Easy German Potato Pancakes

The classic of German cuisine, potato pancakes are simple and easy to make. Crispy on the outside and wonderfully soft on the inside, these golden fritters are budget-friendly and done in just 30 minutes.

Shredded potato cakes are an ideal breakfast, main and side dish traditionally popular among German, Austrian, Jewish, Polish, and Irish people. 

Aah, what would street fairs and Weihnachtsmarkts be without potato pancakes?

Whether Kartoffelpuffer, Reibekuchen, Dotsch, Baggers, Erdäpfelpuffer, Kiachla, Keulchen, or Reiberdatschi - this delicacy is an integral part of traditional cuisine throughout Germany. 

Of course, as with potato salad, grandma's recipe is always best, but authentic potato cakes usually live from the aromatic interplay of potatoes and onions, which are shallow pan-fried with eggs and flour.

They taste sweet with cinnamon applesauce and hearty with sour cream and go perfectly with a side of light and refreshing cucumber salad. A dream made from scratch!

📃 Why it Works

We can track the origin of the potato pancakes to Bohemia and Austria. The delicious pancakes have a long history and tradition here but are enjoyed in quite different ways depending on the region.

Rösti, latkes, placki, and boxty, oh my!

Potato pancakes are associated with many Eastern European countries. Still, I think it skipped my homeland Bosnia because I had my first potato cakes when I moved to Germany, and let me tell you - I was hooked.

• The Rösti comes from Swiss cuisine, especially the German-speaking part of Switzerland, containing no egg or flour.
• Latkes, sometimes also latkas ("small pancakes"), are firmly anchored in Jewish tradition, and although eaten at any occasion, they are traditionally part of the menu at the Hanukkah festival. They are also not necessarily made from potatoes but alternatively with other vegetables and sometimes include matzo meal.
• Placki in Poland is often served with meat gravy/sauce or goulash.
• Irish Boxty and British Tattie Fish are made several ways, but all contain raw potatoes and are fried. They are also of integral importance as this old Irish rhyme claims: "Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan; if you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man." 🙈
• Raggmunk - Even up in Sweden, eggs and flour are used to hold the grated potatoes together. The side dishes make it typical: sweet cranberries and crispy fried bacon make for an exceptional flavor!
• LLapingachos made with leftover mashed potatoes and mixed with cheese are a dream team in Ecuador. They serve it with Salsa de Mani, a creamy peanut sauce, salad, a fried egg, chorizo, and avocado. Are you drooling yet?
• Patates mücveri is a homemade Turkish version of spuds patties with potatoes, zucchini, parsley, garlic, mint, sheep's cheese, and a yogurt sauce.
• And let's not forget hash browns, the dish quintessential to American breakfast diners, that is super easy to make with the frozen option available in supermarkets. Traditionally, nothing else goes into hash browns other than grated potatoes, salt, and pepper.

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

This simple, old-fashioned dish only uses a few pantry staples. 

Potatoes: Use starchy types, like Idaho or Russet, and not the waxy ones like red or yellow, although Yukon Gold is somewhere in between. The starch helps bind the other ingredients, and they won't absorb extra oil. 

Oil: Neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point which makes them suitable for frying. Canola, grapeseed, peanut, safflower, or vegetable oil are good options. Lard (rendered fat) is traditionally used, but if butter is your jam, use clarified butter.

🔪 Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg, flour, salt, and pepper.
2. Peel, wash, and grate potatoes and onion. Wring out the liquid.
3. Fold the potato mixture into the bowl with the egg.
4. Fry instantly. Remove pancakes with a slotted spoon and drain on paper until oil is absorbed.

💡Tips for Perfect Potato Pancakes

• You could add parsley, chives, garlic, or nutmeg for an excellent flavor note.
• If you like, replace some of the potatoes with carrots.
• To speed up the process, grate potatoes using a food processor. I normally prefer them finely grated, but you can shred them with a box grater. If your food processor doesn't have a grating disc, chop the potatoes and onion and process for about 2 minutes until no lumps remain.
• Some recipes suggest parboiling shredded potatoes, but there is no need for that. Even raw, they will cook completely.
• To make sure they don't fall apart, remove as much moisture as possible from the grated potatoes and onions. You can use a kitchen towel and twist to squeeze or use paper towels.
• You don't need to rinse them after grating; the precious starch will also help them stick together.
• Don't let the batter sit too long. Fry instantly and stir the mix between each batch.
• If the batter has drawn too much water, you can add more flour or oatmeal to bind the liquid. 
• To get the pancakes crispy, place a thin layer into the hot oil (cakes should sizzle), press to flatten, and then leave it alone until a brown crust forms around the edges; flip and cook until crisp.
• Remove stray pieces of potatoes floating in oil and burning and add more oil, if necessary, between your batches.
• You might want to use paper towels to wipe out the skillet in between batches if necessary. 
• Keep your fried cakes warm in the oven at 275 F until all batter is used up.
• Don’t cover them while warm because the steam will soften them, and they will no longer be crispy.
• Best served immediately.

🍽 How To Serve It

Kartoffelpuffer is perfect topped with sweet or savory condiments like simple homemade applesauce dusted with ground cinnamon or sour cream. Other options include:

• Serve alongside a protein like smoked bacon or pancetta, ham, ground beef patty, sausage links, smoked fish, and eggs (for breakfast or brunch).
• Try them with powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. Add fruit compote or fresh berries.
• They are also great with cottage cheese, quark, Grek yogurt, or crème fraîche. You can add slaw or sauerkraut if you like.
• Make a loaded potato sandwich: top one pancake with shredded cheddar, crumbled crispy bacon, and a schmear of sour cream. Cover with the second pancake, press down, cut into half, and serve.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

• Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Easy German Pan-Fried Potatoes and Eggs
• German Potato Casserole
• German Beer and Cheese Soup
• German Rouladen
• Bavarian Pretzel Buns

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2015 and updated in March of 2021 with new photos and recipe tips.