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Fried Potatoes – Crispy, Easy, and Perfect

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Pan fried potatoes, country fried potatoes, or home fries are an old fashioned side dish that are perfect with any meal. They’re not difficult to make but I have a few tips to help you get skillet fries with a golden, crispy crust over a tender, buttery interior. Now you can get 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!

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OMG these are the best fried potatoes ever! Tips to help you make them right every time. From RestlessChipotle.com

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 Crispy

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.

How to Make Perfect Fried Potatoes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Use peanut oil unless someone has an allergy. It is the best oil I have found for frying.
  4. The amount of oil needed may vary from one time to the next. Use enough to keep them from sticking.
  5. 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.
  6. Let the oil get really hot before adding potatoes. It won’t smoke but it will ripple in the pan.
  7. Don’t overcrowd the skillet.
  8. 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.
  9. 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

4.7 from 13 votes
Print
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

  1. Peel and slice (or cube) potatoes.

  2. Let soak for 5-10 minutes in salted ice water.

  3. Drain well and pat dry - make sure they are VERY dry!

  4. Heat 1/4 cup peanut oil in a skillet on high heat until it's shimmering and almost smoking.

  5. Add potatoes and let fry for about 2 minutes.

  6. Cover the pan and reduce heat to medium. Allow to steam for about 2 to 3 minutes.

  7. Remove cover and turn the heat back up to medium high.

  8. 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.

  9. Add the onion and peppers.

  10. Fry, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and done. Do not cover at this stage of frying because they will get soggy!

  11. Add the butter at the very end of cooking.

  12. 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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Included in Meal Plan Monday #77 from Southern Bite

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.
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Comments

  5. I just followed this recipe and fried them in my grandmas old iron skillet. These have to have been the crispiest fried potatoes I have had in a long time! No more soggy fried pofrom here on out. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  6. Perfect! as suggested, cooked onion,jalapenos,garlic,pepper red and firs t before potatoes,added near end of cooking. so good, Thank you!

    Reply

  7. Why is the recipe printed in gray? I have never been able to understand why any information would be in gray? Possibly, somewhere along the line, someone thought gray was cool. Others followed. A newspapers uses black. I wish all websites would get back to using black. I hear people complain often about this gray
    Issue. Wish I could read the recipe. Gray is discouraging. Why bother?

    Reply

  10. Made these for the first time today, and yep – Just like Mom’s! I ended up eating the entire batch without anything else until I was a happily crispy potato stuffed kid again!

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  11. I’m unsure of what I did wrong, but this recipe did not work for me. The potatoes either cooked until they were black or did not cook at all. I’ve never had that problem before when frying potatoes.

    Reply

  15. I live in a remote part of Spain and peanut oil is not available. I am using sunflower oil but I fear that the results are not as good as yours, however, it’s better than nothing.

    Reply

  16. How do I keep the onions and garlic from burning? I’ve tried more oil, lower heat, adding at toward the end of cooking, all to no avail. My husband loves skillet potatoes and I just can’t seem to keep these tasty elements from burning. Please help! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Well, like I said, that’s what I’ve done. I’ve tried to turn the heat lower, but then the potatoes get soggy. Another friend of mine said to cook the onions and garlic seperately, then adding and mixing together just before serving. I think that may work, actually, I’ll report back!

      Reply

      • Sorry Karen, I missed that. Getting ready to go on Vacation and I am skimming… obviously badly. Try this: cook the onions and whatever else in the oil BEFORE you add the potatoes then remove them to a plate and cook the potatoes, then add them back in. This will ensure that the flavors mix in to the oil and blend with the potatoes.

        Reply

  17. Hey-o, what about bacon grease? I usually cook my pots in the same pan after I make bacon. Would this work instead of peanut oil?

    Reply

  18. Are you tired of talking about these potatoes yet? Only I just saw this recipe, sorry! I’m making these tonight but wondered if you rinse them after the salt water immersion., or just drain them. They sound incredible and if I’m successful I am forever in your debt!

    Reply

    • I never get tired of talking about these potatoes. Not ever. Not even once. Potatoes..potatoes…potatoes. 🙂 I do rinse them and pat dry. Let me know if you are successful — I could use someone forever in my debt.

      Reply

  24. I am horrible about taking the time to let my potatoes soak. My impatience always gets in the way. I know it will be worth it. Your potatoes look absolutely perfect.

