Anna Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes are my all time favorite side dish. French fries are amazing, baked potatoes are delicious, and mashed potatoes are the best comfort food. However, if I want a side dish to impress and shine, my first pick is crispy pan fried potatoes!
Land of Butter, Potatoes, and Pickles
I first discovered crispy fried potatoes when I traveled to Europe. Latvia holds a special place in my heart for the best meal of potatoes I have ever had in a mall cafeteria! In the states, mall food tends to be pretty generic fast food fare. In Latvia, they have boiled and fried potatoes! While I was not the hugest fan of blood sausage, what had me enthralled were the mounds of tasty potatoes. Boasting crisp exteriors and hiding buttery, velvety interiors, they held their own next to intensely tangy pickles and sauerkraut side dishes. From then on, I have spent years trying to replicate the creaminess and flavorful interiors of those spuds.
Are They Easy?
YES! I can’t say enough how worth it these potatoes are! They are easy and will make guests say “mmmm!” every time. Sometimes it’s the simple techniques and simple ingredients that make a meal the most memorable. The key to perfect crispy potatoes is time, chicken stock, and butter.
Can’t I Just Skip the Chilling?
Chilling is the secret to a crisp, golden crust. However, if you are like me, sometimes you decide to make a recipe last minute, and you don’t have time for them to cool done before dinner. It will still work when the potatoes are warm. BUT! I recommend letting those little spuds cooling down before you hit them with the hot butter! The crust you get is a texture you don’t want to miss!
Do They Really Need Space?
Have you ever pan fried mushrooms and they got all soggy, limp, and sad? They need space to get crisp and happy! The same thing goes for fried potatoes. If you don’t have space around the potatoes, they will not get the perfect crust.
The Secret to Perfect Flavor
I would love to meet the first person that pulled a potato out of the ground. I wonder if they could have even fathomed how delicious the dusty, mealy, and earthy rock-like object they found would become. Potatoes are blank slates and are exceptional at absorbing flavors. Instead of boiling my potatoes in water like most recipes, I wanted to introduce flavor right at the beginning. By using chicken stock and using fresh onions and garlic, the potatoes have a richer, less starchy taste. An added benefit to using stock is that you can save it and make soup the next day! It’s a win win for flavorful meals!
These crispy fried potatoes are my go-to hosting side dish. They pair wonderfully with steak, chicken, pork, or even fish! Having this as a side dish won’t be an after thought. It will be a memory worth repeating!
Crispy Fried Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1/2 small onion roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lb. fingerling gold potatoes yukon gold potatoes also work cut into 1 inch squares.
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the chicken stock, onion chunks, and garlic cloves. Bring chicken stock to boil over medium heat.
- Peel the potatoes. If you have any large potatoes, cut them all down into 1 inch chunks. Make sure they are all about the same size. Add the potatoes to the chicken stock. Simmer for about 7-10 minutes. Potatoes will be fork tender, but should still be a little firm.
- Strain the potatoes and place in a shallow dish. Save the chicken stock for soup! Chill the potatoes in the fridge until they are completely cold.
- Once chilled, sprinkle all the herbs over the potatoes and coat thoroughly.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. You want that skillet nice and piping hot! Once hot, add the butter to the pan. It should immediately begin sizzling.
- Pour in the potatoes. In order to get the crispy exterior, the potatoes need space. Spread them out over the bottom of the pan. If your pan is too small, cook the potatoes in batches. Cook the potatoes on medium high until a golden crust forms. Do not touch the potatoes until your crust forms! Slowly turn the potatoes over in the pan and cook until a golden crust forms around the whole potato. Add more butter if necessary.
- Serve nice and piping hot!
