Fried Potatoes and Onions
Southern Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions are a fast and easy one-skillet side dish that comes together in 25 minutes. Whether served as a breakfast side, alongside a hearty dinner, or even as a quick snack, these potatoes are easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
When looking for something simple as a side dish, fried potatoes with onions always work for me. This is a one-skillet dish for tender, golden brown, and flavorful potatoes with just a few ingredients that yield a huge taste! The best recipe for the ultimate comfort food.
If you love potato recipes, then you’ve got to try my Oven Roasted Parmesan Potatoes, Crispy Smashed Potatoes, and Au Gratin Potatoes with Mushrooms. They are all delicious and will remind you of Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house.
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Just something about Pan-Fried food makes me happy. The smell alone will have your family in the kitchen, waiting for dinner to be ready.
- Simple Ingredients – Made with just four simple ingredients, nothing fancy, just pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
- Easy to Make – Five minutes of prep and straightforward cooking steps make this recipe perfect for even beginners.
- Crispy and Flavorful – Skillet potatoes with onions are tossed with a little oil, steamed, and then fried to a golden brown, creating perfectly crispy edges and tender centers.
- Versatile – Perfect as a breakfast side, with dinner, or even on its own. This dish is very versatile. If you’ve ever visited Huddle House for its ultimate “Hashbrowns All The Way,” you’ll love country-fried potatoes for breakfast. Add some bell peppers, diced tomatoes, and chopped ham to the skillet, and have a delicious breakfast at home.
🛒 Ingredients Needed
This classic dish is a staple in many households and combines crispy pan-fried potatoes with caramelized onions. I’ve been making this dish for years, and it hasn’t let me down yet. They’re a true family favorite that’s satisfying and loaded with flavor. See the recipe card below for the exact ingredients and amounts.
- Russet Potatoes – Potatoes are the star of the show. I prefer to use Russet potatoes. For this recipe, you’ll want to choose a potato that does not get mushy. A Russet potato will hold its shape when fried. These are good starchy potatoes and my number one choice. A Yukon Gold will also work. Peel and dice them into 1-inch cubes for even cooking.
- Onion – A finely diced onion gives this dish tremendous flavor. White, yellow, or Vidalia onion will work nicely. Little bits of fried onion are so tasty in this dish.
- Oil – You can choose between vegetable oil or bacon grease for frying. Vegetable oil provides a neutral flavor and helps crisp up the potatoes, while bacon grease adds a rich, smoky depth that enhances the overall taste. You could use half bacon grease and half oil. The more bacon grease you use, the more flavor your potatoes will have.
- Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder – Measure with your heart and use your favorite seasonings.
📖 Recipe Variations
- Add Butter – Stir in a little butter during the last few minutes for extra richness.
- Spice It Up – Add paprika, cayenne pepper, or chili powder for a kick.
- Add Vegetables – Mix in bell peppers, mushrooms, or diced jalapeños for flavor.
- Cheesy Twist – Sprinkle shredded cheddar or parmesan over the potatoes before serving.
🔪 How To Make This Recipe
Southern Pan-Fried Potatoes and Onions are super simple and one of the easiest side dishes to prepare.
Step 1: Peel and dice the potatoes into 1″ cubes.
Step 2: Finely dice the onion.
Step 3: Using a 10-inch skillet, add enough oil to cover the bottom and heat the oil.
Step 4: Drop in potatoes and onions. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir to coat well, cover and cook for 10 minutes without stirring.
Step 5: Uncover. Stir and flip the potatoes. Continue to cook and stir uncovered for about 10-15 more minutes or until you reach the desired tenderness and the potatoes are browned.
Step 6: Serve for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
💭 Expert Tips
- Don’t Overstir: Once you drop the potatoes and onions in the hot oil, stir them and leave them alone. This allows the potatoes time to fry and brown in the oil. All stoves cook differently. Keep an eye on the heat and adjust accordingly if the potatoes are browning too quickly.
- Uncover and Stir: Once you uncover the potatoes and onions, stir them every 4-5 minutes until done.
- Patience: Be patient and let the potatoes get a crispy coating on the underside before flipping.
- Best Skillet To Use: My all-time favorite skillet is my cast iron skillet. Yes, I use it all the time! It is well-seasoned; I have used it for about 30 years. If you don’t have one, no worries. You can still make these using your favorite skillet with a fitted lid. They will still turn out fantastic!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
These old-fashioned fried potatoes and onions are great for any time of the day. They are simple enough for any day of the week when you want something a little different as a side dish.
