These potato pancakes are delicious and easy to make with or without leftover mashed potatoes! It only takes 8 ingredients to make the best potato pancakes!
One day, the craving for potato pancakes struck me and I couldn’t shake it. So I scoured the internet to try to find a recipe for potato pancakes that didn’t require leftover mashed potatoes, and had no luck!
So created this potato pancake recipe and it’s so delicious!
I’ll walk through through how to make potato pancakes from scratch without leftover mashed potatoes. Of course, you can use leftover mashed potatoes if you have them, but just in case you don’t I have you covered.
Potato Pancakes: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Yukon gold/russet potatoes. You can also use red potatoes, or even sweet potatoes, but Yukon & Russets are the best.
- Eggs. there is no substitute for eggs in this recipe.
- All-purpose flour. You can easily substitute 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour to make this potato pancake recipe gluten-free.
- Garlic/onion powder. You can use minced garlic and finely diced onions in place of the powders, you will just need to sauté them together with a little bit of olive oil until the onions are soft, then add them to the riced potatoes.
- Cheddar Cheese. Use your favorite cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, goat cheese, feta, Parmesan, etc.
How to make potato pancakes
Prepare the potatoes
If you’re making this potato pancake recipe without leftover mashed potatoes, begin by cooking the potatoes. To do this, peel 1 lb. potatoes cut them into halves or quarters (depending on the size of the potatoes).
Place them in a 3-quart pot and cover them with cold water by 2 inches, then add about ½ tsp sea salt to the water.
Then, bring water to a boil, then boil for 15-25 minutes until fork tender.
Strain the cooked potatoes in a colander to remove any excess water, let cool in the colander until they reach room temperature.
Once the potatoes are cooled, rice them into a large mixing bowl using a potato ricer.
To use mashed potatoes:
Substitute about 2 ½ cups of leftover mashed potatoes for the potatoes in the recipe. Then, skip the steps under “prepare the potatoes” and proceed to “Making the Potato Pancake Mixture.”
Make the potato pancake mixture
In a large bowl add the eggs to the riced potatoes or to leftover mashed potatoes, and stir to combine.
Then, add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and pepper and stir until evenly distributed.
NOTE. If using mashed potatoes that are already flavored well then omit salt and other seasonings.
Stir in cheddar cheese until it’s evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Cook the potato pancakes
Next, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted.
Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to measure out portions of the potato pancake mixture and drop it onto the skillet. Flatten the mixture into a round circle about ½” thick. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the bottom is golden-brown.
Then, flip and cook an additional 5 minutes until golden-brown.
Serve
Top with flaky sea salt and serve warm with sour cream, chives, etc. I suggest serving these as a great side along with this turkey cranberry sandwich, balsamic pot roast, or with a delicious kale salad or brussel sprout salad.
Store/freeze
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheat on the stovetop to restore the outer crispiness, or in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
How do you keep potato pancakes from falling apart?
The egg and flour in this recipe help bind the potato pancakes and keep them from falling apart. Also, make sure they are fully cooked on one side before trying to flip them over.
What ingredient keeps pancakes from falling apart?
The eggs keep the mixture moist while the flour helps bind everything together.
What’s the difference between potato pancakes and latkes?
Potato pancakes use cooked and mashed potato while latkes use grated raw potatoes. Also latkes use matzo meal while potato pancakes use flour.
