Description
These Crunchy Potato Pancakes are a delightful comfort food featuring shredded russet potatoes and onions mixed with eggs and flour, fried until golden and crispy. Perfect as a savory breakfast or side dish, they can be served with traditional accompaniments like applesauce, sour cream, and fresh chives for added flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup canola oil (plus more for frying)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus extra for serving)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Produce
- 4 medium russet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and trimmed
Optional for Serving
- Applesauce
- Sour cream
- Fresh chopped chives
Instructions
- Prepare the workspace: Line a sheet pan with paper towels and place it near the stove for transferring cooked pancakes. This helps absorb excess oil and keeps pancakes crispy.
- Mix wet and dry base: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and ground black pepper until combined. This forms the binding mixture for the pancakes.
- Grate vegetables: Using the largest holes of a box grater, grate the peeled russet potatoes and yellow onion. Discard any tough onion pieces to avoid unpleasant texture.
- Remove excess moisture: Transfer the grated potato and onion mixture onto a clean dish towel or large cheesecloth and wring over the sink to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. This step is essential for crispiness.
- Combine mixture: Add the drained grated potatoes and onion to the bowl with the egg and flour mixture. Gently but thoroughly mix using your hands or a wooden spoon until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Heat cooking oil: Heat 1/3 cup of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, indicating it’s hot enough for frying.
- Form and fry pancakes: Scoop 1/4 cup portions of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten each slightly with a spatula. Fry in batches, avoiding overcrowding, for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain excess oil: Transfer cooked pancakes to the prepared sheet pan lined with paper towels and sprinkle lightly with extra salt for seasoning.
- Continue frying: Repeat frying with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the skillet as necessary. If any batter remains in the bowl, discard excess liquid before cooking remaining pancakes.
- Serve: Serve the potato pancakes hot with optional sides such as sour cream, fresh chopped chives, or applesauce for a traditional touch.
Notes
- Be sure to wring out as much liquid as possible from the grated potatoes and onions to achieve maximum crispiness.
- Use medium-high heat to ensure the pancakes cook quickly and develop a golden crust without becoming greasy.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, especially the salt both in the batter and sprinkled on cooked pancakes.
- Serve immediately for best texture; potato pancakes tend to lose crispness as they cool.
- Can easily be doubled or halved depending on serving needs.
