Easy Pan Fried Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should I boil my potatoes before frying? ›

There are lots of recipes that call for par-boiling the potatoes first to reduce the amount of cooking time, but it's an extra step and an extra pan to wash. If you cook the potatoes over medium heat and keep them covered for most of the cooking time, the lid traps in steam, which helps cook the potatoes through.

First, get the starch off! Rinsing or soaking the potatoes for an hour (or, even better, overnight) will remove some of the starch from the surface and prevent the sugars from browning before the potatoes are cooked.

Oil is the medium to fry. You have to use sufficient amount of oil to prevent potato from sticking to bottom. Another secret is not to stir frequently. Use a wider pan and let each side of the potato piece to fry enough before you turn them.

This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.) When you're ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels.

Do I need to boil my potatoes first? Trust us: You seriously don't need to boil these spuds (or pre-cook them at all) before pan-frying. Slicing them thin allows them to cook through in the same amount of time that they need to get brown and crispy on the outside.

Cover and cook about 8 minutes. Remove the lid and add the salt and pepper. Flip the potatoes and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes, flipping once or twice more, or until golden brown and tender. Drain on paper towels if desired.

It is best to season the potatoes before or during cooking, rather than after they have finished cooking. When you season the potatoes before or during cooking, the salt and other spices can penetrate the potatoes and enhance their flavor throughout. This can help to create a more even flavor throughout the potatoes.

By rinsing off the excess starch, you can achieve a better balance and control over the browning process, resulting in evenly cooked and beautifully golden fries. Another advantage of rinsing the potatoes is that the cold water makes the potato cells firmer, leading to crispier fries when fried.

Why are my pan fried potatoes soggy? ›

Pouring cool or room temp oil over the potatoes is a sure fire way to end up with soggy spuds.

Why potatoes can absorb too much water. If your potatoes have been growing in very dry soil, the potatoes themselves will have a fairly low moisture content when harvested. What this then means is that when the potatoes are build they absorb more water and fall to pieces quite quickly.

In general small or cubed potatoes will take about 10 to 15 minutes to boil, while larger, whole potatoes will take between 20 to 25 minutes. To check potatoes for doneness, insert a knife into one. If it slides in without much effort, you're good to go!

And the clear winners are Idaho or russet potatoes.

These potatoes are dense and have less moisture, which is key to avoiding soggy fries. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes, which are an all-purpose potato that can be used for frying. You should avoid waxy potatoes like red-skinned, new, or fingerling potatoes.

Peanut oil or any light vegetable oil is necessary to make the best southern fried potatoes with that crispy crust you're looking for. I prefer peanut oil over olive oil because of its high smoke point but use what you have.

Soaking them either in cold water or parboiling them will ensure a lot of starch is removed and that they will cook properly. If going for the crispier, crunchier Method 2, the white vinegar is an absolute must because it will make sure the fries hold their form and won't crumble while parboiled.

Fresh fries are best blanched. Get a crispier finished fry by blanching potatoes in hot oil to precook before peak periods and then finish in a final fry before serving. Fries are completely cooked during the blanching stage at a lower temperature to allow the potato to cook slowly without becoming golden brown.

Some cooks prefer to cook potatoes before frying them. (We do. The texture is amazing!) This is also a great way to use leftover potatoes you baked or boiled last night.

You'll want to boil potatoes any time you don't want them to dry out (as they can when baked in the oven).