Potato pancakes are a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes and (I believe) superior to buttermilk pancakes in all ways!
I wrote this recipe as much for my own sake as anyone else’s. My family has always sort of just eyeballed the measurements for these pancakes until they come out right. This is a technique that I can usually handle but for some reason potato pancakes have always eluded me. My sister can nail them. My brother and I…cannot. What we have often ended up with could be more accurately described as “potato pile”. So, last Thanksgiving I ended up following my mom around the kitchen clutching measuring cups and spoons and carefully scooping out each ingredient she added to measure. And thus, the first recording of the Dickey-family-potato-pancakes-
While I have striven to make this recipe easy and universally replicable, the one thing that may make the difference for you is the consistency of your mashed potatoes. The way my family makes potatoes makes this recipe come out perfectly every time. But if you have potatoes with a runnier consistency, for instance, you may need to reduce the milk.
We almost always serve potato pancakes with cooked apples (recipe coming soon!) or applesauce. They are also great with maple syrup or just butter.
This is a pretty straightforward recipe although there are a few things to note. First of all, these pancakes don’t bubble like regular pancakes when one side is finished – so you can’t visually inspect them to decide when it’s time to flip. A few minutes on each side should be enough, so go by time / feel. Also, these cook well in almost any cooking grease. I personally recommend butter or ghee for health and deliciousness reasons, but they can be done just as well in vegetable oil or bacon grease.
Looking for other unique pancake recipes? Check out my Cheddar Scallion Sourdough Pancakes with Miso Butter and Swedish Pancakes recipes!
Easy Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup fine diced white onion
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2/3 cup flour
- pinch of salt
- canola oil, ghee or other desired frying oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except frying oil) in a mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly to prevent lumps.
- Heat desired frying oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Use enough to coat the surface of the pan thoroughly.
- Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter into the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook for another 2-3. Unlike traditional pancakes, these won't produce bubbles to let you know it's time to flip. Keep an eye on them and the time!
- Repeat with rest of batter, adding oil to the pan as necessary.
- Serve with apples, applesauce, or butter.
Currently Listening: Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats – Wasteland
