This delightful and super crispy potato pancakes recipe only requires two simple ingredients: potato and flour. With a few easy steps, you’ll be able to create golden-brown, crunchy potato pancakes that are sure to satisfy your cravings.
Begin by washing and peeling 3 large potatoes, which can be grated into fine shreds using a vegetable or box grater. Once grated, combine the potatoes with one cup of regular flour, gently mixing until the flour is evenly distributed. No need to wait for the potato shreds to marinate; you can proceed directly to pan frying them until they turn a delightful golden brown and become crispy on both sides. Lastly, simply season the potato pancakes with salt and pepper to suit your taste, and indulge in their deliciousness while they’re still hot.
Tips for making the perfectly crispy potato pancakes
1. Do not squeeze out the water from potatoes
Most traditional hash browns recipes will tell you to use a cheesecloth to squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the potatoes. In this way the potato shreds won’t release water as you pan fry it later, then you will be able to get crispy hash browns. Here is an example of a traditional hash browns recipe using this method.
With my current potato pancakes recipe, there’s no need for an additional cheesecloth or the messy squeezing step. Yet, you can still achieve potato pancakes with a wonderfully crispy exterior and a moist interior. Just add a simple ingredient to the potato shreds: all-purpose flour.
2. Gently mix with flour
Rather than using a cheesecloth to squeeze out the water, we can coat each potato shred with a thin layer of all-purpose flour by gently mixing them with our hands. This method allows the flour to absorb any liquid that might be released by the potato shreds during the frying process, effectively preventing the potato pancake from becoming soggy.
We want to lock the moisture inside the potato shreds, therefore make sure you don’t overmix the potato shreds with your hands, otherwise they will start to release water, resulting in a sticky texture even before cooking.
3. How to flip a pancake without breaking it
How many times do you get mad when you fail to flip a potato pancake without breaking it? If there is only one takeaway for you on this recipe, I hope you learn this foolproof pancake flipping method.
You will need two frying pans that’s in similar size. Line one of the frying pan with a slightly smaller round parchment paper liner. Next, spread a portion of the grated potatoes on top, pressing down firmly to create a compact layer. Carefully transfer the potatoes, along with the parchment liner, to the other frying pan containing hot oil. This technique allows for easy transfer and flipping of the potato pancakes, as the parchment paper liner helps maintain their shape.
When you use this technique, make sure that the parchment paper is specifically designed for high-heat cooking. Specifically, you should Look for parchment paper that is coated with silicone on both sides. This type of parchment paper is heat-resistant and can withstand temperatures up to around 450°F (232°C). It is often referred to as “silicone parchment paper” or “baking parchment paper.”
If you don’t have access to baking parchment paper, an alternative approach is to make smaller-sized potato pancakes, around 3 inches in diameter instead of 10 inches. This adjustment reduces the chances of the pancakes falling apart when you flip them directly in the frying pan using a spatula.
4. Oil temperature for frying potato pancakes
The ideal oil temperature for frying potato pancakes is around 350°F to 375°F (175°C to 190°C). This temperature range allows the potatoes to cook evenly and develop a crispy exterior while ensuring the potatoes cook through without burning. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the oil temperature for best results.
If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer to measure the oil temperature, you can use a simple method to determine if the oil is around 350°F. One way is to drop a small piece of potato shred into the oil. If the potato shred sizzles, it indicates that the oil is hot enough. Another method is to take a wooden spoon or chopstick and dip the tip into the oil. If small bubbles form around the wood and rise to the surface, the oil is likely at the desired temperature. However, these methods are not as accurate as using a kitchen thermometer, so it’s always recommended to use a thermometer for precise temperature control.
EQUIPMENT
- vegetable shredder (Optional; I used a manual rotary cheese grater. You can also use a box grater, or manually slice the potatoes into fine shreds using a knife.)
- Large mixing bowl
- nonstick fringy pan (I used two 10” frying pans)
- Parchment paper (Optional; I used 9” round parchment liners. Alternatively, you can cut a sheet of parchment paper into a circle to match the size of your fry pan. However, it’s crucial to use parchment paper specifically intended for high-heat cooking, capable of enduring temperatures of at least 425℉ / 218℃.)
