Potato Pancakes

By Becky Hardin

Published Oct 1, 2023

Potato pancakes on a plate with the text potato pancakes easy side dish recipe. - 2

These deliciously savory Potato Pancakes are so easy to make with leftover mashed potatoes and just a few other ingredients. You might know them as potato cakes or potato fritters, but they’re all the same crispy fried little patties that are impossible to resist. They fry up in just a few minutes, and they’re so good topped with sour cream!

a stack of mashed potato pancakes topped with sour cream and chives. - 5

What’s in this Potato Pancake Recipe?

These old-fashioned potato cakes are a great way to give your leftover mashed potatoes new life, with just a few simple ingredients and a quick pan-fry!

Mashed Potatoes: Use up leftovers, instant mashed potatoes, or make a batch of my favorite make ahead mashed potatoes a day in advance.
All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the potatoes so they can be shaped into patties.
Chives: Adds a bit of freshness and a subtle onion flavor. Green onions also work.
Salt + Pepper: Enhances the natural flavor of the potatoes.
Egg: Helps bind the potato together so it doesn’t fall apart once fried.
Vegetable Oil: The perfect high smoke point neutral oil for frying.

Pro Tip: Serve your potato fritters with sour cream for a nice tangy contrast!

Variations on Potato Cakes

Feel free to add your favorite seasonings to these mashed potato pancakes to make them even more flavorful. Garlic powder, onion powder, ranch seasoning , or Italian seasoning are all great choices. You can also try using mashed sweet potatoes to make sweet potato cakes!

a series of photos showing the process of making mashed potato cakes. - 6

Potato pancakes have a rich history in many cultures, including Germany, Austria, Russia, and Poland.

Nope! Potato pancakes are mixed with a binder and seasoning and formed into patties, whereas hashbrowns are simply pan-fried shredded potatoes.

While the two foods are very similar, latkes include baking powder and matzo meal.

These potato cakes go by so many names, like potato patties, potato scallops, or potato fritters.

Egg is the primary binder in these potato cakes, and flour also helps to keep them together. If the patties still aren’t sticking well after adding these binders, try refrigerating them for 10-15 minutes to help them firm up.

I like to serve these with a dollop of sour cream and fresh chives. However, you can also serve them as a side dish to a meal.

potato pancakes on a plate with sour cream and chives. - 7

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover potato pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat by lightly frying in oil or placing in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

How to Freeze

Freeze mashed potato fritters in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziplock bag to store for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these savory potato cakes traditionally with sour cream, or topped with cucumber tomato salad as an appetizer. They also taste delicious with mustard sauce or your favorite grainy mustard.

They pair wonderfully with matzo ball soup , whole roasted chicken , grilled ribeye , baked pork chops , air fryer salmon , garlic butter shrimp , or sweet and sour brisket .

potato fritters with sour cream on a plate. - 8

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 2 cups mashed potatoes
▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus more for tossing
▢ ¼ cup chopped chives or green onion, plus more for topping
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
▢ Sour cream optional, for serving

Instructions

Combine the mashed potatoes, flour, green onions, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl. 2 cups mashed potatoes, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup chopped chives, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 large egg
Grab 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture in your hands and sprinkle with a generous amount of flour.
Gently toss the mixture back and forth in your hands to form a ball.
Then, flatten into a patty and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining potato mixture.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 1 cup vegetable oil
Once heated, add the potato cakes to the skillet and fry for a couple minutes on each side until golden brown.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve with sour cream. Sour cream

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Cast Iron Skillet

Becky’s Tips

Use cold mashed potatoes for the easiest shaping.
Add the flour slowly so the cakes don’t end up too thick/floury.
Take care not to overmix the batter; otherwise, the cakes may end up gummy.
Dip the back of a spoon or spatula in oil, then press down on the potatoes to flatten them into cakes directly in the pan.
Let the cakes drain on paper towels or a wire rack so they stay crispy!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Fried Potato Recipes We Love

Fried Mashed Potato Balls
Tater Tots
Homemade French Fries
Shoestring Fries

a stack of potato pancakes with sour cream and chives. - 9

Potato Pancakes Recipe

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

2 cups mashed potatoes
¾ cup all-purpose flour plus more for tossing
¼ cup chopped chives or green onion, plus more for topping
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Sour cream optional, for serving

Instructions

Combine the mashed potatoes, flour, green onions, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl. 2 cups mashed potatoes, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup chopped chives, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 large egg
Grab 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture in your hands and sprinkle with a generous amount of flour.
Gently toss the mixture back and forth in your hands to form a ball.
Then, flatten into a patty and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining potato mixture.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 1 cup vegetable oil
Once heated, add the potato cakes to the skillet and fry for a couple minutes on each side until golden brown.
Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve with sour cream. Sour cream

Notes

Use cold mashed potatoes for the easiest shaping.
Add the flour slowly so the cakes don’t end up too thick/floury.
Take care not to overmix the batter; otherwise, the cakes may end up gummy.
Dip the back of a spoon or spatula in oil, then press down on the potatoes to flatten them into cakes directly in the pan.
Let the cakes drain on paper towels or a wire rack so they stay crispy!

Nutrition

By Becky Hardin

Published Jul 12, 2017

This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.

Essential Grocery List

It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!

It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.

However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.

In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.

I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.

Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List

What to Buy at the Grocery Store

This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.

When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.

So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!