    Reply

  25. Yum! I love fried potatoes. I usually throw in some crispy bacon and green onions for a German inspired version. So good!

    Reply

  26. My parents are from Western New York and I grew up eating potatoes just like yours. My husband grew up in the Seattle area and his parents always shredded theirs and fried them up in a huge pan, like a giant hash brown. Of the two, I much prefer the sliced version. YUM!

    Reply

  28. Yum, these look so delicious! I look forward to trying these, sometimes when I try my own recipe I end up with soggy potatoes, I like how yours look nice and crispy!

    Reply

  33. My potatoes normally dont turn out as I would have liked them to, so you can imagine how happy I was to find your perfect fried potatoes recipe, follow it and have for the first time ” perfect fried potatoes!” Thank you! 5 stars!

    Reply

  36. The recipe does not say at what point 9n the 11 step process to add the onions, garlic and pepper. Sould they be added with the potatoes in step 5 or in step 9?

    Reply

  38. Lovely. I have been looking for this for a long time and now have eaten wonderful fried potatoes. I have to use olive oil as we live on an island in the Med and I can’t seem to find peanut. Wonderful. Almost perfect!!! (I’ll perfect it the next time, meaning, bigger pan!!!) Many thanks.

    Reply

  39. Thanks for the information on the fried potatoes. I have been cooking for years but when we go out to dinner my husband will ask me how the fried potatoes are done at the restaurant which made me realize that he didn’t like mine. Instead of hitting him with the frying pan, I decided to find out how others make their potatoes. I’m off to the kitchen now to create your recipe. Thanks again!

    Reply

  40. I’m just learning how to cook – potatoes are one of those things that seem like they should be simple but never turn out right for me. They’re either raw in the middle, or when they aren’t, they’re completely burnt on the outside.

    However, with your guide they’ve turned out great! I haven’t been able to get them “perfect” just yet, but they taste and feel like fried potatoes should! Thanks!!

    Reply

  42. Just want to say thanks. My wife is the cook of the family and she was out visiting for a few weeks. I make these four times and the kids and I ate them up. I did overfill a couple of times but just drained them twice and, extending the cooking time, they were OK.

    Reply

  43. Thank you for this! I’ve never had success with fried potatoes and these are super yum … so glad to have the recipe. 🙂

    Reply

  44. I’ve grew up to these too and one day I just lost my funk and could no longer get the crispy. I tried your recipe and they weren’t as crispy as I like so I figured I messed up but how long after you take the cover off do you cook them for?

    Reply

  45. I followed this recipe to the letter and was horribly disappointed in the crispiness factor. They tasted amazing…but alas, were not crispy and got burned. From the other comments, I guess I better buy an iron skillet.

    Reply

  46. Does your site have a contact page? I’m having a tough time locating it but, I’d like to
    send you an email. I’ve got some suggestions for your blog you might
    be interested in hearing. Either way, great site and I look forward to seeing
    it grow over time.

    Reply

  47. It seems every time I try to make fried potatoes they stick to the pan.
    I am using a nonstick pan (because that is what I have) and all sorts of different oils. I don’t think I have tried Peanut oil in a long time.
    Any suggestions on how to keep them from sticking to the pan?

    My goal is to make cubed potatoes that are crispy on the outside.

    Reply

    • Try starting with cubed potatoes that are partially cooked. Drain them and let them dry. Heat a thin layer of oil in your pan (about 1/8 inch) – peanut oil is my preference because of it’s high smoke point. Let the oil heat until it is rippling then put in the dry potato cubes. Stir them once in awhile ans make sure they don’t burn. That should do it for you. 🙂

      Reply

  48. I love fried potatoes. I used to be so good at fixing them, have since I was 12, but here lately I just can get them crispy enough & thanks to you I know why! I started using a non-stick skillet! that’s the only thing that’s changed so I will use a different skillet tonight!

    Reply

  49. 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!

    Reply

  50. 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!

    Reply

  51. 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!

    Reply

  53. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  54. 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?

    Reply

    • 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. 🙂

      Reply

  56. 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!

    Reply

  57. 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!

    Reply

  60. THANKS! I used the ice bath and peanut oil and they were the best fried potatoes I have ever made! 🙂

    Reply

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