The humble potato is a staple of Polish cooking. For this potato pancake recipe, onions and potatoes combine in a classic, hearty, crispy and delicious marriage that never gets old. Potato pancakes are such a simple and quick dish you can make for breakfast, brunch or dinner with 7 ingredients. In warning, these usually disappear quicker than I can make them. Consider making more than you think you need!
If you are interested in the history of the potato in Polish cooking, check out this great article 100 Polish Potato Dishes:Wartime Recipes for the Modern Cook. I grew up with these wonderful pancakes as a 100% Polish girl, and now make these for my husband and daughter who happily eat them up!!
This recipe uses only 7 simple ingredients:
- 2 potatoes
- 1 medium sized onion
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Peel and grate the onion and then press the liquid out of it in a mesh strainer. The less liquid the better for your pancakes, but don’t worry too much about this, as I have a trick to minimize the liquid later in the recipe as well.
Next, do the same with the potatoes.
Press out the liquid from the potatoes as well.
Combine the grated onion, potato, egg, salt, pepper, flour in a bowl, and stir together until combined.
Once combined, your potato pancake mixture is ready! Next, you’ll scoop the potato with a spoon, and use a trick to dry out the mixture further. Take a large heaping spoonful of the potato mixture and press the back of another spoon into the potato to squeeze out the water, It’s ok if it’s a messy blob of potato falling out the sides at this point. This trick will help you get a crispier potato pancake!
Then, place your flattened potato in a heated saute pan with vegetable oil sizzling hot. Use the back of a spoon to flatten the pancake out further in the pan to get an extra thin and crispy version. If you like your potato pancakes thicker, go ahead and leave them thicker. Thicker pancakes may need a bit more cooking time. Thin pancakes take about 3 minutes on each side until they are crispy brown.
I think salt and pepper are key in this recipe (and all potato recipes for that matter!). I like to add just a tiny dash of salt and pepper while they are frying, but you are welcome to skip that step if you like your salt in moderation.
And on the right, you get a behind the scenes look at me in the kitchen!
So Yummy!! While you are frying up the pancakes, you’ll have time to whip up a side dip of 1 cup sour cream and 1 tbsp dry dill. (Fresh dill would be wonderful here too, but I tend to have dry on hand more often.)
This sour cream dill dip is what I grew up eating with pancakes and very traditionally Polish. To make a healthier version, you can substitute sour cream with lowfat plain greek yogurt.
Once your family knows these are coming off the griddle, they will be at your side swiping them away as fast as you can make them. Make sure to save a couple for yourself!
Polish potato love, if I ever saw it! Enjoy!
If you love potato pancakes, you may also enjoy this Chowhound article on What is the Difference Between Potato Pancakes and Potato Latkes which offers some different versions of potato pancakes.
Check out these AComfyKitchen recipes for more simple deliciousness:
Potato Pancakes and Dill Sour Cream
Equipment
- Grater
Ingredients
Potato Pancakes
- 2 potatoes (Russet work well here)
- 1 onion (Medium)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil Canola works well.
Dill Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp dry dill
- 1 cup light sour cream
Instructions
- Peel and grate the potatoes and onion
- Press the liquid out from the grated potatoes and onions using a mesh strainer.
- Combine the grated potatoes, onion, flour, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Take one heaping spoonful of the mixture at a time and press it flat using the back of a second spoon.
- Place the flattened spoonful onto the preheated frying pan with oil sizzling hot.
- Use the back of a spoon to flatten and spread the pancake even thinner on the pan to get a crispier pancake.
- Fry each side for 3 minutes over medium heat, until golden brown on each side.(Thicker pancakes may take a little longer to cook through, so you may need to lower the heat to allow the time needed.)
- Complete the frying process with all the pancakes. Add additional oil as needed if the pan gets too dry.
- Remove the finished pancakes to a paper towel lined plate to remove some of the oil.
- If you want to keep them warm until all the potato pancakes are ready, you can put them in a 200 degree oven while finishing the entire batch.
Prepare the Dill Sour Cream
- Combine 1 cup sour cream and 1 tbsp dry dill in a bowl and serve on the side of the pancakes.
- Serve the pancakes with the dill dip. Enjoy!
We love potato pancakes at our house. Adding dill to sour cream is a great idea! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks Cynthia!
this looks amazing! need to try