Made with 4 simple ingredients and cooked in just one pan, these Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions are a classic and delicious recipe that can be whipped up super fast, for a super satisfying dish.
The perfect flavor and texture combination, Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions are a delicious duo you need in your recipe repertoire! Crispy potatoes and caramelized onions come together in no time for a quick and unbelievably tasty dish that can be enjoyed for any meal of the day.
Pan-fried to golden perfection, crispy, creamy potatoes and sweet, caramelized onions, come together in this Skillet Fried Potatoes Recipe for the perfect symphony of flavors and textures. Serve it as a hearty weekend breakfast or flavor-packed side dish for any dinner. Whether it's breakfast, brunch or dinner, everyone is sure to enjoy!
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If you like these tasty potatoes, be sure to try out some of our other favorite spud-tacular side dishes, like these indulgent Loaded Mashed Potatoes and this comforting Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy. With just four simple ingredients in cooked in one pan, this tasty dish is quick-cooking and comes together easily, and in no time at all.
- Full of Flavor and Texture. Creamy, crispy potatoes pan-fried in rich butter or bacon grease paired with sweet, tangy charred onions come together in a dish that's flavor-packed and full of textures.
- Classic Combination. Potatoes and onions go together like peanut butter and jelly - they're just meant to be! It doesn't get much better than this classic ingredient combination and this traditional Southern dish.
- Versatile. This simple and satisfying recipe is delicious on it's own, but can be enjoyed so many ways. Serve it as a hearty breakfast dish paired with fried eggs or on the side of an omelette, or as an exciting side dish with dinner. Get creative and enjoy it however you'd like!
Ingredients
Scroll Down to the Recipe Card for the Full Recipe and Ingredient Amounts
- Russet Potatoes: One of two star ingredients in this recipe, russets are the classic potato to use in this dish. Once fried up, they're crispy and charred on the outside, and fluffy and light on the inside.
- Onion: We like using sweet or yellow onions here. They're tangy, sweet and have the best flavor to pair with fried potatoes!
- Bacon Grease, Butter or Oil: The fat to pan-fry the potatoes and onions in. Bacon grease or butter add delicious flavor, but all options here work well. Just make sure your fat is hot enough, but not too hot that your ingredients burn.
- Seasoning Salt Blend or Salt and Pepper: It's important to season everything when cooking. A seasoning salt blend or salt and pepper enhance the flavor of the potatoes and onions, and make the end dish really shine. Season when everything's hot, too - so it sticks! Livia’s Seasoning Salt is my go-to blend.
Tools You’ll Need
How To Make Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions
- Peel the potatoes, rinse, and cut into diced-sized cubes or ¼-inch slices. Then, place in a bowl and cover with water. Allow the potatoes to soak for 10 minutes, then drain and dry completely with paper towels.
- Peel, halve, and slice the onion into ¼-inch slices.
- In a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, melt bacon grease, butter, or oil over medium heat.
- Carefully add the potatoes in a single layer. Do not disturb the potatoes for 4 minutes, then stir. Cook for another 10-12 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes until potatoes are mostly golden brown on all sides.
- Add the sliced onions to the skillet. Lower the heat slightly, and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften and become translucent.
- Season with a seasoning salt blend or salt and black pepper as desired.
Expert Tips
- Add Herbs and Spices. This is the most classic, uncomplicated version of this dish, but jazz it up with different herbs and spices. Add minced garlic, a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme, or a sprinkle of your favorite spices like cumin or cayenne to amp up the flavor profile.
- Use The Correct Pan. We strongly recommend using a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottomed pan, like a dutch oven. These conduct the most heat, which lets the oil come to the right temperature, and ensures the potatoes and onions fry and cook evenly.
- Hot Oil is Essential. Be sure to allow your pan and oil to get hot enough. If you add your potatoes to a pan with oil that isn't warm enough, the potatoes won't brown or fry up correctly. They'll just absorb the oil and turn out greasy and uncooked.
- Let Potatoes Cook! Allow your potatoes to cook, undisturbed for about 4 minutes. It might be tempting to stir them before then, but trust us, this is how you get that nice, golden, crispy crust!
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: If you've got leftovers, lucky you! Let the potatoes and onions cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. When you're ready to eat them, reheat in a lightly oiled skillet set over medium heat, or microwave them in 30 second intervals. You can also reheat them in a preheated 350°F oven to re-crisp the potatoes and onions.
- Freezer: We don't recommend freezing this dish, as the potatoes can become slightly mushy once frozen and thawed, but if you're in a pinch and need to, freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge the night before you're ready to eat them, then reheat using the instructions above.
What To Serve With Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions
This is such an easy side dish to whip up, some of our favorite main course dishes to pair with them include:
- Glazed Pork Tenderloin
- Swiss Steak
- Pork Bites and Gravy
- Salisbury Steak
- Savory Chicken and Vegetable Skillet
- Soup Beans
More Side Dish Recipes
FAQs
You don't have to, but par-boiling them before frying helps to remove some extra starch, cooks them a bit, and ultimately makes potatoes that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside
This may happen for a few reasons. Potatoes won't crisp up if the oil isn't hot enough. If the oil is only warm, and doesn't sizzle when the potatoes are added, it's not hot enough and the potatoes will slowly cook without browning or crisping in the oil.
Another possible reason might be your potatoes are too wet. If you don't pat them thoroughly dry after soaking, they won't crisp up as nicely in the pan.
To prevent potatoes from sticking to the skillet, be sure your pan is hot enough with a generous coating of oil or fat. Let the oil heat so it's nice and hot when the potatoes are added.
Just be sure the oil isn't too hot when cooking, so the potatoes don't burn on the outside (and remain undercooked on the inside!).
You don't have to, but we recommend it in this recipe. Soaking them for 10 minutes helps to remove any excess starch, which keeps them from having a gummy texture, and it helps the potatoes ultimately become crispier when frying.
Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes about 3-4 medium potatoes
- 1 small yellow or sweet onion
- ¼ cup bacon grease, butter, or oil
- seasoning salt blend or salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes, rinse, and cut into diced-sized cubes or ¼-inch slices. Place in a bowl and cover with water. Allow the potatoes to soak for 10 minutes, then drain and dry completely with paper towels.
- Peel, halve, and slice the onion into ¼-inch slices.
- In a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan, melt bacon grease, butter, or oil over medium heat.
- Carefully add the potatoes in a single layer. Do not disturb the potatoes for 4 minutes, then stir. Cook for another 10-12 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes until potatoes are mostly golden brown on all sides.
- Add the sliced onions to the skillet. Lower the heat slightly, and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften and become translucent.
- Season with a seasoning salt blend or salt and black pepper as desired.
Video
Notes
- Add Herbs and Spices. This is the most classic, uncomplicated version of this dish, but jazz it up with different herbs and spices. Add minced garlic, a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme, or a sprinkle of your favorite spices like cumin or cayenne to amp up the flavor profile.
- Use The Correct Pan. We strongly recommend using a cast iron skillet or a heavy bottomed pan, like a dutch oven. These conduct the most heat, which lets the oil come to the right temperature, and ensures the potatoes and onions fry and cook evenly.
- Hot Oil is Essential. Be sure to allow your pan and oil to get hot enough. If you add your potatoes to a pan with oil that isn't warm enough, the potatoes won't brown or fry up correctly. They'll just absorb the oil and turn out greasy and uncooked.
- Let Potatoes Cook! Allow your potatoes to cook, undisturbed for about 5 minutes. It might be tempting to stir them before then, but trust us, this is how you get that nice, golden, crispy crust!
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