Southern Pan Fried Potatoes and Onions Recipe

Southern pan fried potatoes and onions are a tasty side dish that everyone will love. It’s a delicious comfort food that is easy to make and goes well with any main dish.

The potatoes recipe is a great addition to any dinner, is full of flavor, uses pantry staples, and is a versatile side dish.

The Best Fried Potatoes

We love fried potatoes around here. They are easy to make, budget-friendly, and you can use different types of seasonings to make them unique every time.

You can also eat the easy side dish with any type of potato and get a little bit of a different flavor with each one.

For this recipe, we used Russet potatoes, but you can also use a different potato variety including red potatoes, golden potatoes, or even sweet potatoes. You can leave the skin on or peel it off and cook them up into crispy potatoes.

Ingredients Needed For Southern Fried Potatoes

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

• Vegetable or olive oil
• Potatoes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Diced onion
• Minced garlic

How To Make Home Fries

The fried potatoes, also known as home fries, are super easy to peel, chop, and cook.

1. Dice the onions and garlic and set aside.
2. Peel the potatoes and dice them into smaller pieces.
3. Add some oil to a large skillet and place it on medium heat.
4. Add the potatoes and toss to coat with the oil.
5. Place the lid on the skillet and allow them to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Next, add the onions, salt, pepper, and garlic and stir to combine.
7. Replace the lid and cook for another five minutes.
8. Remove the lid after five minutes and cook until brown and toasty, about five to 15 minutes. (You can turn the stove on medium-high heat to get the potatoes a little more toasty–just watch them closely so they do not burn).

Step-By-Step Instructions

Start by dicing the onions and mincing the garlic and setting it to the side.

Next, peel the potatoes and dice them into smaller sizes.

TIP: Cut the potatoes in similar sizes so they will cook more evenly.

I keep a jar of minced garlic in the refrigerator so that I don’t have to cut up a bunch. I love fresh garlic, but making life a little easier with pre-minced garlic is not a bad thing, either.

Pour some vegetable oil or olive oil into a large skillet and turn the heat to medium.

Add the raw potatoes to the skillet and toss to coat the potatoes with some of the oil.

I used an electric skillet for the recipe because it’s big and I just like to cook them that way. You can also use a cast iron skillet or any large frying pan that you have on hand.

Place the lid on the skillet and cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes will get nice and soft while they cook.

Leaving the lid on the potatoes while they cook helps keep the moisture in, which in turn creates soft potatoes.

If you want more crunchy potatoes, then keep the lid off while they cook. They will take a little longer to cook, but they will be crunchier.

After ten minutes add the onions, salt, and black pepper to the pan.

Add the garlic and stir everything to combine. Replace the lid and cook for five minutes. Remove the lid and cook 10 to 15 more minutes or until the potatoes are toasty and golden brown.

If you like caramelized onions, I would add them to the oil and let them cook before you add the potatoes. That way they will have more time to cook and reach that caramelized point.

If you add them after the potatoes have cooked for ten minutes, the onions will be a little bit more crunchy.

Once you’re done cooking the potatoes, place them on a couple of paper towels on top of a plate to soak up the extra grease, transfer them over to a dish, and serve.

Other ingredients for a versatile side dish:

• Fresh herbs, such as rosemary, parsley, chives, or tarragon, or dill weed.
• Garlic powder or garlic salt
• Kosher salt
• Chili powder
• Bacon grease (instead of oil)
• Crispy bacon crumbled on top
• Bell peppers
• Ground cumin
• Scrambled eggs to make a hearty breakfast

And while you’ve got the pan out cooking the potatoes, you can cook up some pan fried pork chops from Julia’s Simply Southern.

Other delicious side dishes:

• Moist Jiffy cornbread
• Green beans and bacon
• Mouthwatering Chick-Fil-A Coleslaw
• Homemade creamed corn
• Slow cooker mac and cheese
• If you want another potato dish, give this roasted red potatoes recipe a try