Easy Pan-fried potatoes and onions

Talk about the perfect side dish. Potatoes are, in my opinion, one of the most versatile side dishes you can cook. You can boil them, fry them, make salads, mash them, the sky’s the limit. But have you ever just sliced them and let them cook by themselves on a skillet? This is one of the tastiest and easiest ways I have ever done my potatoes.

Skillet potatoes and onions may not sound like much, but believe me when I tell you they are delicious.

One of the best parts about this pan-fried potatoes and onions dish is that you use very little fat compared to what you would normally use if you deep fry them.

You can add the seasonings of your choice and change their flavor again and again.

Potatoes have a very neutral taste, so the flavor of what you add to them will definitely come through in the end product.

I added garlic salt, parsley, and paprika to my potatoes and you can really taste them. You can add any herb or spice you like.

ARE PAN-FRIED POTATOES HEALTHY?

They are by far healthier than deep-fried potatoes. The amount of fat used to pan-fry potatoes is just a fraction of the amount used to deep fry them.

So if you are watching your diet, making this dish healthy depends on the amount of fat you use to fry them.

If you feel you can use less than what is used in this recipe, please do so. Using a lot of oil or butter to deep fry potatoes takes away the purpose of making a healthier dish.

WHAT IS THE BEST POTATO FOR FRYING?

For me, the best potatoes for frying are Yukon Gold or Russet. Yukon Gold potatoes have thin and smooth skin and are yellow on the inside.

• They were developed in Canada and are a cross between a North American white potato and a South American yellow potato.
• They are firm to the touch. Russet potatoes, on the contrary, have a tougher dark brown skin and are whiter than Yukon Gold.
• They are also known as Idaho potatoes in the US. Yukon Gold has a lower amount of starch than Russets, but both are great for frying.

HOW TO MAKE FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS?

1. Wash and dry your potatoes and slice them thinly.
2. Peel and slice the white onion into thin slices. 
3. Mix sliced potatoes and sliced onion and sprinkle them with garlic salt, paprika, salt, and pepper. 
4. Melt the butter with the oil in a non-stick or cast-iron skillet. Layer the potatoes and onions on the skillet. 
5. Place a plate or another skillet on top of the potatoes and add weight to them. You may use cans or a pot filled with water.
6. Cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes to make a crust and then turn them, apply the weight and let them crust on the other side. Turn the potatoes every 3 minutes for 20 minutes until they are all cooked through and golden brown. 

HOW TO MAKE FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS IN THE OVEN?

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. 
2. Slice the potatoes. Slice the onions and put them, along with the potatoes, in a bowl.
3. Add ½ teaspoon of each garlic salt and paprika to the potatoes and onions. 
4. Mix in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. 
5. Place potato and onion mixture in a cast-iron skillet or baking dish. 
6. Place another skillet or baking sheet on top of potatoes and put another oven-safe dish on top of that. 
7. Bake for 15 minutes and remove weights and a top skillet or baking sheet. 
8. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and golden brown on top. 

WHAT TO SERVE WITH FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS?

Pan-fried potatoes and onions would be the perfect side dish for a lot of dishes, check out these recipes “The best marinated and grilled flank steak”, “Amish country poor man’s hamburger steaks”, “crockpot beef and broccoli”, “Lipton onion soup meatloaf”, “slow cooker baby back ribs”, “Cilantro lime chicken”, “Baked teriyaki chicken thighs” and “4 ingredients brown sugar garlic chicken”. All of these recipes are fast and easy to make.

RECIPE TIPS:

1. Slice the potatoes and onions thin and try to make all the slices the same width. This will ensure uniform cooking.
2. Make sure to mix them well with the seasonings of your choice so that every bite is full of flavor.
3. Have your skillet hot before putting your potatoes in so they can crisp perfectly and not stick to the bottom. A cold skillet makes for soggy potatoes because they steam instead of fry.
4. Be generous with the salt and pepper.
5. Serve them while hot or they lose their crispiness.

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

• CREAMED POTATOES
• OVEN-ROASTED SMOKED SAUSAGE & POTATOES
• CREAMY VEGAN MASHED POTATOES

Answering Your Burning Questions:

SHOULD YOU RINSE POTATOES BEFORE FRYING?

This is something I would definitely recommend if you want crispy fried potatoes and if you are deep-frying them.

Potatoes have starch and natural sugars that are released when they are cut. If we don’t rinse the potatoes, these sugars are the first to caramelize on the surface of the potato, preventing them from cooking properly.

In this recipe, however, we are not deep frying the potatoes and by applying weight to them, we do want to encourage them to stick together even though we want a crispy top and bottom layer.

This is achieved by having our skillet as hot as possible before introducing our potatoes. A hot skillet will also prevent them from sticking to the bottom.

WHY ARE MY FRIED POTATOES SOGGY AND HOW TO AVOID IT

It is very frustrating to fry potatoes to crisp perfection only to have them become soggy two minutes later.

Frying potatoes at a high temperature make the starches in them hydrate (retain moisture) and puff up.

This makes the outer skin get crispy while the inside stays soft. When fries cool down, these same starches secrete (let out) moisture, making them soggy and soft.

Rinsing them eliminates some of the starch, so they don’t secrete moisture as much when cool, but they will definitely not be crispy forever.

The secret is to serve them right away once they are done frying or to know how to properly reheat them. Pan-fried potatoes are not the same as deep-fried, so they will not be as crispy.

In this recipe, we are aiming to crisp and crust both sides of the “pie” but the potatoes in the middle will not be crispy.

To ensure a crispy upper and lower layer, you must preheat the skillet before adding the potatoes. If the skillet is not hot, you will not achieve a crust.

CAN YOU FREEZE FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS?

Yes, you can. Finish frying the potatoes and onions, let them cool completely, and wrap them in plastic wrap.

Place them in a freezer bag and keep them frozen for up to two weeks. Thaw them in the fridge the night before you plan to serve them and reheat in the oven or on a skillet over medium heat.

Heat the skillet and add just a bit of oil. Once the oil is hot, place the potatoes in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side and keep on flipping them until the inside slices are heated through.

HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS?

Each serving has approximately 250 calories. Remember this recipe makes four servings.

If you like these Pan-fried potatoes and onions, please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating. I would love to hear from you and I truly appreciate your feedback! I will always do my best to respond to every comment ASAP. Thank you for following along! and happy cooking!