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If there is one single food that screams comfort and home cooking to me, it’s a skillet piled high with golden brown, shatteringly crisp fried potatoes. Forget mushy diner potatoes that just soak up grease! I’m Carla Davis, and when I set out to recreate my grandmother’s cooking, achieving that perfect texture was priority number one. This recipe I’m sharing today—my tried-and-true Southern Style Potatoes made in cast iron—is it. We’re using the secret weapon of bacon grease to get that old-fashioned, unbeatable flavor that reminds me of standing on a stool in her Ohio kitchen.
- Why These Pan Fried Potatoes with Onions Are Your New Favorite Fried Potatoes
- Ingredients for the Best Southern Fried Potatoes
- How to Make Perfect Skillet Fried Potatoes
- Tips for Making the Best Home Fries Recipe
- Serving Suggestions for Your Southern Style Potatoes
- Storage and Reheating Fried Potatoes
- Frequently Asked Questions About Making Fried Potatoes
- Frequently Asked Questions About Making Fried Potatoes
- Nutritional Information for These Fried Potatoes
Why These Pan Fried Potatoes with Onions Are Your New Favorite Fried Potatoes
I know you’ve tried making fried potatoes before, maybe they were okay, but I promise you, this method is different. This isn’t just another side dish; it’s an absolute star! If you’re looking for amazing side dishes, stick around! We are hitting all those nostalgia points while delivering the best texture possible. This recipe—my tried-and-true Southern Style Potatoes made in cast iron—is it. We’re using the secret weapon of bacon grease to get that old-fashioned, unbeatable flavor that reminds me of standing on a stool in my grandmother’s Ohio kitchen. It’s the perfect Breakfast Potatoes Recipe!
- You get that perfect texture contrast: shatteringly crisp edges giving way to a completely fluffy inside.
- It delivers authentic, robust flavor—we are leaning into proper cooking here.
- It’s fast enough for a weeknight but hearty enough for your Sunday brunch spread.
Achieving Shatteringly Crisp Fried Potatoes Every Time
The number one reason most people’s fried potatoes turn out soggy is starch. Too much starch stays on the outside of the potato chunk, and it turns instantly gummy when it hits the hot fat. So, before we even turn on the stove, we take a little time to change that. Soaking the chopped potatoes in cold water—like getting them ready for a spa day!—pulls out that excess starch. Then, drying them completely is non-negotiable. Trust me, dry potatoes and hot fat are the foundation for real Crispy Fried Potatoes.
Old Fashioned Fried Potatoes Flavor Profile
Nothing beats the taste of fat rendered from bacon, which is why I insist on using bacon grease for an authentic experience. That smoky, rich flavor coats every piece. If you don’t have any saved up, don’t worry! We’ll talk about using butter or oil later, but the bacon grease really makes this dish feel like an Old Fashioned Fried Potatoes recipe passed down through generations. It transforms these into the best Home Fries Recipe you’ve ever tasted. That little bit of onion sweetness marries perfectly with the fat!
Ingredients for the Best Southern Fried Potatoes
Okay, let’s talk about what you need to make these glorious, crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside fried potatoes. Because this is an Old Fashioned Fried Potatoes recipe, we keep the ingredient list simple. Grandma never needed a pantry full of specialty items to make magic—just great quality basics!
The star here is, naturally, the potato itself. For the best possible texture, don’t skip the Russet! Their high starch content is exactly what you want when aiming for those irresistible, meltingly soft interiors. This is the best choice for any great Russet Potato Side Dishes.
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced (we want those sweet little wisps!)
- 1/2 cup bacon grease (This is the magic! If you absolutely must substitute, use good quality vegetable oil or unsalted butter.)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
See? Simple, honest ingredients. The key here is that bacon grease—it gives us that signature smoky depth foundational to great Southern Style Potatoes. If you’re avoiding meat, I always tell folks that unsalted butter gives you the closest rich flavor, but nothing beats that genuine country sizzle!
How to Make Perfect Skillet Fried Potatoes
Now that we have our ingredients lined up, it’s time to put on our apron and get cooking! Achieving that perfect mix of fluffy inside, crispy outside potatoes takes just a little bit of focus. We aren’t deep frying these—we are mastering the art of true Skillet Fried Potatoes right here on the stovetop. Follow these steps closely, and you’ll never go back to soggy potatoes again. For more great cooking insights, check out my latest tips over on my blog!
