This recipe for Potato Fritters brings together two of my favorite foods, cheese and mashed potatoes, and transforms them into crispy, cheesy bites of potato deliciousness. They are easy to make and are the true definition of pure comfort food.
Potato Fritters are also packed with flavor and can be served at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, making them a versatile side dish or vegetarian main dish that will quickly become a family favorite.
Here’s what you will need:
- Potatoes – Russet potatoes work best in this recipe because of their high starch content, consistency, and creamy potato goodness.
- Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, and Lemon Pepper – brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. If you don’t have lemon pepper, you may substitute regular ground black pepper.
- Creole seasoning – a blend of herbs including oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and paprika – enhances the fritters’ overall flavor. In a pinch, you can substitute Cajun seasoning, but it will add a bit of heat.
- Parsley and Chives: besides adding a pretty touch of color, these two herbs balance and brighten the flavor.
- Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese puts these potato patties over the top and adds a pleasing cheesy flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – helps to bind everything together and provides structure to help the cakes maintain their shape.
- Egg – the glue or binding agent that holds most baked goods together, also works with the flour to keep the cakes from falling apart.
- Olive Oil – this healthy oil is used to pan-fry the fritters and, along with the panko, creates crispy potato fritters.
- Panko – coats the fritters so that they turn a beautiful golden brown with a crispy crust when they are pan-fried.
Here’s how to make them:
- Scrub the skins of the potatoes under running water and pat them dry. Prick them four to five times with a knife or fork.
- Cook in the microwave at high power for four minutes. Turn them over and cook for an additional four minutes. Use a potholder or kitchen towel and gently squeeze them to see if they are done. They should be soft and squeeze easily. You can also pierce them with a fork, and it should easily slide to the middle without any resistance. If the potatoes aren’t entirely done, microwave for an additional minute or so. Small potatoes will take less time; larger ones might take a little more time. Remove the potatoes from the microwave and let them cool until you can safely handle them.
- Cut the potatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a medium-size mixing bowl.
- Add the Creole seasoning, garlic powder, Kosher salt, and lemon pepper.
- Add the flour, the cheese, the parsley, and the chives. Use a large spoon to combine this mixture and mash the potato.
- Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
- Divide the mixture into four portions. Use your hands to shape into round patties.
- Add the panko to a small saucer and carefully dredge the patties to coat them on both sides. Place the patties on a wire baking rack and place them in the refrigerator to chill for ten to twenty minutes so that they can firm up.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Let the patties cook undisturbed for two to three minutes. Use a spatula and flip them over to cook on the other side for two to three minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the skillet, drain on a wire rack and serve immediately.
- Optional, top with a dollop of sour cream and a few chopped up chives.
Frequently asked questions:
What is a fritter?
A sweet fritter is a ball of fried sweetened dough or a piece of food coated in a sweetened batter and fried. An excellent example of a sweet fritter is an apple fritter. A savory fritter can be made with almost any type of vegetable or protein and a binder that holds everything together. This recipe for potato fritters is a good example, as is my easy recipe for Southern Shrimp and Corn Fritters.
What’s the difference between potato fritters, latkes, cakes, boxty, or pancakes?
The primary difference in these different potato dishes seems to be how they are prepared before combining them with the other ingredients. Most of the time, potato fritters are made with mashed potatoes, while pancakes, latkes, cakes, and boxty are made with grated raw potatoes. However, over the years, the lines have become blurred, and it’s harder to distinguish one from another.
Why did my fritters come out soggy?
If you have made fritters in the past that were soggy, it was more than likely because your fruit or vegetables contained too much moisture. Microwaving and cooking the potatoes before they are made into patties solves this problem.
Can I use grated potatoes instead of mashed?
Not in this recipe, but if you want to try using grated potatoes, you might want to check out my Traditional Irish Potato Boxty Recipe. It is made with mashed potatoes and raw grated potatoes mixed with flour, baking powder, milk, and egg.
What to serve with this dish?
You can serve potato fritters with any main dish that you would typically serve potatoes or another starchy vegetable. I like to serve them with Southern Fried Fish, Crispy Fried Spanish Mackeral Nuggets, Blackened Grouper, or Blackened Mahi Mahi. They are also a nice change of pace served with eggs for breakfast or Shrimp Burgers or my Ultimate Southern Burger for lunch.
What are some good add-ins for this dish?
While potato fritters are delicious on their own, a dollop of sour cream is the perfect complement. You could also make a nice sauce with mayonnaise or Greek yogurt blended with a tablespoon or so of pesto and some lemon juice. Blue cheese salad dressing would also be good.
Can I use leftover mashed potatoes in this recipe?
Unfortunately, because most mashed potato recipes call for copious amounts of butter, cream, and milk, using leftovers will more than likely make your fritters soggy and more prone to falling apart.
Sharon’s tips:
- Leftovers can be stored covered in your refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat, place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and place in a 400-degree oven for ten to fifteen minutes. I don’t recommend microwaving them.
- If you prefer, you can use canola or peanut oil instead of olive oil.
- I always use Kosher salt in cooking. If all you have is regular table salt, only use one-half as much as the recipe calls for.
- Feel free to substitute your favorite shredded cheese for the cheddar cheese in this recipe.
- To make them ahead, you can make this recipe up to the point of chilling the patties in the refrigerator. They can stay in the refrigerator for up to eight hours. Then pan-fry them right before you are ready to serve.
Related recipes:
If you like potatoes as we do, you might also like these popular recipes: Classic Southern Potato Salad, Crispy Southern Fried Potatoes, Old-Fashioned Creamed Potatoes, Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham, Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin, and Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
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Potato Fritters Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large Russet potatoes about 1.5 pounds
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup panko
Instructions
- Scrub the skins of the potatoes under running water and pat them dry. Prick them four to five times with a knife or fork.
- Cook in the microwave at high power for four minutes. Turn them over and cook for an additional four minutes. Use a potholder or kitchen towel and gently squeeze them to see if they are done. They should be soft and squeeze easily. You can also pierce them with a fork, and it should easily slide to the middle without any resistance. If the potatoes aren't entirely done, microwave for an additional minute or so. Small potatoes will take less time; larger ones might take a little more time.
- Remove the potatoes from the microwave and let them cool until you can safely handle them.
- Cut the potatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a medium-size mixing bowl.
- Add the Creole seasoning, garlic powder, Kosher salt, and lemon pepper.
- Add the flour, the cheese, the parsley, and the chives. Use a large spoon to combine this mixture and mash any pieces of potato.
- Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
- Divide the mixture into four portions. Use your hands to shape into round patties.
- Add the panko to a small saucer and carefully dredge the patties to coat them on both sides. Place the patties on a wire baking rack and place them in the refrigerator to chill for ten to twenty minutes so that they can firm up.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Let the patties cook undisturbed for two to three minutes. Use a spatula and flip them over to cook on the other side for two to three minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the skillet, drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Optional, top with a dollop of sour cream and a few chopped up chives.
These sound so good and WEH would love them. Making my copy right now.
Carolyn