Crispy Fried Potatoes and Onions make a delicious and easy side dish for breakfast, brunch or dinner. A classic Southern recipe that takes just 20 minutes to make.
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I have yet to meet a potato I didn't like and these simple spuds are some of the best! Pan fried potatoes with a crispy exterior and soft, creamy interior, combined with sweet caramelized onions is something dreams are made of.
There's really nothing like great breakfast potatoes when you're cooking up a big weekend morning meal. Hash browns are great, but unless you're buying them frozen, they can be a lot of work to make at home. These easy southern fried potatoes and onions are similar to home fries and so easy to make in just one skillet!
If you're a potato lover too, you've got to try this purple and white potato salad and red skin mashed potatoes next!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Versatile Side Dish. From scrambled eggs and bacon to a nice steak, these crispy potatoes go with just about anything!
- Inexpensive! If you're looking for a side dish that tastes great but won't cost a lot, these potatoes and onions are it! All you need is five pantry ingredients!
- A No Fuss Recipe. It's one of the simplest, most delicious side dishes you can make. I find it so easy to manage cooking this and other dishes at the same time.
- Satisfying Comfort Food! I guarantee this potato recipe will quickly become a family favorite.
Ingredients
All you need to make this simple recipe is a few pantry ingredients.
- Potatoes: The best potatoes to use for making fried potatoes are Yukon Golds. They have a thin skin so you don't have to peel them and they have a soft, buttery, melt in your mouth texture. Russet potatoes are also great, but require a little bit more work as it's best to peel them. You can also use red potatoes or a mixed medley. The recipe is super flexible, so use whatever type of potato you have on hand.
- Onion: Yellow, white or sweet onion works best for this recipe. For best results, I would not recommend using red onions.
- Oil: Any neutral, high heat oil will work. My go to is avocado oil but you can also use canola oil or vegetable oil. If all you have is olive oil, I recommend adding a little bit of butter.
- Seasoning: I keep it stripped down and simple and just use salt and black pepper. Of course, you can add other flavors if you want.
Variations
I love this simple dish just the way it is, but sometimes it's fun to mix things up a bit. Here are a few variations to try.
- Experiment with Seasonings: Add some garlic powder, garlic salt, chili flakes, or other simple seasonings or blend of seasonings you enjoy.
- Love Fresh Garlic: Toss in some fresh garlic in the last minute or two of cooking for more great flavor. It's best to add it at the end so it doesn't burn during the cooking process.
- Milder Onion Flavor: Use the white parts of thinly sliced green onions and then garnish with the green parts. Green onions have much softer onion flavor.
- Finishing Touches: Top finished dish with chili crisp or chopped fresh herbs for some color and a splash of flavor.
- More Veggies: You can also add bell peppers along with the onions for an extra serving of veggies.
How to Make Skillet Potatoes and Onions
Grab your ingredients, heavy skillet, cutting board, and knife to get started!
Step 1: Prep the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into half inch diced pieces. Keep them even in size so that they cook all the way through, evenly. The easiest method for cutting is to slice potatoes into a few half inch thick rounds, stack a few on top of each other, and cut half inch sections. Then rotate and cut into half inch cubes.
Step 2: Prep the onions. Thinly slice a whole onion into even strips. I usually do this while the potatoes are soaking to maximize my efficiency!
⭐️ Pro Tip: Soak Your Potatoes. If you have the time, place the diced raw potatoes in a bowl of ice water for about 15 minutes to help remove some of the starch. It's optional, but it does help them get crispier on the outside and softer in the middle. Especially Russet potatoes which have a high starch content. Think french fries! Drain the potatoes and dry with a clean kitchen towel. Do not put wet potatoes in a hot skillet, it will splatter!
Step 3: Cook the potatoes. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of oil. You need enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the dry diced potatoes to the hot skillet and leave them undisturbed for about 3 minutes. This will get some nice color on the bottom and prevent them from sticking during the cooking process.
Step 4: Stir and add onions. After the initial 3 minutes, stir the potatoes around every 2 minutes with a wooden spoon, cooking for a total of about 10 minutes. When the potatoes are golden brown on all sides, add in the thinly sliced onions and stir them together. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Cook. Lower the heat a little bit and cook for another 5 minutes or so until the onions are soft and caramelized. If the pan looks dry at all or the potatoes or onions start to stick. Just add a bit of oil and proceed!
