Pan Fried Potatoes
There is nothing quite so satisfying and comforting as homemade pan fried potatoes. Deliciously crispy on the outside with a tender, warm center, these pan fried potatoes will leave you wanting seconds or even thirds.
Ingredients
- 2 lb baby potatoes skin on
- 1 teaspoons salt sea salt or kosher
- 1/2 -1 CUP water depending how you'll cook the potatoes
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup fresh herbs minced: combo of parsley, mint, cilantro
- 2 sliced jalapeños (optional)
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns optional
- 1 tablespoon butter to finish off
Instructions
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Start by washing and draining the potatoes.
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If you have an instant pot or pressure cooker, add the potatoes in with 1/2 cup of water, a teaspoon of salt and set that to steam for 4-5 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.
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Potatoes should be tender and cooked through.
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In a heavy duty skillet, add the butter and then the cooked potatoes. Season them.
Wait until the potatoes have a nice golden sear before flipping them. Once they do, flip them and wait another 2 minutes for the potatoes to have a golden crust.
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Add in the garlic and herbs and gently toss the potatoes with that. Now add the jalapenos and peppercorns if using and toss the potatoes to flavor them well with the mixture.
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finish off with a teaspoon of butter if you'd like and serve right away in the same pan or in small snack buckets with lime wedges. Enjoy!
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If you don't have a pressure cooker, then cook the potatoes in a 4 quart pot with water and salt over medium heat until the potatoes are cooked through.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
POTATO COOKING TIPS
- Make sure your skillet is large enough so that all the potatoes are touching the base of the skillet. If your potatoes are overcrowded in the skillet, you will have trouble getting them all crisp up properly.
- Do not overcook your potatoes before frying them or they could potentially turn to mush. You want them to stay firm while allowing a fork or knife to penetrate them easily before frying.
- Do not peel your potatoes. Having the skin on them is necessary for your potatoes to crisp.
- Frying them slowly is key to getting them just right. Too high a heat will burn the butter and potentially burn the potatoes. Cooked on a lower heat, you will get a better crisp on your potatoes. A lower, slower cook will also allow the flavors to soak into the potatoes better.
- If you don't have an instant pot or Crock-pot, you can pre-cook the potatoes in a pot over the stove.
- These keep well in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or oven or skillet.
- Serve these warm or cold tossed with some spinach and salad.
- What type of potatoes should I use?
- You can use any potatoes you like - they will all come out divine once the recipe is finished. However, while the variety of potatoes doesn't matter, do try to use similar-sized potatoes. Different sized potatoes will mean your potatoes will cook at different rates, and the recipe won't come out as nicely. Small baby potatoes are best and tend to be bought in packs with similar-sized potatoes.
- Can I use Sweet potatoes?
- The sweet potato is becoming ever more popular, and you might be wondering whether this recipe will work just as well with the sweet potato. Yes, this is a really versatile recipe and sweet potatoes will come out really nicely.
- Can I use other herbs and spices to flavor the dish?
- What's great about this dish is that you can flavor it in any way you like. While this recipe calls for certain spices, you can switch these out or add any you want to make it your own and how you like it. An excellent suggestion is garlic or onions, which can be very flavorsome in this recipe.
- Can I make these potatoes dairy-free?
- Absolutely. While butter makes these potatoes taste great, you can use any oil, including animal fats such as dripping or vegetable oils. Any frying agent will work well.