatoes crispy and tender. She wondered if I had a trick for 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. I was happy to do it… 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… they would find their way to the table almost any time of the day. I would walk in the house after school on a chilly, blustery 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 crispy fried potatoes said welcome home!

Pan fried potatoes, or home fries, that are perfectly crispy aren’t difficult – you’ll love these!

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 deftly flip them and brown the other side.

I thought 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:

Using the wrong oil
You’re using very starchy potatoes and not removing some of the starch
Are you 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.

Making these easy crispy fried potatoes is a cinch when you know the secret.

Tips for Perfect Fried Potatoes

Slice or cube them the same size so that they all cook evenly. They shouldn’t be too thick or too thin — about 1/8 inch is right.
Slice them into salted ice water and let them soak for five minutes or so. Drain, rinse and pat dry before frying. Do not try to fry them when they are wet.
Use peanut oil unless someone has an allergy. It is the best oil I have found for frying.
The amount of oil needed may vary from one time to the next. Use enough to keep them from sticking.
Fry them in an iron skillet if you have one – try not to fry them in nonstick. The nonstick coating hampers the frying process because it doesn’t get hot enough.
Let the oil get really hot before adding potatoes. It won’t smoke but it will ripple in the pan.
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 or your potatoes will be soggy.
If these potatoes still aren’t the recipe that you’ve been looking for try this. Boil the potatoes until almost done the night before. Drain and refrigerate. Next day pat them dry and fry. You can also bake potatoes (or use leftover baked potatoes) and use them for pan fried potatoes.

These easy fried potatoes come out perfectly every time. We love them!

Another of my all time favorite potato recipes is Easy Potatoes au Gratin. It’s old fashioned comfort food, just like these home fries!

Used in This Recipe

The following are affiliate links. If you click through and buy something I get a small commission which helps support the blog – it doesn’t affect your cost at all! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!

Like everything – getting the best results with fried potatoes means using the right tools. Here are some of the things I use to get those perfectly crispy on the outside tender on the inside fried potatoes.

Lodge L10SK3 Pre-Seasoned Skillet, 12-Inch

Planters 100% Pure Peanut Oil, 24 Fl Oz

Pan Fried Potatoes Recipe>

Here’s that fried potatoes recipe. Click HERE to pin for later

Easy, Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes – Perfect Every Time

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Perfect, crispy pan fried potatoes every single time. The secret is in the two step process. It's easy and it only takes 30 minutes total.

: Side Dish

: Southern

Servings: 6

Calories: 265 kcal

Author: Marye Audet

Ingredients

6 - 8 large potatoes peeled (or not) and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1 large onion optional
1 clove garlic optional
1 pepper optional green, red, poblano, jalapeno - you decide
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Peanut Oil no good substitute, sorry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Peel and slice (or cube) potatoes.
Let soak for 5-10 minutes in salted ice water.
Drain well and pat dry - make sure they are VERY dry!
Heat 1/4 cup peanut oil in a skillet on high heat until it's shimmering and almost smoking.
Add potatoes and let fry for about 2 minutes.
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.
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.
Add the onion and peppers.
Fry, 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 pepper.

Nutrition Facts

Easy, Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes – Perfect Every Time

Amount Per Serving

Calories 265 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4g 6%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 10mg 3%

Sodium 15mg 1%

Potassium 1211mg 35%

Total Carbohydrates 53g 18%

Dietary Fiber 4g 16%

Sugars 2g

Protein 6g 12%

Vitamin A 2.3%

Vitamin C 21.5%

Calcium 4.1%

Iron 13.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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