Perfect Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes

Crispy fried potatoes are a fantastic and easy potato side dish, creamy and perfectly cooked on the inside and crispy on the outside!

I like to use baby new potatoes for this quick dish. When I say quick, the whole thing is done and dusted in around 25 minutes.

Crispy Golden Sauteed Potatoes

I'm rather fond of spuds, so much so that my site name, Krumpli, means potato in colloquial Hungarian!

These lovely crispy bite-sized treats are one of my favourite simple side dishes.

My love for them started in my school days when they were called sauteed potatoes on the school dinner menu.

They are a great alternative to properly fried chips, air fryer chips or even air fryer potato wedges.

These are essentially crispy new potatoes fried in oil, so pretty simple stuff!

They are quick, cooking in right around 25 minutes, supremely easy and frighteningly moreish!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the type of potatoes really matter?

Yes and no... You can make this dish with any potatoes that you like, and it will be delicious. However, the potatoes that you choose will make a significant difference to the final output.

I prefer small baby new potatoes; they form a beautiful golden crust and are soft, creamy and almost buttery inside.

Floury potatoes will form a deeper coloured crust, unless you soak them in water for 5 minutes or so, and will be fluffier on the inside.

Can I use a deep-fat fryer?

Yes... If you have one ready to use, then by all means use it. This dish is even easier to make if you do.

Can I use an air fryer?

Yes, but they would not be fried potatoes! I have no beef with air fryers; I have linked to a couple of my air-fried potato recipes further up the page.

They are acceptable, but they certainly do not hold a candle to the joyous occasional treat that is stuff fried in oil!

What do you use to check the temperature of the oil?

I use a sugar thermometer to check the temperature of oil if I am not using a deep-fat fryer.

Serving Suggestions

You will find these fried potatoes on the side of more than the occasional dish here on my website.

They are pictured on this page with my glazed bacon chops, cranberry and brie stuffed chicken and chicken parmo.

Some form of crispy potatoes is a traditional accompaniment to stroganoff dishes, and I much prefer them to the relatively modern addition of pasta.

You'll find them pictured with my pork stroganoff, chicken and mushroom stroganoff and pan fried lamb leg steak, they also absolutely rock with my vegan mushroom stroganoff.

For the same reason that they work with stroganoff, they are also superb with dishes like chicken paprikash and chicken a la king.

But they work superbly with everything from perfectly cooked rump steak to lasagna and bourdeto fish stew or prawn saganaki, and Thai baked chicken thighs to this slow cooker meatloaf.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands or equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan.
• A thermometer to check oil temperature. I use a sugar thermometer.
• Weighing scales.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Slotted spoon.
• Kitchen paper.