• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to content

Preppy Kitchen logo

  • About
    • Meet John
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Breads
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Casseroles
    • Instant Pot
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Holiday
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Press
  • All Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Follow us on

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breakfast » Potato Pancakes

    Potato Pancakes

    Published: December 9, 2022 · Modified: Dec 9, 2022 by John Kanell

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

    This crispy and tender Potato Pancakes recipe is perfect for when you need some comfort food. Made with shredded potatoes and onions combined with flour and an egg, then fried in oil, you will have perfectly crispy pancakes in no time.

    A plate with two potato pancakes with a dollop of sour cream on top. More pancakes and dip in the background.
    51 shares
    • Share
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest graphic of a plate with potato pancakes with a piece pulled off with a fork.
    Pinterest graphic of a platter of potato pancakes with a bowl of sour cream and chives scattered on top.
    Pinterest graphic of a platter of potato pancakes with one piece cut in half.
    Pinterest graphic of an an overhead view of an oval platter of potato pancakes with a small bowl of sour cream.
    Pinterest graphic of a plate with two potato pancakes with sour cream on top and additional potato pancakes and dip in the background.

    There are so many different ways to make potato pancakes, you’ve likely had some form of this recipe! This delicious crispy version is so easy to make and only requires a few common ingredients. They are also so fun to eat with their fluffy and savory interior and crisp, golden exterior. They also go with everything, and you can serve them as an appetizer, side dish, light dinner, or a snack! It’s a simple old-fashioned recipe that the whole family will love.

    Crispy, tender, and savory, these potato pancakes will melt in your mouth. Trust me when I say you’ll want to make them again and again. They’re a staple in my household for a reason! Want another recipe your kids will love? Try my fried chicken recipe, fried ice cream recipe, or old fashioned donuts recipe.

    What You Need to Make This Recipe

    Ingredients needed to make potato pancakes.

    Potatoes — the best potatoes for potato pancakes are starchy potatoes like russets potatoes as they don’t release much water and make for crispy potato pancakes.

    Onions — the onion adds a subtle savory flavor. I use a yellow onion, but you can also use a sweet onion or whatever onion you have on hand.

    Egg — the egg helps bind the potato mixture together.

    Flour — along with the egg, the flour helps hold together the potato pancakes and helps create the pancake “batter.”

    Oil — I use vegetable oil to fry the potatoes. It’s important to use oil with a high smoke point, or the oil will break down and leave a rancid taste. Neutral oils such as avocado oil, canola oil, corn oil, and peanut oil.

    How to Make Potato Pancakes

    Set of two photos showing potatoes shredded and soaked.

    1. Peel the potatoes and onion, and discard the peels. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the potatoes and onion.

    2. Place the grated potatoes and onion in a colander. Let stand for 5 minutes. Using your hands, gently squeeze the potatoes and onions to drain off excess liquid.

    Set of two photos showing egg, flour, and seasoning added to the bowl.

    3. Place the drained potatoes and onion in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and stir to combine.

    4. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

    Set of two photos showing the shaped potato pancakes fried in oil.

    5. Heat ¼ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, scoop four ¼ cup mounds of potato mixture into the hot oil, and flatten with the back of a spatula to form pancakes.

    6. Fry on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the pancakes and place them on the paper towel-lined plate. Then transfer the pancakes to the baking sheet in a 200°F oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture. Serve pancakes topped with sour cream and sprinkled with chives.

    A plate with potato pancakes with sour cream on top with a piece torn off by a fork.

    Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

    • The pancake mixture will turn gray or brown as it sits, so I don’t advise making it too far in advance. A couple of hours should be fine if plastic wrap is pressed to the surface and tightly covered.
    • You’ll want to remove as much moisture as possible from the potatoes so they’ll hold their shape and crisp up in the oil. You can put the shredded potatoes in a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze them out as much moisture as possible. They’re also more likely to fall apart if there’s too much moisture.
    • Make sure the oil is hot, or the potatoes won’t cook through before the exterior is crispy and brown.
    • Avoid adding too many scoops of the potato mixture into the oil at once. If you add too many, it’ll decrease the temperature of the oil. Tightly packing the potatoes into the skillet will also cause them to steam instead of crisping up. It’s also easier to flip the pancakes in the skillet if you don’t overcrowd it.
    • Add more oil as you need it to cook the pancakes. Just make sure you allow the oil to get hot before adding the pancakes to it.
    • If you’re not a fan of serving potato pancakes with sour cream, try serving them with applesauce or yogurt.
    • You can fold a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese for a cheesy version of these pancakes.
    Overhead view of a grey platter with multiple potato pancakes with a small bowl of dip.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why are my pancakes soggy?

    If the oil is not hot enough, the potato pancakes will end up soggy. If the oil is not hot, it’ll take the pancakes longer to cook through and absorb more oil than necessary. Also, if you don’t drain the potato pancakes on a paper towel afterward, they’ll absorb oil on the surface of the pancakes, leading them to become soggy.

    Is this recipe the same as latkes?

    Latkes and potato pancakes are very similar as they both use potatoes and eggs as the main ingredients and are fried in oil. However, latkes use matzo meal and baking powder in the batter, and they tend to be thicker.

    How do I store leftovers?

    To store leftovers, allow the pancakes to cool to room temperature, then wrap them tightly in or put them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can reheat them in the oven just until heated through.

