These Ukrainian Pan fried potatoes aren't difficult but there is a trick to getting that crispy crust and tender, buttery interior consistently. Here's how.

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These Ukrainian Pan fried potatoes aren’t difficult but there is a trick to getting that crispy crust and tender, buttery interior consistently. Continue reading to see how.

I have officially joined the working world and I’m likin’ it! They gave me my name tag today and I can’t even tell you how official I felt walking through the halls with my very own RN badge. It’s on one of those pull string thingy’s and I can swipe doors with it. Yep, that’s pretty official.

I came home from work today and Vadim (the husband) surprised me with this. Classic. I can’t count how many times we’ve eaten these Ukrainian pan fried  potatoes. We just never thought to post the recipe.

My husband is the potato master in our house. See the hunk in the picture below? That’s him (and our son sleeping in his arms). He cooked this, typed out the recipe, edited and uploaded photos and did all the food styling on his own. He’s my hunk. I like him. I love him. I had a baby with him. And, yes, I’m married to him. Wow, I couldn’t ask for a better man.

A close up of Natasha, and her husband who is holding their son who is sleeping

Ingredients for Fried Potatoes:

4 medium-large potatoes
1/2 of onion (optional)
1 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp of Oil (I used Grapeseed Oil)
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp of pepper or to taste

These Ukrainian Pan fried potatoes aren't difficult but there is a trick to getting that crispy crust and tender, buttery interior consistently. Here's how.

How to Make Ukrainian Fried Potatoes

1. Peel potatoes and cut them into small wedges/fries, keeping them proportional for even cooking. A Mandoline Slicer can also be used.

A potato cut into thin slices on a cutting board with a knife beside it

2. Rinse peeled potatoes in water, then lay them out on a cutting board and pat dry with paper  towel. This is done to get rid of starch, which will make potatoes more crisp. Patting them dry reduces oil splatter.

pan-fried-potatoes

3. Dice 1/2 of the onion. Melt 1 Tbsp of  butter in the frying pan and saute onion for around 3 min on medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

pan-fried-potatoes-1

4. Next, add potatoes and 2 Tbsp of oil, mix everything together. Cover and cook on medium high for around 4-5 min covered until golden. Use a dome-shaped lid for best results.

pan-fried-potatoes-2

5. Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes for approx. 15 min, stirring every 3-4 min.

Thinly sliced potatoes being fried on a skillet

6. Towards the end of cooking, sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper (better to under-salt than over-salt :D, speaking from experience ). When potatoes are salted before or during cooking, they release  juices and tend to fall apart.

Salt being added into a skillet with potatoes that are being fried

7. Check for doneness by breaking one of the bigger potato slices. It’s done when the potato breaks easily.

These Ukrainian Pan fried potatoes aren't difficult but there is a trick to getting that crispy crust and tender, buttery interior consistently. Here's how.

* Optional Add-ins: When potatoes are almost finished – you can add eggs, minced garlic, garnish it with dill or parsley. Or just enjoy them with a fresh cucumber…like I did 🙂

These Ukrainian Pan fried potatoes aren't difficult but there is a trick to getting that crispy crust and tender, buttery interior consistently. Here's how.

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Ukrainian Pan Fried Potatoes Recipe

5 from 5 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 4 -5
  • 4 medium-large potatoes
  • 1/2 of onion, optional
  • 1 Tbsp of butter
  • 2 Tbsp of Oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp of pepper or to taste

Instructions

  • Peel potatoes and cut them into small wedges/fries, keeping them proportional for even cooking.
  • Rinse peeled potatoes in water, then lay them out on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towel.
  • Dice 1/2 of the onion. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in the frying pan and saute onion for around 3 min on medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
  • Next, add potatoes and 2 tbsp of oil, mix everything together. Cover and cook on medium high for around 4-5 min covered until golden. Use a dome-shaped lid for best results.
  • Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes for approx. 15 min, stirring every 3-4 min.
  • Towards the end of cooking, sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper.
  • Check for doneness by breaking one of the bigger potato slices. It's done when the potato breaks easily.