Breakfast: Serve these easy fried potatoes and onions alongside eggs, bacon, Old-fashioned biscuits, and fresh tomato gravy.
Dinner: Serve these fried potatoes with steak, BBQ chicken drumsticks on the grill, simple grilled hamburgers, or bone-in fried pork chops.
🧺 Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Leftovers: Allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To Reheat: Here are some tips for reheating leftovers.
- Stovetop: For the best outcome, reheat leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Oven: You can also place them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until hot.
- Microwave: I don’t recommend reheating these leftovers in a microwave. It will change the texture, and they will lose some crispiness.
❔ Recipe FAQs
There is no need to boil your potatoes before frying them. You will dice the potatoes into small cubes so they will fry quickly in the skillet.
Yes. We are not boiling the potatoes first, so they should be dry. After rinsing, dry your potatoes well before dicing them.
The secret to the perfect fried potatoes is patience. You want your potatoes to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If you are not sure by looking at them, stick a fork in them. If they are fork-tender–they are done. Brown The Potatoes For the best crispy fried potatoes.
The trick to keeping your potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the skillet is to make sure you have enough oil and that the oil is hot. Also, allow the bottoms of the potatoes to brown before flipping. Once they have browned and are ready to flip, the potatoes will release easily from the bottom of the skillet.
To ensure extra crispy potatoes, make sure not to overcrowd the pan, use enough oil, and avoid stirring too often while cooking.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
If you tried these Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions or any other recipe on my blog, please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📋 Recipe
Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet Potatoes Peeled and diced into 1″ cubes
- 1 onion finely diced
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice potatoes into 1″ cubes.
- Finely dice the onion.
- Using a 10-inch skillet, add enough oil to cover the bottom. Heat oil over medium heat.
- Drop in potatoes and onions. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes without stirring.
- Uncover. Stir and flip the potatoes. Continue to cook and stir uncovered for about 10-15 more minutes or until you reach the desired tenderness and the potatoes are browned.
Made this today and they turned out perfect, caramelized, and scrumptious with no additions or changes to instructions or recipe. This is my go to for something quick and easy. Thank you for this recipe,
I’m so glad the fried potatoes and onions were a hit! My family loves this dish, too!
I fried these potatoes today. We had fried catfish, brown beans, hush puppies, and coleslaw. The potatoes were delicious.
Thank you for the comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I have always made these for my family like my mom did! We boil the sliced potatoes first not quite fork tender . Then dry them and fry them with sliced onions, salt , pepper, and garlic. Yummmy!
Yummy-licious! I used Gold Yukons and they were scarfed up as soon as they hit the table — will definitely make these again and again. Thanks!
You are so welcome! This is a favorite with my family as well. Thanks for the comment!
Mine gets stuck sometimes to the pan. Any tips?
Try adding a little bit more oil to the pan. A non-stick skillet will also help with the potatoes sticking. I usually use my cast iron skillet, but it is well seasoned. Most of the time, if you will use a spatula to flip the potatoes-scraping the bottom as you flip, you will get those wonderful bits of crispy potatoes that might be sticking to the bottom.
Super easy and super flavoursome! An excellent side dish to just about anything, but we served it with pork chops and broccolini!
This is one of my favorite brunch side dishes! We served alongside a bigger spread with french toast, pancakes, and eggs and it was a hit!
We are growing loads of potatoes this year and this was a great way to use some of them up.
How delicious! This looks like a side dish that I have to make for thanksgiving.
As a Southern gal, I had never made this recipe but I’ve had it many times. I’m glad to say that has changed now thanks to you. These potatoes and onions were crazy good. Thanks!!
Thoroughly enjoy reading your recipes even though I’m a Southern country gal and basically cook the same. For folks that haven’t cooked and enjoyed delicious pan fried taters and onions, please try this recipe. Perfect for supper side or breakfast. I’ve made them for 50 years, using my hand-me-down 70 year old cast iron skillet. Also, enjoyed the pics of your furry family, GSD’s are the best. Just subscribed. Take care.
Thanks so much for the nice comment. Southern cooking is the best!
Made this today and they turned out perfect, caramelized, and scrumptious with no additions or changes to instructions or recipe. . Will make again!
Thank you for this super easy and absolutely delicious recipe. My family made me promise to make it again
I’m obsessed with this! Nothing better than some crispy potatoes and onions, yumm!
great side dish and perfect combo, love quick I can make this recipe