Description
These traditional German Potato Pancakes, also known as Kartoffelpuffer, are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Made from grated potatoes and onions mixed with eggs and flour, then pan-fried to golden perfection, they make a perfect comfort food or side dish. Serve them hot with sour cream, applesauce, or fresh herbs for an authentic experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 1 small onion
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and grate them using a box grater or a food processor.
- Remove Excess Moisture: Place the grated potatoes into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible to ensure crispiness.
- Add Onion: Peel and grate the small onion and combine it with the drained potatoes.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper thoroughly.
- Combine Mixtures: Add the squeezed potatoes and onion into the egg mixture and stir everything until well combined for consistent batter.
- Heat Oil: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot enough for frying.
- Form Pancakes: Scoop about 1/4 cup of the potato mixture onto the skillet and flatten it gently into a pancake shape.
- Fry First Side: Cook each pancake for about 4-5 minutes on the first side until golden brown and crisp.
- Flip and Cook Second Side: Carefully flip the pancake and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the other side is equally golden and crispy.
- Repeat Cooking: Continue frying the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Drain Excess Oil: Transfer the cooked pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve: Serve the German potato pancakes hot with your favorite accompaniments like sour cream, applesauce, or fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to remove as much liquid as possible from the grated potatoes to achieve crispy pancakes.
- If you prefer, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour to make the dish gluten-free.
- The pancakes are best served immediately to maintain their crisp texture.
- You can keep cooked pancakes warm in a low oven while finishing the rest.
- For added flavor, try mixing in fresh herbs such as chives or parsley into the batter.
