Potato Pancakes are one of our favorite ways to turn leftover mashed potatoes into something crispy, cheesy, and so delicious. Mashed potatoes are mixed with eggs, flour, cheddar cheese, parsley, and seasonings, then pan-fried until golden on the outside and soft in the middle.
We love these for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or as an easy side dish with dinner. Serve them warm with sour cream and green onions, or pair them with Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Ham, or Roast Chicken for a simple family meal.
You could also serve these pancakes as an appetizer alongside Bacon Wrapped Smokies, Spinach Puffs, and Queso Blanco.
Why you’ll love them + Why they work:
- Use up those leftovers! We love to make extra mashed potatoes to whip up a batch of these potato pancakes.
- Ready in 20 minutes. From start to finish, these pancakes are on the table in no time.
- Eggs and flour help bind the potatoes. They give the mixture structure so the patties hold together while frying.
- A hot pan creates crispy edges. Medium heat helps the pancakes brown without burning.
Potato Pancake Ingredients
- Mashed potatoes (3 cups): Creates the base of the pancakes and make them soft and filling. You can use plain mashed potatoes or flavored mashed potatoes, both work well. You can even mix up instant mashed potatoes.
- Eggs (2 large): Helps bind the mixture together so the patties hold their shape.
- All-purpose flour (½ cup): Adds structure and helps keep the pancakes from falling apart.
- Shredded cheddar cheese (½ cup): Adds cheesy flavor and helps make the pancakes extra delicious. Or use another favorite cheese like Colby jack or pepper jack cheese
- Dried parsley (1 teaspoon): Adds color and a little herb flavor.
- Garlic salt (1 teaspoon): Seasons the pancakes with garlic flavor and salt.
- Salt and pepper to taste, to taste: Adds extra seasoning so the pancakes are flavorful.
- Vegetable oil, for frying: Helps the pancakes fry up golden and crisp.
- Optional Toppings: sour cream, green onion, bacon bits, extra cheese
How to Make Potato Pancakes
PREP. Preheat a large frying pan or griddle to medium heat.
- If your potatoes are cold from the fridge, warm them slightly and give them a second mash so they’re easier to work with.
MIX. In a large bowl, add mashed potatoes, eggs, flour, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper (this will depend on how much seasoning was previously added to the mashed potatoes). Mix to combine.
- Grease the frying pan/skillet lightly.
SHAPE. Form the potato mixture into patties about ¼ cup of batter each. Flatten the patty between your palms.
FRY. Fry on the one side until golden (about 3-5 minutes), then flip and fry on the second side until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and green onions (optional).
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Warm cold mashed potatoes slightly so they are easier to mix and shape.
- Give the potatoes a second mash if they are stiff or lumpy from the fridge.
- Make sure the mixture is cool before forming patties so they hold together better.
- Flatten each patty evenly so they cook through and brown at the same rate.
- Make-ahead tip: shape the patties ahead and refrigerate them, then fry right before serving for the best crispy texture.
Potato Pancakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- salt and pepper to taste, to taste
- vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Preheat a large frying pan or griddle to medium heat.
- If your potatoes are cold from the fridge, we recommend warming them up slightly and giving them a second mash or beating with an electric mixer so they're easier to work with.
- In a large bowl add the mashed potatoes, eggs, flour, cheese, parsley, garlic salt, and pepper.
- Stir the ingredients together. Make sure they are cool.
- Grease the frying pan/skillet lightly.
- Form the dough into patties about ¼ cup of batter each. Flatten the patty between your palms.
- Fry on the one side until golden (about 3-5 minutes), then flip and fry on the second side until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and green onions (optional).
Notes
- Make extra mashed potatoes and set them aside so you can make these pancakes!
- Don’t make them too thick; they will take longer to cook through and may burn on the outside before the inside is warm.
- If the potato pancakes have too much moisture you may need an extra tablespoon or two of flour to keep them from falling apart.
- We most often serve these as a side at breakfast, but they can also be covered with sausage gravy and served as a heartier main dish, or as a delicious snack or appetizer.
- If your potatoes were already seasoned quite heavily, you may not need the salt & pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
To freeze, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Place in freezer and store there for up to 3 months. Look at the notes above on how to reheat the pancakes if frozen.
Reheat frozen pancakes in the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (or 400°F for frozen potato pancakes). Place a baking rack on a baking sheet, arrange on top, and bake for about 5 minutes (10 minutes for frozen potato pancakes).
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This recipe was originally published January 2019.
Made these tonight. Loved them!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the pancakes!
My entire family loved these, which is rare! We served them with apple sauce and sour cream.
Yum!! Love when I find a recipe the whole family loves! Thank you!
is the flour self raising flour or all purpose flour
I used all purpose 🙂
Can you think of a good egg substitute for this recipe? I normally use flax egg or banana but I wasn’t sure if that would work.
I personally haven’t tried either of those, so I am not sure. I am thinking they’d be ok. I am not normally substituting egg.
Ive Made these once before, AMAZING!! Im making these again tonight except im making Gravy as the “syRup”.
That sounds yum!! I am glad you liked it!