Prepping Potatoes for Crispy Fried Potatoes
Remember what I said about starch? We gotta fight it! After you dice your potatoes into those crisp-ready half-inch chunks, you must soak them in cold water for at least 15 minutes. This pulls out all that surface starch. But here is the most important, Grandma-approved trick: you have to dry them completely afterwards. I mean—*completely*! Use a clean kitchen towel or a stack of paper towels and gently pat every single piece dry. Water hitting hot fat equals steam, and steam equals soggy potatoes. Dry potatoes are the foundation for incredible Crispy Fried Potatoes!
The Sizzling Start: Cooking the Potatoes
Get your cast iron skillet hot over medium-high heat. You want that bacon grease to be shimmering—that means it’s ready to create a crust. Carefully add your dried potatoes in a single layer if you can manage it. Don’t dump them all in a giant mountain; overcrowding cools the pan down too fast. Now, here is the hardest part about How to Cook Crispy Potatoes: you must, must, *must* leave them alone for a good five to seven minutes. They need that time to build a deep golden crust on the bottom. Fight the urge to stir immediately!
Adding Onions for Diner Style Potatoes Flavor
Once you start seeing those glorious brown edges, go ahead and stir them gently. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally until they are mostly tender, about 15 to 20 minutes total. This is when we introduce the onions! Slide the potatoes over to one side of the pan. Add your thinly sliced onions to the empty space and turn the heat down just a touch to medium. We want them to soften and get wonderfully sweet—that caramelization is essential for that great Diner Style Potatoes flavor. Stir those onions in after about five minutes.
Final Seasoning for Buttery Fried Potatoes
Once the onions are happy and the potatoes are tender inside but crisp outside, it’s seasoning time! Sprinkle your salt, pepper, and garlic powder evenly over everything. Give it one final, thorough stir to make sure every piece gets coated. Let it cook for just one more minute so the spices bloom in the residual fat. And there you have it—perfectly seasoned, Buttery Fried Potatoes ready to hit the plate!
Tips for Making the Best Home Fries Recipe
I always say that recipes are like road maps, but sometimes you need a little detour to get to the best spot, right? These little pointers are things I’ve learned from years of trial and error, tweaking my grandma’s original notes to make sure these fried potatoes come out perfect for modern kitchens. Don’t be afraid to play around, but remember that the foundation is key!
Ingredient Substitutions for Fried Potatoes
We touched on the gloriousness of bacon grease, and I really hope you try it at least once because it truly elevates these Southern Style Potatoes to a whole other level. But hey, I know not everyone keeps rendered grease on hand! If you need an alternative for your Pan Fried Potatoes with Onions, you can absolutely use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil. It will work just fine, but you’ll lose that deep, smoky, savory note that the bacon provides. If you want to try and mimic that richness without meat, use unsalted butter instead. Butter gives you a great, classic, Buttery Fried Potatoes flavor, though it tends to brown faster, so watch your heat!
Variations on Classic Fried Potatoes
This recipe is fantastic as is, a true cornerstone of Comfort Food Potato Recipes. But sometimes you want to spice things up a bit, especially if you are serving these for dinner instead of breakfast. If you want to make these lean closer to that smoky, bold Diner Style Potatoes flavor I mentioned earlier, try this: once the potatoes are cooked through but before you add the salt and pepper, try swirling in just a quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika. Wow! It warms up the whole dish. You can also add your spices, like that garlic powder, right along with the onions, maybe even a tiny bit earlier. This allows the spices to toast slightly in the heat, which really wakes up their flavor, making them even better than the standard Easy Potato Side Dish version.
If you’re looking for more inspiration on comfort food and sides, you should definitely check out some of my other favorites, like my neighbor Callie’s take on this classic—she has some great ideas too! But for now, stick to the plan, and you’ll have the best fried potatoes of your life!
Serving Suggestions for Your Southern Style Potatoes
Honestly, once you nail this recipe for Southern Style Potatoes, you realize they aren’t just a side dish; they are a supporting actor that can steal the whole show! Because these fried potatoes are so hearty and rich with bacon flavor, they pair beautifully with simple, classic main courses. I like to think of them for both weekend brunch and quick weekday dinner support.
