Fried Potatoes with Onions (2024)

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Southern fried potatoes and onions and peppers too if you like is an easy skillet side dish you’ll love. Cheap and full of flavor it similar to our Air Fryer Potatoes and Onions but made on the stove with your main dish.

Onions and potatoes fried in a skillet is an easy side dish you can enjoy with any main dish every single week. With russet potatoes, red, Yukon or fingerlings of your choice until crunchy or tender with a golden brown to your liking. (affiliate links present)

Pan Fried Potatoes with Onions and Peppers

Now if you wanted a really deep sweeter flavor you could make Caramelized Onions with Brown Sugar and then set aside to cook the taters crispy to serve together. That of course takes much longer and done the way directed below is rather quick. About 10 minutes is all you need depending on the thicknesses.

During the holidays when I have leftover meat I have made Green Beans with Ham and Potatoes with it. Another veggie is nice too if you have it but this go around I thought I should pair it down to explain how just these two should be fried up together.

Fried Potatoes with Onions and Garlic

You could in a way make this in a pressure cooker too like we did with our Diced Instant Pot Potatoes. You’d just saute onions with a bit of oil, salt and pepper first. Remove and follow these directions. Then combine the two for best results. Red potatoes were used but Yukon gold or russets would work just the same.

I have even sliced and used others like with our Air Fryer Fingerling Potatoes, you just always need to remember that the thickness needs to be the same with every single piece. You don’t want some to still be underdone while others are too soft.

2-3type of potatoesyou like, skin-on and sliced
1conionslices
Minced garlic
Steak seasoning
1/2tsponion or garlic powder
3tbspolive oil
Salt and pepperto taste

If you are hosting a Fish Fry but want some sides to go with it you can easily use the same pan for all the things since oil is necessary for all of the ingredients.

Pan Fried Potatoes with Onions Recipe in Cast Iron Skillet

In the past when I have made Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions but have leftovers I will bring those out, heat taters until halfway done and add a large scoop of these on top. They can continue warming together and the sweetness can coat the outside as they fry which creates a really great duo.

Leave potato skins on, rinse potatoes and remove all dirt. Dry with paper towels. Cut into slices, all the same thickness.
The thinner they are the crispier they will get. Slice 1/2 a yellow onion and/or green bell peppers into slices.
- Fill a bowl with cold water and submerge your slices. Cover bowl and put into fridge for 2-3 hours ideally (optional step but if you want them as crisp as possible this is what is needed)
Lay potato slices on paper towels and gently press down to remove all moisture from the outsides. This will get them crisp!
In a bowl toss potatoes and onions with 2 tbsp of olive oil and seasonings so everything is coated.
Over medium high heat heat oil in your large frying pan until warmed, then add garlic for 2 minutes to heat.
Add slices into the pan in a single layer, overlapping the least amount.
This may mean that 2 batches are necessary to get the desired crisp texture on the outsides.
Cook the potatoes for a few minutes on each side so both sides become a deep brown, season with a pinch of salt and pepper along the way.
Serve hot with your main dish!

Alternatively you can cook this outside too!! Use our Smoked Potatoes and Onions for those directions right beside your meat.

Just one of our easy Few Ingredient Recipes that can be tweaked as far as the seasonings you use. If pairing with fish add some Old Bay in there, beef goes well with steak seasoning, etc. Takes less time than Sliced Potatoes in Oven but with similar results. Jump to recipe card below and let us know what you think.

Italian Fried Potatoes with Onions

Italian seasonings work well in this dish as well. Especially if you are going with that theme for dinner with chicken parmesan or something, that would be a great choice.

Why won’t my fried potatoes get crispy?

You may have skipped one of the steps. You can do it faster by skipping the soaking or drying but if you want crispy fried potatoes you need to take the time to;
1. After slicing potatoes you should add into a bowl with cold water, cover and let them sit 2-3 hours.
2. Remove slices from the water and lay on paper towels, press gently to absorb water from outside.
3. Use peanut or olive oil for fried onions and potatoes like we show you here.

What is the best oil for frying potatoes?