Potato Pancakes – WellPlated.com (2024)

Amp up hash browns with easy Potato Pancakes, the goes-with-everything breakfast or dinner side that is perfectly golden brown, crispy, and exactly what you want to be eating today.

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Potato Recipe

• Versatile. Potato pancakes are versatile and make a tasty side with hearty soups and stews and meaty mains, or alongside a hot breakfast (yes, potato pancakes are breakfast worthy). Like my Zucchini Fritters, you can enjoy them all day long!
• Easy. Simple shredded potatoes are mixed with flour and seasonings, bound together with an egg, shaped into patties, and then pan-fried to perfection. This is a no-frills recipe with simple steps and ingredients. The result, however, is anything but basic.
• Fun! As with any crispy potato dish (looking at you, Air Fryer Potato Chips), eating it is simply delightful! Biting through that crisp exterior into the creamy interior is an addicting experience. Like my homemade Tater Tots, these potato pancakes also provide a fun, individual potato serving.

How to Make Easy Potato Pancakes

The Ingredients

• Potatoes. Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for potato pancakes because they are extra starchy and bind and crisp up well. Yukon gold potatoes are denser. Potatoes are a good source of carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamin C, as well as vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese.
• Eggs. The essential ingredient for potato pancakes to bind everything together.
• White Whole Wheat Flour. One of my subtle, healthy swaps is white whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour, as whole wheat has more fiber and protein content than all-purpose flour.

• Seasoning. Fairly bland on their own, potatoes must be seasoned. Onion powder, freshly ground black pepper, and plenty of salt give them a perfect savory flavor. No lingering garlic breath with my potato pancakes!
• Canola Oil. A neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point is the ticket for pan frying.

• Plain Greek Yogurt. I could really be a saleswoman for Greek yogurt. It is a no-brainer healthy swap for sour cream; no fat, plus a punch of protein.

The Directions

1. Squeeze Out Moisture. Remove as much water from the potatoes as possible.

2. Whisk the Eggs. We want them lightly beaten.

3. Add Dry Ingredients. The batter will look lumpy.

4. Add the Potatoes. Make sure your mixture does not look watery.

5. Cook. Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the batter to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes.

6. Flip and Cook. Cook for another 2 minutes. ENJOY!

Storage Tips

• To Store. After cooling, leftover potato pancakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
• To Reheat. Reheat leftovers in the oven at 400 degrees F for five to 10 minutes.
• To Freeze. Potato pancakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. First flash freeze by laying pancakes flat on a baking sheet and placing in the freezer for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a freezer-safe ziptop bag. Reheat in oven directly from frozen for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.

What to Serve with Potato Pancakes

• Breakfast Favorites. Try this recipe with Crustless Quiche, Eggs in Purgatory, or Savory Crepes.
• Salmon. For a twist on lox and cream cheese. Try Poached Salmon, Broiled Salmon, or Baked Salmon.
• BBQ. Crispy potatoes (like Air Fryer French Fries) and BBQ are besties. Try potato pancakes as a side dish for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork or Crockpot BBQ Chicken.
• Applesauce. The sweetness of the applesauce lightens up the crispy potato pancake (or Potato Fritters) and makes them perfectly balanced. Homemade is worth it! For an easy recipe, whip up some Crockpot Applesauce or Instant Pot Applesauce to use as a dipping sauce.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

• Mandolin. This multi-blade veggie chopper and grater really does it all. A food processor is another option for how to grate potatoes for potato pancakes.
• Oil Dispenser. It’s nice storing cooking oils in these containers to keep them fresh and make for easy pouring when cooking.
• Nesting Mixing Bowls. I use these bowls for all my baking and cooking. They all fit together for easy storage and wash well in the dishwasher.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Get That Moisture Out. Using a kitchen towel or paper towel, wring out as much moisture as possible. If you don’t drain the moisture, they won’t crisp as easily and that may be why your potato pancakes are gummy.
• Feel the Heat. Sufficiently heating oil in the pan prior to placing the patty in the pan is the key to a properly crispy pancake. The oil is hot enough when you drop a small amount of the potato mixture onto the surface and it sizzles.
• Hold it Together. Thoroughly squeezing the moisture out of the shredded potatoes prior to cooking is how you keep potato pancakes from falling apart. Using the proper ratio of egg to potato is also important. If your mixture seems too watery before cooking, add a bit more flour to thicken it up.