When serving these up for breakfast—making them the centerpiece of that perfect Breakfast Potatoes Recipe—keep the rest of the plate easy. Seriously, my favorite pairing is just a couple of perfectly cooked eggs alongside. If you need a go-to recipe for eggs that doesn’t overcomplicate things, I highly recommend my recipe for Creamy Fluffy Scrambled Eggs. A little drizzle of hot sauce over the potatoes and eggs, and that’s dinner (or breakfast!) done right.
For a dinner pairing, these crispy jewels are fantastic next to simple roasted chicken or pork chops. They soak up the pan juices without losing their crunch. Think of them as being versatile enough to handle the main star. They aren’t fussy at all!
If you’re going for a heavy weekend meal, these are perfect in place of fries. Pair them with a hearty meatloaf or even a simple grilled steak. No matter what you serve them with, trust me, people are going to be asking you how you got your fried potatoes so perfectly crisp!
Storage and Reheating Fried Potatoes
Even though these fried potatoes are so outrageously good you’ll probably eat them all in one sitting—trust me, I’ve been there—sometimes life happens and we end up with leftovers. And the arch-nemesis of any excellent fried food is storage! We want to keep that beautiful, hard-earned crispiness intact when we reheat them, which is why you can’t just microwave them. That’s a guaranteed route to instant sogginess, and frankly, it’s culinary betrayal!
For storage, the key is cooling them rapidly and cutting off any steam accumulation. Spread your leftover Skillet Fried Potatoes out on a baking sheet and let them cool on the counter for just a bit until they aren’t steaming anymore. Then, transfer them into an airtight container—or better yet, a zip-top bag with the air squeezed out—and pop them into the fridge. They are best eaten within two or three days. If you have a recipe for using up sad leftovers, like my mashed potato cakes, that’s a great route, but for these, we want to reheat them back to their glory!
The Best Way to Reheat for Maximum Crispness
If you want them tasting almost as good as fresh, forget the microwave entirely. We need dry heat, which means the oven or, even better, the air fryer. If you’re reheating a large batch, set your oven to 375°F (about 190°C). Spread the fried potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet—just like we did when they were cooling! Pop them in the hot oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. You aren’t really cooking them again; you’re just aggressively drying out the exterior crisp layer we worked so hard to build.
If you’re just reheating a small side portion, the air fryer is your best friend here. Toss them in the air fryer basket at 350°F (175°C) for about 4 or 5 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through. You’ll be amazed at how quickly those edges crisp up again! Taking the extra step to reheat properly shows respect for the effort you put into making these glorious Southern Style Potatoes in the first place!
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Fried Potatoes
I get so many questions about this recipe, and honestly, I love hearing from you! It means you are taking seriously the mission of creating perfect, classic fried potatoes. Let’s dive into some of the most common things folks ask when trying to master that true Southern Style Potatoes texture, especially when aiming for those incredible Crispy Fried Potatoes.
What is the secret to making truly Crispy Fried Potatoes?
If you take away only one tip from this entire post, let it be this: Starch removal and moisture management are your absolute best friends! My first two steps—soaking the chopped potatoes in cold water to wash away excess starch, and then drying them *aggressively*—are what separate a truly great plate of fried potatoes from a flat, oily mess. If you skip the drying, you steam the potatoes instead of frying them, which prevents that crust from ever forming. Be dedicated to that pat-dry step!
Can I make these potatoes ahead of time?
Look, I get it—sometimes you need to prep ahead, especially for a big family breakfast! While these are undeniably best made start-to-finish right before serving, you *can* prep them mostly ahead of time. If you want to get a head start on your Home Fries Recipe, you can chop the potatoes and soak them as directed. However, you must dry them completely and then store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 12 hours. When you are ready to cook, dry them again just to be safe, and use slightly higher heat when you first add them to the skillet since they will be cold. Alternatively, you can par-boil them until just tender, then cool completely before frying—though frying them fresh from raw still yields the crispest results!
For even more detailed tricks on frying techniques, you can check out what my friends over at The Lazy K Kitchen have to say about mastering fried potatoes!
I also get asked about using sweet potatoes. While you certainly *can* fry sweet potatoes, you won’t get this same exact texture. Sweet potatoes have less starch and cook faster, turning mushy easily. These steps are specifically tuned for the high-starch Russet potato to achieve that perfect, fluffy inside, crispy outside potatoes texture.