INGREDIENTS List
- 3 large potatoes (About 850g after peeled)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- neutral cooking oil (vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil …)
- salt & pepper
Step-by-step INSTRUCTIONS
1. Wash and peel 3 large potatoes. Use a vegetable grater or a box grater to grate the potatoes into fine shreds. You can also manually slice the potatoes into fine shreds using a knife.
2. Place the grated potatoes to a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of all purpose flour to the potato shreds. Use your hands to gently mix well to evenly distribute the flour. Do not overmix the potatoes, otherwise they will start to release water.
3. Place a round parchment paper liner in a nonstick frying pan, ensuring that the liner is slightly smaller in size compared to the pan.
4. Add about ⅓ of the grated potatoes to the pan, spreading them out evenly. Press down firmly with your hand to create a compact layer.
5. Heat about 1 cup of cooking oil in another nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil temperature reaches 350°F to 375°F (175°C to 190°C), carefully slide the grated potatoes (together with the parchment liner on the bottom) to the pan.
6. Cook the potato pancake for about 5 minutes on medium high heat. To remove the potato pancake from the fry pan, carefully slide a spatula under the parchment liner and transfer it to a separate frying pan.
7. Place a large plate over the frying pan, covering it completely, then carefully flip the pan to transfer the potato pancake onto the plate. Remove the parchment paper from the potato pancake, and gently slide the pancake back into the frying pan with hot oil.
8. Pan fry for an additional 5 minutes on the other side of the potato pancake on medium high heat, or until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
9. Once the potato pancake has been cooked to your desired level of crispiness, remove it from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack or a serving plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
10. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fried potato pancakes to your taste. Enjoy hot.
My other potato recipes you will also like:
Potato Pancakes (2 ingredients crispy hash browns)
Equipment
- vegetable shredder (Optional; I used a manual rotary cheese grater. You can also use a box grater, or manually slice the potatoes into fine shreds using a knife.)
- Large mixing bowl
- nonstick fringy pan (I used two 10'' frying pans)
- Parchment paper (Optional; I used 9'' round parchment liners. Alternatively, you can cut a sheet of parchment paper into a circle to match the size of your fry pan. However, it's crucial to use parchment paper specifically intended for high-heat cooking, capable of enduring temperatures of at least 425℉ / 218℃.)
Ingredients
- 3 large potatoes (About 850g after peeled)
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- neutral cooking oil (vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil …)
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Wash and peel 3 large potatoes. Use a vegetable grater or a box grater to grate the potatoes into fine shreds. You can also manually slice the potatoes into fine shreds using a knife.
- Place the grated potatoes to a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of all purpose flour to the potato shreds. Use your hands to gently mix well to evenly distribute the flour. Do not overmix the potatoes, otherwise they will start to release water.
- Place a round parchment paper liner in a nonstick frying pan, ensuring that the liner is slightly smaller in size compared to the pan.
- Add about ⅓ of the grated potatoes to the pan, spreading them out evenly. Press down firmly with your hand to create a compact layer.
- Heat about 1 cup of cooking oil in another nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil temperature reaches 350°F to 375°F (175°C to 190°C), carefully slide the grated potatoes (together with the parchment liner on the bottom) to the pan.
- Cook the potato pancake for about 5 minutes on medium high heat. To remove the potato pancake from the fry pan, carefully slide a spatula under the parchment liner and transfer it to a separate frying pan.
- Place a large plate over the frying pan, covering it completely, then carefully flip the pan to transfer the potato pancake onto the plate. Remove the parchment paper from the potato pancake, and gently slide the pancake back into the frying pan with hot oil.
- Pan fry for an additional 5 minutes on the other side of the potato pancake on medium high heat, or until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
- Once the potato pancake has been cooked to your desired level of crispiness, remove it from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack or a serving plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fried potato pancakes to your taste. Enjoy hot.
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