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, Cold Potato Salad, 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.
i love one pan meals – the potatoes are super crisy!
These fried potatoes and onions were so delicious! I loved all the flavors and they came out perfectly!
Thank you! They are a family favorite!
These potatoes are my family’s favorite for breakfast! So crispy!
Can I fry them in butter instead of oil?
I have not fried these potatoes in butter. I am not sure the outcome if you use butter instead of oil. The oil will fry and crisp the potatoes.
I make fried potatoes pretty much like this except I use bacon fat that I keep after frying bacon and store in the refrigerator. They’re delicious!
Yes! Bacon fat is the best to use. How much fat do you use for how many potatoes?
Medium heat? Mine ended up burnt so low heat next time.
Hi Dan! So sorry your potatoes did not turn out well. I have made them countless times as well as many other people. The medium heat always works well for me as well as others. As you know, all stoves are different. Heat may need to be adjusted according to your stove. Thanks for the comment. Have a great day. Gina
I love potatoes too; I always have to have potatoes in my pantry 😂! I love your tips about not over-stirring the potatoes because I feel like if I stir my potatoes a lot, they don’t cook evenly, and they become mushy. So I really appreciate your tip.
Potatoes and onions are a perfect combination 👌
Try adding diced tomatoes and a diced Serrano pepper – in south texas they are known as papas rancheras (ranch potatoes). If they get too soggy then sauté the tomatoes and pepper in separate pan and then mix together before serving. Either way yummy
YUM! Thanks for sharing this tip. I will have to try this the next time I make Skillet Fried Potatoes and Onions.
Cooked this last night with pork chops and they were excellent!! Very easy to make. Thank you for the advice not to stir too much as they do need time to fry and brown. I scrubbed the red potatoes with soapy water, cut out all the ‘eyes’ and left the skin on and they were excellent!! Will definitely be making again.
Thank you for your comment. I am so glad they were excellent for you and turned out delicious! Red potatoes with the skin on are so good!
That is good but simple. Will definitely make it.
This looks delicious! I happen to have all the ingredients, so I’m making this as part of our holiday brunch tomorrow. Thank you for the recipe and tips.
Look like the potatoes my mom.used to make us for breakfast! Yum!
I needed a potato dish to go with our pork chops tonight, excited to make this one!
My roots are in rural Missouri and as such, this was a common and favorite dish! In fact, my sister made some just this week! Thanks for sharing. Great recipe.
I make something very similar on the grill with foil pans. It’s a favorite whether we are at home or camping!
OMG! This is my husbands favorite breakfast that his mom used to make him! I’m definitely going to try it out and surprise him one of these days! Thanks!