Frequently Asked Questions About Making Fried Potatoes
I get so many questions about this recipe, and honestly, I love hearing from you! It means you are taking seriously the mission of creating perfect, classic fried potatoes. Let’s dive into some of the most common things folks ask when trying to master that true Southern Style Potatoes texture, especially when aiming for those incredible Crispy Fried Potatoes.
Can I make these fried potatoes ahead of time?
Look, I get it—sometimes you need to prep ahead, especially for a big family breakfast! While these are undeniably best made start-to-finish right before serving, you *can* prep them mostly ahead of time. If you want to get a head start on your Home Fries Recipe, you can chop the potatoes and soak them as directed. However, you must dry them completely and then store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 12 hours. When you are ready to cook, dry them again just to be safe, and use slightly higher heat when you first add them to the skillet since they will be cold. Alternatively, you can par-boil them until just tender, then cool completely before frying—though frying them fresh from raw still yields the crispest results!
For even more detailed tricks on frying techniques, you can check out what my friends over at The Lazy K Kitchen have to say about mastering fried potatoes!
I also get asked about using sweet potatoes. While you certainly *can* fry sweet potatoes, you won’t get this same exact texture. Sweet potatoes have less starch and cook faster, turning mushy easily. These steps are specifically tuned for the high-starch Russet potato to achieve that perfect, fluffy inside, crispy outside potatoes texture.
What is the best potato type for crispy fried potatoes?
If you are serious about getting those shatteringly crisp edges, you have to go with a Russet potato. Russets are starchy on the inside, which is exactly what we want, but they don’t have too much moisture locking things up when we fry them. That high starch content breaks down during the soaking and cooking process, creating that lovely, soft, almost fluffy interior you look for in great fried potatoes. Avoid waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold here if crispness is your goal!
Is there a healthier alternative to using bacon grease for fried potatoes?
That’s a fair question! As I mentioned when we talked about ingredients, bacon grease is the traditional star for that classic flavor, but it’s certainly not the only way to make great Pan Fried Potatoes with Onions. If you want to skip the bacon grease, I’d recommend using equal parts high-heat vegetable oil and unsalted butter. The oil gives you the necessary heat resistance, and the butter gives you that delicious, rich flavor we crave. If you are totally focused on cutting fat but still want a crispy result, you might look into an alternative method like Oven Fried Potatoes Crispy, but for this skillet method, you still need a good amount of fat to fry them properly!
Nutritional Information for These Fried Potatoes
Now, I always like to give you folks a heads-up on what you’re digging into! Remember, since we are cooking with bacon grease and using a generous amount of savory seasonings, these fried potatoes are straight-up comfort food, not rocket science meal prep. These numbers are just estimates based on the ingredients list, so they might vary a bit depending on exactly how much grease your skillet drinks up!
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 350mg (This is why we use kosher salt—we can control it!)
This is a true, old-fashioned, satisfying plate of Southern Style Potatoes. Enjoy them happily, knowing they are made with love and real ingredients!
PrintSouthern Style Pan Fried Potatoes with Onions
Make these classic pan fried potatoes for shatteringly crisp edges and a tender inside. This Southern style recipe uses bacon grease and onions for old-fashioned flavor, perfect for breakfast or dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Skillet Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup bacon grease (or substitute with butter or oil)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare the potatoes: Place the diced potatoes in a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for at least 15 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain them well and pat them completely dry with paper towels. This step helps achieve crispy fried potatoes.
- Heat the fat: Place a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron works best) over medium-high heat. Add the bacon grease and let it heat until shimmering.
- Cook the potatoes: Add the dried potatoes to the hot skillet in a single layer if possible. Do not overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary. Let the potatoes cook undisturbed for 5 to 7 minutes until the bottom side is golden brown and crispy.
- Stir and continue cooking: Stir the potatoes gently, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Continue cooking, stirring every 5 minutes, for about 15 to 20 minutes total, until the potatoes are tender inside and golden brown outside.
- Add aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Push the potatoes to one side of the skillet. Add the sliced onions to the empty side and cook them until they soften and begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
- Combine and season: Stir the onions into the potatoes. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder over everything. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly, to coat the potatoes evenly.
- Serve immediately for the best texture.
Notes
- For extra crispy fried potatoes, make sure your potatoes are completely dry before they hit the hot fat.
- If you do not have bacon grease, use an equal amount of vegetable oil or unsalted butter for buttery fried potatoes.
- If you want a diner style potato flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika with the other seasonings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 5