Why we love them
You could call these potato fritters homemade hashbrowns as that’s essentially what they are with a little added flavour from onion and a little garlic. Shredded potatoes and onions are turned into patties with flour, eggs and seasoning and they’re a perfect base for breakfast or side dish for dinner. You can even eat them as a light meal.
The other thing we love about these golden grated potato fritters is their versatility. Add fresh herbs like dill or chives, bacon, ham, cheese, corn … the list truly goes on … right into the mix to add even more flavour. I just love these served with poached eggs and a little bacon onion jam on the side. They’re great with a dollop of sour cream too.
If you love this, you’ll also love these sheet pan hash browns and these shoestring fries too.
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Ingredients you’ll need
With a short ingredients list, you’ll love the flavour that comes from simple ingredients.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Potatoes: Use an all-rounder or waxy potato for these as they hold their shape and have texture without turning mushy. Just go for a good old red skinned potato and you can’t go wrong. Floury potatoes are too starchy and won’t get as crispy.
- Onion: I like a good hit of onion in these and use a regular medium brown onion but any will work. You can use spring onions (aka green onions/scallions), purple onions, shallots or even just chives if you want to lower the onion flavour.
- Garlic: These potato fritters are still great without garlic but they really do hit another level with it added. I suggest a large clove but you can just add it to your taste.
- Seasoning: Salt and pepper and plenty to bring out the best from those potatoes.
- Eggs and flour: Eggs, along with flour (plain flour / all-purpose flour) are what binds the potato fritter mixture together and helps them hold their shape.
- Oil: Just a little vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil to cook them in so they get that glorious crispy and golden exterior. You can use more oil and shallow fry them if you prefer. A little like latkes, this will make them super crisp all over but still with a tender middle.
How to make potato fritters (step-by-step)
These little grated potato cakes are very easy though you’ll need to cook them in batches if you only have one pan. If you have a large pancake griddle that can fit over two burners that will make things go even more quickly.
You can shred the potatoes by hand using a box grater or, if you have a food processor with a grater attachment, use that.
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Salt and rest the potatoes: The enemy of crispy potatoes is moisture (and starch), so start by removing as much moisture and starch as you can. Lightly salt the shredded potatoes and onions and place them in a colander over a bowl or the sink. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
- Rinse and squeeze: Rinse the potatoes to remove the excess salt and excess starch. Transfer them to a clean tea towel or cheesecloth/muslin then twist it up and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Make the potato fritter mix: In a clean bowl, mix the potato and onion mixture with eggs, flour, garlic and seasoning (and any other additions you might like).
- Cook the potato fritters: Heat some oil in a large non-stick frying pan / skillet over medium heat. Take scoops of about ¼ cup of the shredded potato mixture, packed quite firmly and put them into the pan. Use a fork to spread them out a little and neaten the edges if you need. Cook until golden brown underneath, then flip and repeat on the other side.
You’ll need to cook the potato fritters in batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pan but you can keep them warm between batches by just putting them into the oven set on warming temperature (70C/160F).
If you have a long pancake griddle that will fit over two burners, even better! You may be able to get them all done in one batch.
Serving suggestions
- Breakfast: I love serving these with a poached egg on top and slice of bacon on the side. A little chutney like a spicy tomato chutney or bacon onion jam are great on the side then add some spinach or avocado to round out the dish. You could also serve them with some smoked salmon and crème fraiche.
- Appetiser: These are great as an appetiser, though you might make them smaller so they’re perfect finger food. They’re perfect served with a little sour cream or ranch dip to dip into or maybe this jalapeno relish to dollop on top.
- Loaded: Treat these crispy potato fritters like a loaded potato with all your favourite toppings. Add cheese, chives, crispy bacon bits and sour cream. Yum!
Variations
Potato fritters are wonderfully versatile – you can add a whole range of other ingredients right into the mix before cooking.
- Ham or bacon for a little meaty flavour.
- Cheddar cheese for creamy, umami deliciousness.
- Corn – tinned, frozen or straight off the cob will all work.
- Other vegetables like frozen peas, shredded zucchini or shredded carrot. Spinach is great too. If you use zucchini, it must be added to the potatoes while they salt and rest as it also holds a lot of moisture.
Tell me in the comments how you serve them 😊.
Storage
Potato fritters are best served fresh. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can be reheated and in the oven or a frying pan would be best.
Did you try this potato fritters recipe?
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Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes (total ~650g/1 ½lb)
- 1 medium brown onion
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 whole eggs
- ¼ cup plain flour (all purp flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Large non-stick frying pan or skillet (or a large non-stick pancake griddle to get them done in one batch)
- Large mixing bowl
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to warming temperature (70C/160F).
- Using the coarse side on a box grater, grate potatoes into a colander over a large bowl. Peel and quarter the onion, then very finely slice and add to the potatoes. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and mix well.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes for excess moisture to come out. Rinse well with running water, then transfer to a tea towel or cheesecloth/muslin and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Place the potato and onions into a clean, dry mixing bowl. Add the garlic, eggs, flour, salt and pepper.
- Heat half the oil in a nonstick skillet / frying pan over medium heat.
- Add packed ¼ cup scoops of the potato mixture to the pan, then gently press down to flatten slightly. Cook for 5-6 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side.
- Transfer to warm oven to stay warm while you repeat with the remaining fritters.
- Repeat with remaining fritter mixture. If liquid pools in the bottom, leave it, don’t mix it in.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Add-ins: Feel free to add up to ½ cup grated cheddar cheese. You can other things like corn or peas. Swap one of the potatoes for a small zucchini and make sure to grate it into the potato bowl and follow the process of removing excess moisture. Ham or bacon are great too, along with fresh herbs.
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19 Comments on “Potato Fritters”
I am 75 and both my mother and mother in law made these and called them “Mock Whitebait” fritters. I have also add them for years and the whole family loves them. We are from New Zealand.
What a fun little fact! I’m so happy you love them, Vicki.
Absolutely 100% on point. Great recipe!
So happy you love it, Lloyd. Thanks so much for dropping back to review.
Added a little parmesan cheese to the mix. Great recipe, the salting and drying tip was a great tip. 5 stars!
So happy you love them, Marc. Gotta love some parmesan.
A very detailed recipe I have previously cooked many times. I particularly liked the salting of the potatoes & onion.
I’m so happy you love them, Sherelle. Thanks so much for your review 🙂
Thank you very much. Should be tasty. Great tip, for keeping them warm
This recipe sounds great, thank you for sharingft
This is a recipe my mum made for the family for years, but in Australia we called it Mock Fish – don’t ask me why, I don’t know! I’m still making it for my Grandies, and they love it. Great with tomato or plum sauce, chutney, etc. I’ve been known to add zucchini, carrot, plus.
I love discovering interesting things like that. Love your serving tips too 🙂
Yes Bev, it was mock fish when I started making it 50yrs ago, and it always baffled me because it tasted like fish patties. No idea why, but it did. Still love them
Sounds delicious, will definitely try it.
Enjoy, Merran
What meat do you think this would be a good side for????? I’m having trouble deciding!
It’s great with steak – think steak and frites vibes. I’ve also had them with roast chicken and, with a nice sauce like romesco or something, really good. Sausages too. Or some savoury mince – so many great ways.
Can I substitute a package of shredded potatoes in place of the grated potatoes?
Hi Debby, yes you can.