Jess's Cooking Tips
- Have the Right Tools. Use a cast-iron or a heavy duty large skillet. A trusty cast iron skillet is one of the best kitchen tools you can have! Make sure there's room to spread out the potatoes so they crisp up and don't steam.
- Hot Pan. Make sure your pan and oil are sufficiently hot before adding the potatoes to prevent sticking.
- Cook Without Stirring. Let the potatoes cook undisturbed for a few minutes before you try to stir them. They should easily release from the pan.
- Dry Potatoes. If you soak your potatoes, it's very important to dry them to prevent dangerous oil splatter. Do not skip this step.
- Proper Seasoning. Make sure to season when you add the onions to the skillet. When you're finished cooking give them a taste to check for seasoning and then add more salt and black pepper to taste.
- Cook Potatoes Alone to Start. Add the onions after the potatoes are mostly cooked all the way through and golden brown. Frying the potatoes first helps them stay crispy when you add the onions.
Serving Suggestions
These skillet potatoes are the perfect side dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy them!
- For breakfast or brunch they go great with scrambled or fried eggs and bacon or sausage. On the weekends, we love them with this asparagus frittata
- At dinner time pair them with your favorite roasted chicken, sous vide top sirloin, perfectly cooked eye of round roast beef or these marinated pork chops.
- Pair them with a veggie side dish like this baby spinach salad or this asparagus mimosa.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Store your leftovers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. I don't recommend freezing them.
- Reheating: The best methods for reheating fried potatoes and onions are the skillet or oven. To heat in a skillet, add a bit of oil to a hot skillet and cook until heated through. If you prefer to use the oven, spread them out on a baking pan and heat in a 400° F oven for 10-15 minutes. Leftovers are great added to breakfast wrap or breakfast taco. Avoid using the microwave as it won't crisp the potatoes back up.
Skillet Fried Potatoes FAQs
Heat and space are two main contributors to ensure you have crispy potatoes. Your skillet needs to be fully hot before you add the potatoes. Then let them cook for a full three minutes before stirring them. Avoid stirring too frequently. You want to give them time to cook on each side. Also, make sure you use a large enough skillet so your potatoes aren't crowded together. When they don't have space they will steam rather than crisp up.
I find that soaking aids in cooking the potatoes, making them crisper on the outside and soft on the inside. This is because it removes some of the excess starch and sugars in the potatoes. If you don't take the time soak, you will still have decent results, but you can have better when you soak them.
More Easy Side Dishes
Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes or potatoes of your choice
- 1 medium onion yellow, white or sweet
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil or high heat oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Dice the potatoes into half inch cubes and place in a bowl of cold water (see post about soaking). No need to peel if using Yukon golds or other thin skin varieties. Drain and dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Peel and thinly slice onion.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy duty frying pan over medium heat and add oil.
- When the oil is shimmering, carefully add diced potatoes in a single layer.
- Let the potatoes cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, then stir. Cook for another 6-8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until potatoes are mostly golden brown on all sides.
- Add thinly sliced onions and season with salt and pepper. Stir until potatoes and onions are mixed together.
- Lower the heat a little bit and cook for another 5 minutes or so until onions are softened and caramelized. Serve warm.
Jazz
This is my go-to potato recipe for weekend breakfast and I even add it to eggs for our weekday breakfast tacos. Simple and delicious. Thank you!
Britney
I've made these potatoes three times so far and every time I make them, everyone goes nuts! They're so good for breakfast but also as a side dish for dinner. 10/10!!
Chenée
These were so perfect as a side for our brunch yesterday! And so easy! I love the tip to use Yukon gold potatoes!
Taneisha
This was one of those recipes that simply don't make it to the table, because we literally ate it out the skillet! It's so easy and flavourful, and easily will be in the rotation as often as possible!
Robin
I grew up eating potatoes like this but had never made them using Yukon Golds. The result was buttery, and so scrumptious - a definite game changer!
Kanyi
Jessica, you had me at potatoes. I love how versatile and easy this pan-fried potatoes and caramelized onions recipe is to make.
Marta
I made these skillet fried potatoes and onions believing I was going to serve them as a side dish. Instead, we ate the entire dish (with fried eggs on top) as a meal. LOVED it!