    Can I freeze leftovers?

    Fried potato pancakes can be frozen in a single layer until firm and then transferred to a freezer container for up to 3 months. Cook in a skillet over medium heat with a thin layer of oil.

    If you love this recipe try these out!

    • Funnel cake with a dusting of powdered sugar on a serving plate with a glass on milk in the background.

      Funnel Cake

    • Churros on a plate with chocolate sauce in the background

      Churros

    • Two apple cider donuts, with one with a bite taken out of it, on a plate in front of a cup of apple cider.

      Apple Cider Donuts

    • Beignets

    • A plate with two sopapillas with honey drizzled over them.

      Sopapillas

    If you’ve tried this Potato Pancakes recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

    Overhead view of a grey platter with multiple potato pancakes with a small bowl of sour cream.
    Print
    5 from 4 votes

    Potato Pancakes

    All you need are a handful of ingredients to make these Potato Pancakes. They come together so quickly and easily!
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine European
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 199kcal
    Author John Kanell

    Equipment

    • Vegetable peeler
    • Box grater
    • Colander or strainer
    • Large mixing bowl
    • Baking Sheet
    • Large skillet
    • Spatula

    Ingredients

    • 3 large russet potatoes (2½ pounds/1125g)
    • 1 yellow onion
    • 1 large egg lightly beaten
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
    • 1½ teaspoons salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • Vegetable oil for frying
    • Sour cream for serving
    • Chopped chives for garnish

    Instructions

    • Peel the potatoes and onion, and discard the peels. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the potatoes and onion. Place the grated potatoes and onion in a colander. Let stand for 5 minutes. Using your hands, gently squeeze the potatoes and onions to drain off excess liquid.
    • Place the drained potatoes and onion in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and stir to combine. Add the flour, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
    • Preheat the oven to 200°F with a baking sheet inside. Line a plate with paper towels.
    • Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, scoop four 1/4 cup mounds of potato mixture into the hot oil, and flatten with the back of a spatula to form pancakes.
    • Fry on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove pancakes and place them on the paper towels to drain for a couple of minutes. Then transfer the pancakes to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture. Serve pancakes topped with sour cream and sprinkled with chives.

    Notes

    • The pancake mixture will turn gray or brown as it sits, so I don’t advise making it too far in advance. A couple of hours should be fine if plastic wrap is pressed to the surface and tightly covered.
    • You’ll want to remove as much moisture as possible from the potatoes so they’ll hold their shape and crisp up in the oil. You can put the shredded potatoes in a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze them out as much moisture as possible. They’re also more likely to fall apart if there’s too much moisture.
    • Make sure the oil is hot, or the potatoes won’t cook through before the exterior is crispy and brown.
    • Avoid adding too many scoops of the potato mixture into the oil at once. If you add too many, it’ll decrease the temperature of the oil. Tightly packing the potatoes into the skillet will also cause them to steam instead of crisping up. It’s also easier to flip the pancakes in the skillet if you don’t overcrowd it.
    • Add more oil as you need it to cook the pancakes. Just make sure you allow the oil to get hot before adding the pancakes to it.
    • If you’re not a fan of serving potato pancakes with sour cream, try serving them with applesauce or yogurt.
    • You can fold a little bit of shredded cheddar cheese for a cheesy version of these pancakes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 612mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg
    *Nutrition Disclaimer
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @preppykitchen and tag #preppykitchen!
    « Kitchen Sink Cookies
    Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Rolls »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Preppy Kitchen!

    Thanks for stopping by! I’m John Kanell, a husband, dad to twins Lachlan and George, Los Angeles native, and an avid baker and cooker of all things delicious thanks to a life long education from my mother. This blog is where I share all of my kitchen creations!

    Search

    Follow Us On

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Preppy Kitchen Newsletter

    Sign up to receive recipes, recommendations and tips straight to your inbox!

    Buy My Book

    As Seen On

    As seen on Elle Décor, People, Food Network and more

    Top recipes This Month

    • A stack of peanut butter cookies on a small wooden board

      Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

    • An Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie next to a glass of milk

      Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

    • Lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar on a green and white plate.

      Lemon Bars

    • A group of pink macarons on a serving tray next to flowers

      Macaron Recipe

    • An Espresso martini on a gray surface with coffee beans scattered around

      Espresso Martini

    • A cake stand with a slice of red velvet cake cut out and placed on a plate in front.

      Red Velvet Cake

    • A group of shortbread cookies. some are stacked while others are on crumpled paper.

      Shortbread Cookies Recipe

    • A photo of a vanilla cupcake on a cupcake stand with vanilla buttercream frosting beautifully piped on top.

      Buttercream Frosting

    • A plate with multiple cake pops on it with one with a bite taken out.

      Cake Pops

    • photo of moist Vanilla Cupcakes in pink paper wrappers

      Moist Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

    Footer

    As Seen On:

    Elle Décor, People, Country Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Food Network, Woman's Day, forkly, Yummly, the Bump, Buzz Feed, Home and Family and New York magazine.

    The Brand

    • About John
    • Press

    Preppy Kitchen Logo

    Dessert Recipes

    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Pies
    • All Desserts

    Main Course Recipes

    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Casseroles
    • InstantPot
    • Soups
    • Salads

    COPYRIGHT © 2015 - 2020 PREPPY KITCHEN | PRIVACY POLICY

    51 shares