Notes

* Optional Add-ins: When potatoes are almost finished - you can add eggs, minced garlic, garnish it with dill or parsley. Or just enjoy them with a fresh cucumber.
Course: Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Pan Fried Potatoes
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $

 

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • George
    June 12, 2023

    Hi Natasha, for Step 5 is the lid on or off? thanks
    Reduce heat to medium and cook potatoes for approx. 15 min, stirring every 3-4 min.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 13, 2023

      Hi George, We keep them covered the whole time, except to stir.

      Reply

  • Elizabeth Ansell
    April 23, 2023

    Looking for a French fries recipe without using an air fryer
    It would be nice if the recipes using an air fryer had recipes for us that don’t have any interest in using an air fryer

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 23, 2023

      Hi Elizabeth, this recipe can be useful for you at the moment as another french fries recipe that I have is using an Air Fryer.

      Reply

  • Mila
    October 19, 2022

    This recipe was our weekly meal in the 90-th, when we lived in Ukraine and Russia. As someone mentioned before you need unrefined Sunflower oil and not Olive oil, it will add nutty flavor. In the end, I add fresh minced garlic and dill with parsley. Thank you for reminding me about this recipe, this is what we’ll have tonight.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 19, 2022

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me. Mila!

      Reply

  • Tracy
    June 30, 2022

    Hello! Is it necessary to peel the potatoes? I often see fries with peels on.
    Thanks for so many great recipes!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 1, 2022

      Hi Tracy, it depends on your personal preference but both ways work!

      Reply

  • Nanette
    March 16, 2022

    These are the best thank you so much for your website. I find myself on here every other day. And I hope your family is safe. I am so sorry for what is going on in this crazy world.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 16, 2022

      Aww! That’s just awesome! Thank you so much for stopping by, Nanette!

      Reply

  • Christina
    August 8, 2019

    Just made these glorious potatoes. So delicious. I love being Ukrainian, but this potato obsession is seriously troubling!! Thank you, Natasha for another winner!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 8, 2019

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it Christina!

      Reply

  • Alex
    March 30, 2018

    Just a small note – to get authentic taste you may want to use sunflower oil (ideally unrefined) as opposite to Olive oil or Canola oil.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      March 31, 2018

      Hi Alex, thank you for the tip! We don’t usually cook with sunflower oil because it has a low smoke point, but we sure love it on salads for that authentic flavor you are referring to – I know exactly what you mean! 🙂

      Reply

  • Ellie
    May 14, 2016

    Can these be used for french fries with ketchup?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      May 14, 2016

      Hi Ellie, these look a little like fries and are great with ketchup but it is easiest to eat these with a fork since they are pan fried and stick together much more than fries would.

      Reply

  • Sofia
    September 17, 2015

    Hi Natasha
    I made this and it was super delicious, not to mention easy. My husband loved it. I added minced garlic and eggs towards the end. Will serve it with cucumber or dill next time. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      September 17, 2015

      Sofia, thank you for the great review and great job on improvising :).

      Reply

  • Olga
    June 22, 2015

    I love potatoes any way shape or form and if I could, I would eat them for every meal of the day, every day! Yes, that’s how much I love potatoes…especially fried potatoes. Fried potatoes are my dad’s specialty! We make them slightly different though. We cut them into thin rounds and fry the potatoes first and once they start to get a bit color on them, I add sliced onions (i cut onions in thin half rounds) and then finish frying like that. However, my VERY favorite is to either add some cut up bacon or Canadian bacon (I think it’s slightly healthier). My dad even added ground beef at some point and it come out delicious as well! My favorite side dish with them is Russian sour sauerkraut!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      June 22, 2015

      Olga, thank you for sharing your version of making these potatoes, I will definitely give them a try :).

      Reply

    • Moonwatcher
      September 21, 2021

      YES potatoes

      Reply

  • Katy
    January 27, 2014

    the onions are not gona get burned cooking the whole time w potatoes? i usually always add them like the last 10 min of cooking

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      January 27, 2014

      Adding butter to the skillet prevents them from burning vs using oil. You can also saute them separately and add them 5 min before potatoes are done. Hope this helps :).

      Reply

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