Crispy Potatoes and Onions
If you’re looking for a great side dish for any time of day, this Potato and Onion recipe is just the ticket. With fresh herbs and crispy potatoes, it’s a filling crowd-pleaser that everyone will love and will become one of your new favorites.
It’s always nice to have a simple and filling side dish to add to the table that pairs nicely with your other family friendly dinners.
Potatoes and onions are great because they are flavorful and can be made in one pan or skillet.
I often dice up my potatoes in the morning when I have time and let them soak in a bowl of cold water until I need to cook them. The water keeps them from browning and it’s nice to have the task of dicing done before the suppertime rush.
If you are looking for other quick dinner time favorites, be sure to try out my crock pot beef stroganoff, creamy white sauce pasta, or Italian meat sauce.
What are Pan Fried Potatoes and Onions?
Pan Fried Potatoes and Onions is a dish made of potatoes and onions that are fried in a pan, which makes them great for a busy weeknight.
This dish is usually seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices and can be served as a side dish or as a main course.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This Potato & Onion recipe only uses one pan, so it’s easy to clean up quickly afterward.
- This dish is incredibly easy to make and can be made in less than 30 minutes.
- It’s a versatile dish that can be served as a side dish or a main course any time of day. Serve it with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- The potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s really the ultimate comfort food.
- This dish is very budget-friendly – you can feed a large crowd with just a few ingredients.
- While this recipe has you dice your potatoes, you can make these however you want! Cut your potatoes in thin slices and make au gratin potaotes with caramelized onions. Or shred them and make a delicious hash brown side dish. You can even cut them like matchsticks and cook up some home fries.
Tell me about this recipe
- Taste – Potatoes and onions are savory, starchy, and filling. Potatoes are the star of the show and they’re perfectly complemented by the onions.
- Texture – This potato dish dish is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s a potato-lover’s dream!
- Ease – Crispy potatoes and onions are a versatile side dish that only uses one pan, so cleanup is easy, too.
- Time– You can make this potato and onions recipe in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients for this Potato and Onion Recipe
- Russet potatoes: They’re the perfect type of potato for this dish because they get nice and crispy on the outside while remaining soft on the inside.
- Olive oil: You could also use vegetable oil, but olive oil will give the dish more flavor.
- Onion: I like to use yellow onion in this recipe, but you could also use white or red onion if you prefer. Whatever you have on hand will work.
- Garlic: I like to use minced garlic in this recipe, but you could also use garlic powder if you prefer or to save time.
- Salt and black pepper: These are the only seasoning you’ll need for this simple, hearty dish.
How to Make Potatoes and Onions
- First, dice the onions into small, 1/4″ pieces. Small, uniformed pieces will give you the best end result.
- Next, peel the potatoes and dice them into similar small pieces.
- Add the oil to a cast iron pan and start warming it up over medium heat.
- Add the potatoes to the pan and cover it. Continue cooking them for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add the onions and seasoning. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent.
- Replace the cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes until the potatoes are softened.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until the dish has a crispy, golden crust.
- That’s it! Your potatoes and onions are now ready to serve.
Best Potatoes for Frying
Russet potatoes are the best type of potato for frying because they get crispy on the outside while remaining soft on the inside. However, any type of potato will work for this recipe – your cooking times might just vary a bit.
If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, you could try using sweet potatoes or yams instead, but they will take much longer to cook.
Tip for Potatoes and Onions
- You can parboil the potatoes before frying them to speed up the cooking process. Just add the diced potatoes to a pot of boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes before adding them to the pan.
- Remove eyes and any green spots from the potatoes before dicing them so they look good and don’t have any odd flavoring.
- If you are in a pinch and don’t have onions, toss the potatoes with a packet of onion soup mix.
What to serve with Potatoes and Onions
One of the best things about this potato recipe is that it’s very filling, so you have a lot of options for what to serve it with.
If you’re making this dish for breakfast potatoes, you can serve it with eggs, bacon, sausage, or toast.
For lunch or dinner, you can serve it as a side dish with roasted chicken, grilled steak, pork chops or fish.
If you want to make it a main course, you can add some cooked ground beef or crumbled bacon to the pan.
Other Ways to Make Potatoes and Onions
If you’re looking for an alternative to cooking Potatoes and Onions in a cast iron skillet, you have several options:
- Oven– If you want to make it in the oven, you can cook the potatoes and onions on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Air Fryer– Another option is to cook the potatoes and onions in an air fryer. Just add them to the basket and cook at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket a few times during cooking.
- Slow Cooker- You won’t get the crispy potatoes this way, but if you’re looking for an easy, set-it-and-forget-it meal, this is a great option.
- Grill– Try putting all of the ingredients in a foil packet and grilling for 20-30 minutes.
- Hash browns- If you’re making these for breakfast, shred the potatoes and cook them in a baking dish with the white onions in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes.
Add-ins for Potatoes and Onions
This versatile recipe can be easily customized to fit your taste.
Some great add-ins for this dish include:
- Cheese: Try adding some shredded cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, or crumbled goat cheese to the pan during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Herbs: Add some fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, dill weed, or parsley to the dish for extra flavor.
- Spices: Try adding some smoked paprika, chili powder, or cumin to the dish for a little bit of heat.
- Vegetables: You can also add other vegetables to the dish like diced carrots, celery, or bell peppers.
- Protein: If you want to make this a main dish, you can add some cooked ground beef, crumbled bacon, or sausage.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few reasons why your potatoes might not have gotten crispy. First, make sure you’re using the right type of potato. Russet potatoes are the best for getting crispy, but you can also use Yukon gold or red potatoes.
Be sure to clean your potatoes well as some stores sell waxy potatoes that don’t crisp up as well.
Another reason might be that your pan wasn’t hot enough.
Leftover potatoes and onions can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The potatoes and onions can be made ahead of time and reheated when you’re ready to eat. They won’t be quite as crispy, but they will still be delicious.
The best pan to use for this recipe is a cast-iron skillet. Cast iron is simply the best material for getting a nice, even sear on the potatoes. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use any skillet.
Yes! Dried herbs will work perfectly well in this recipe. Just use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every tablespoon of fresh herbs called for in the recipe.
Yes, you can use any type of potato you like in this recipe. Just keep in mind that some potatoes will take longer to cook than others. For example, sweet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes will take longer to cook than russet potatoes.
I hope you enjoy this simple, yet delicious, recipe! Let me know in the comments below what your favorite way to eat potatoes and onions is.
Crispy Potato and Onion recipe
Crispy Potatoes and Onions Recipe
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 6 large Russet potatoes, diced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- ½ large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion. Peel the potatoes and dice them into similar-sized pieces.
- Add the oil to the cast iron pan and turn on medium heat.
- Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, covered.
- Add the onions and seasonings, cook with the lid off until the onions are translucent.
- Cover the dish and cook to soften the potatoes for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook 10-15 minutes to crisp up the potatoes. Add to a preheated 400°F oven if they aren't crispy enough. Bake them for 5 minutes to get the tops nice and brown.
Notes
- You can parboil the potatoes before frying them to speed up the cooking process. Just add the diced potatoes to a pot of boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes before adding them to the pan.
- Remove eyes and any green spots from the potatoes before dicing them so they look good and don’t have any odd flavoring.
- If you are in a pinch and don’t have onions, toss the potatoes with a packet of onion soup mix.
