These are the best southern fried potatoes! This is an easy, delicious, old fashioned inspired side dish. These potatoes are so easy to make and are perfect for any meal including breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Potato recipes like air fryer potato wedges, air fried baked potatoes and sweet potato rice make for some of the best side dishes which is why I am so excited for you to try the fried potatoes I am sharing with you today.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- These southern fried potatoes and onions turn out perfectly and have the most incredible flavour. They are nice and crispy on the outside yet moist and tender on the inside.
- They are quick and easy to make and are cooked in one skillet so the clean up is a breeze.
- These potatoes are really versatile. Serve them as a side dish with any meal including breakfast, lunch or dinner and feel free to add other ingredients like cooked sausage to make them into a complete meal.
- This is a healthy side dish that is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and Whole30 compliant and I've included a vegan option too!
Ingredient notes:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Russet potatoes - these are the preferred potato because their skin will get nice and crisp when you fry them. However if you don't have russet potatoes you could use any other type of potato such as Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes.
- Onion - to help give these pan fried potatoes the most incredible flavour. You can use white onion, yellow onion or sweet onion to make these potatoes.
- Bacon fat - this cooking fat helps make the most crispy potatoes.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- Feel free to add other spices to these southern fried potatoes such as garlic powder, onion powder, creole seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, or chili powder to give them a different flavour.
- Instead of bacon fat you can use butter, coconut oil, or ghee to cook these potatoes.
- To turn this into a complete meal add some cooked, chopped sausage.
- To make this recipe vegan: use vegan butter or coconut oil instead of bacon fat to cook this potato dish.
How to make southern fried potatoes:
Step 1
Chop the onion into pieces and wash and dry the potatoes and chop them into pieces, approximately 0.5-0.75 inches square.
Step 2
Next you will melt the fat in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Once the fat is melted, add the chopped potatoes, chopped onion, salt and pepper. Stir everything well and then cover the skillet. Cook everything together for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently so the potatoes don't stick to the skillet.
Step 3
Now remove the lid from the skillet and turn up the temperature to medium high heat. Cook everything for another 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently to crisp up the potatoes and cook them until they are golden brown.
Top Tips:
- Try and cut the potatoes into similar sized pieces so that all the pieces cook at the same rate.
- Be sure to stir the potatoes frequently while cooking to prevent them from sticking to the skillet or pan.
- Be sure to use enough oil to cover the skillet when cooking these potatoes. Feel free to add a little more oil if the potatoes are starting to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- These potatoes turn out best if you cook them in a cast iron skillet.
- I do not peel the potatoes for this recipe but you can if you prefer.
How to serve:
You can serve these southern fried potatoes in many different ways. They make great breakfast potatoes and are also the perfect side dish to pair with main dishes such as steak bavette, pork chops, air fried lamb chops, sausage in an air fryer, a chicken omelette, paleo burgers, air fried salmon patties, or other fish dishes. Feel free to top these potatoes with ketchup, mustard aioli or your favourite hot sauce.
Southern fried potatoes FAQs:
Nope! For this recipe of souther fried potatoes and onions there is no need to boil the potatoes first. They get nice and crispy simply by frying them.
You can reheat them in the microwave, but they won't stay as crisp. Instead I recommend reheating them in a skillet with a little oil or in the oven on a baking sheet at 350F.
Store any leftover cooked potatoes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
I do not recommend freezing these potatoes. They turn out pretty mushy when they are thawed.
Other potato recipes you will love:
Recipe
Southern Fried Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes
- 1/4 cup bacon fat (or butter or coconut oil)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Wash and dry the potatoes and cut them into cubes, ~0.5-0.75 inches square.
- Melt the bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat and add the potatoes, onions, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and cover, cooking for 10-12 minutes, stirring every couple minutes.
- Remove the cover from the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for another 10-12 minutes, occasionally stirring the potatoes and onions to get that perfect brown crust on the potatoes.
Notes
- Instead of bacon fat you can use butter or coconut oil for this recipe.
- Feel free to add other seasonings such as garlic powder, or chili spice.
- To make this recipe vegan use coconut oil or vegan butter to fry these potatoes.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
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