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How to Make Fried Potatoes

12/17/2013

Fried potatoes are the perfect finger food and a delicious accompaniment to many a meal. There are quite a few good ways to make fried potatoes, so this article provides an overview of the most commonly enjoyed shallow-fried potato dishes.



Edit Ingredients


Small Chunks Fried Potatoes:



  • 1 kg/35 oz potatoes

  • 1 oz/25g/2 tablespoons butter and 30m/2 tablespoons of oil


Large Chunks Fried Potatoes:



  • 1-2 large potatoes

  • 1/4 cup of peanut, sunflower, or olive oil

  • Seasonings as desired (see below)


Optional seasonings:



  • Pinch rosemary

  • Pinch dried mustard

  • Pinch lemon grass

  • Pinch freshly ground black pepper

  • Pinch sea salt


Sliced Fried Potatoes (Cottage Fries):



  • 1 kg/35 oz potatoes

  • 30g butter

  • 1/2 cup/125ml vegetable oil

  • 1 brown onion, medium, sliced thickly (can be substituted with green bell pepper/green capsicum if preferred)


Lyonnaise Potatoes:



  • 2 lb/900g potatoes, in skins and scrubbed

  • 3-4 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil

  • 2 large onions, peeled and sliced thinly

  • 1-2 cloves garlic (optional)

  • 6-8 streaky bacon slices, rind removed and chopped

  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • 2 level tablespoons fresh mixed herbs or mint, chopped (or 1 level tablespoon mixed dried herbs or mint)





Edit Steps



Small Chunks Fried Potatoes



  1. Peel the potatoes if desired. Peeling is not essential; this depends on the quality of the potatoes and personal preference. If you leave the peel intact, be sure it is well cleaned.





  2. Cut the potatoes into small chunks. Aim for small cube-like shapes about 1 inch/2.5cm diameter.





  3. Parboil the potato chunks. This ensures thorough cooking when fried, resulting in a soft middle and crispy outer texture.





    • Pre-cooked potatoes can also be cut into cubes and fried. This can be a good way to use up leftover baked or roasted potatoes.





    • You can skip this step on the understanding that the fried chunks may not soften as nicely as you'd like them to. Small cubes of potato will usually cook sufficiently in the oil mixture as long as they're carefully tended and don't burn before they're cooked enough.







  4. Add the butter and oil to the frying pan or skillet. Heat the fats until bubbling.





  5. Place a layer of the cubed potatoes into the pan. Be very careful not to splash yourself with the hot oil––use a long-armed utensil to create distance between you and the oil.





  6. Fry for 4-5 minutes. Turn over gently at least once or twice during cooking; use a large fish slice or spatula. When all sides turn golden, the potatoes are ready.





  7. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the fried potatoes from the pan. Drain on a kitchen towel.





  8. Serve immediately. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.







Large Chunks Fried Potatoes



  1. Peel the potatoes. Cut into large chunks.





  2. Parboil the potato chunks. This is needed to ensure that they soften enough during frying.





    • It may work with some potato varieties to soak the potato chunks in a bowl of water for about 5 minutes.







  3. Put 1/4 cup of olive, peanut, or sunflower oil in a pan and set over medium heat.





  4. Put two pieces of potato in the pan before it heats up. This is a fairly tricky step, so keep an eye on the pieces of potato and move them around the pan until you see one start to fry; it's now ready to fry the potatoes.





  5. Put the potato slices into the pan before the oil gets too hot. Oil can burn and start a nasty fire.





  6. Season if wished. Sprinkle the potatoes with lemon grass, rosemary, and dried mustard (optional).





  7. Fry the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes stirring every one to three minutes until they are golden brown, not half burnt. Make sure that the bottom of the pan is evenly covered with pieces of potato after each time you stir. If there are bare areas where nothing is frying in the oil, this wastes time and energy.





  8. Remove the potatoes from the pan once they are fried. This will prevent them from becoming greasy.





  9. When you take the potatoes out of the pan, put them on several paper towels to soak up the oil.





  10. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (optional).





  11. Finished. The potatoes are now ready to serve.







Sliced Fried Potatoes (Cottage Fries)



  1. Slice the potatoes into slices about 2mm thick. Use a sharp knife or mandolin to make the slices.





  2. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Place the potato slices into the bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes; this will prevent discoloration.





  3. Drain. Pat dry with kitchen paper towel or absorbent paper.





  4. Put one third of the butter and a third of the oil into the frying pan or skillet. Heat until it is bubbling.





  5. Add a third of the potato slices and a third of the sliced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally. When the potatoes have browned lightly and are cooked through, remove them from the heat.





  6. Drain on kitchen paper towel. Keep warm by covering with a clean tea towel or similar.





  7. Repeat with the other two thirds, in two batches.





  8. Place all of the cooked cottage fries back into the frying pan or skillet. Toss to combine and season to taste.





  9. Serve immediately. Sprinkle fresh chopped herbs over the top for a garnish, if wished.







Lyonnaise Potatoes



  1. Cook the potatoes in boiling water. Cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes).





  2. Drain. Allow to cool enough to handle, then cut into even cubes about 2cm/ 3/4 inch across.





  3. Heat half of the oil in the frying pan or skillet. Fry the onions and garlic until golden brown. Remove from the pan and keep warm.





  4. Add the bacon. Fry until crisp, then drain the oil onto the fried onions for added flavor.





  5. Add the other half of the oil to the pan again. Add the potato cubes and fry until browned evenly.





  6. Restore the onions and bacon to the pan with the potatoes. Season well, then cook for a few more minutes.





  7. Remove from the heat. Stir the fresh chopped herbs through the mixture. Turn into a serving dish.





  8. Sprinkle with a few extra herbs for garnish. Serve immediately; this is best eaten hot.







Other Ways to Shallow Fry Potatoes



  1. Choose one of the other possible ways to fry potatoes in a shallow pan. Examples include:






Edit Video



Edit Tips



  • Mashed potatoes fried in a greased frying pan are also tasty, sort of like French fries.

  • Always use heavy-based pans for shallow frying. This helps to prevent burning. Cast iron pans are ideal.

  • For Lyonnaise potatoes, vegetarian bacon can be substituted. Follow the cooking instructions suggested by the analog-bacon manufacturer.

  • Use potatoes specified as appropriate for frying; not all potatoes are ideal. See further How to choose potatoes.



Edit Warnings



  • If you are not confident you know how to fry potatoes, have someone who knows how teach you.

  • If you put the potatoes in the pan too early, they will soak up oil and become saturated.

  • When you put the oil over the flame, it must heat up until it is hot enough to fry the potatoes. Wait until it is bubbling.

  • Take care and never leave the area when hot oil is cooking. More than one out of every three kitchen fires is caused by accidents with hot oil.



Edit Things You'll Need



  • Cutting board and knife

  • Frying pan, heavy-based

  • Tongs or slotted spoon to remove slices once fried

  • Paper towels for soaking up grease

  • Plate for serving



Edit Related wikiHows




Edit Sources and Citations



  • Alex Barker and Sally Mansfield, Potato: A Celebration of the World's Most Versatile Vegetable, (2006), ISBN 1-84038-929-X – research source

  • Rosemary Wadey, 50 Ways with Potatoes, (1995), ISBN 1-86302-414-X – research source

  • The AWW, Potato Favourites, (2010), ISBN 978-174245019-3 – research source






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