German Pan Fried Potatoes Bratkartoffeln

If you’re anything like me, potatoes are a delicious and large aspect of your food journey. They add so much to a dish and, of course, do just fine when served by themselves, for example, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! They need no help in impressing people when added to a dish. Plus, if they are added to a dish, rarely, if ever, does it end up being a bad addition. They have such a universal flavor and texture that they have few foods they don’t pair well with.

Outside of being one of my favorite ingredients (mind you, I am German, and we love potatoes, especially Bratkartoffeln, haha), did you know potatoes are an amazing source of vitamins and minerals? It’s a true story. They are alkaline and contain high levels of fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin B1/B2/C, and more. Potatoes have been shown to improve heart health, bone health, blood pressure, digestion, inflammation, and so much more. They even contain a good amount of folate, which is involved with DNA synthesis and repair, ultimately preventing the creation of cancer cells in the body caused by DNA mutations. Read about more incredible health benefits of potatoes in this article.

How to Make German Pan-Fried Potatoes (Bratkartoffeln)

STEP 1: Slice your potatoes and place them in a bowl of cold water for ten minutes. Dice your onion and set it aside. STEP 2: Heat the oil in a frying pan and set the stove on medium heat. Place the potatoes in the pan and leave to fry for about 8-10 minutes without touching them. STEP 3: Gently flip the potato slices and once they’ve browned, turn down the heat to low and cover the pan. STEP 4: Allow the potatoes to steam for 15-18 minutes before adding the set-aside onion, salt, pepper, and rosemary (if using). Fry for a few more minutes (without a lid) or until potatoes are fork-tender. STEP 5: Garnish with freshly chopped herbs like parsley and enjoy!

Which Potatoes are Best?

Believe it or not, there are multiple types of potatoes. All of them taste great, fried, mashed, or however you want to fix them up. However, there are some that do better than others for these pan-roasted potatoes. Now, it all depends on how you prepare your potatoes when it comes to choosing the perfect kind. For this recipe, you can choose to either do air fryer potatoes or use a skillet/frying pan. If you’re using an air fryer, you can use whatever potato you like. However, with a skillet or frying pan, you’ll want to use waxy potatoes and not starchier potatoes because they will fall apart in the pan. Here are a few potatoes that are perfect for making these healthy roasted potatoes in a frying pan.

Red-Skinned Potatoes – This includes all potatoes with red skin – they can be small or medium-sized, depending on the brand and season. Purple Potatoes – These aren’t as commonly found in grocery stores, but are definitely purple, taste like any other potato, and make for a fun color to any dish. Fingerling Potatoes – These come in various colors, but are usually small and oblong. Yukon Gold Potatoes – Also known as all-purpose potatoes. These have thinner skin than most waxy potatoes, look like a lighter-colored potato, and often come in a small or medium size depending on the brand and season.

Helpful Tips and Variations

If you make these crispy Bratkartoffeln, let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram or Facebook in your posts (@elavegan and #elavegan).

You might want to check out my other vegan potato recipes:

German Schupfnudeln Vegan Hash Browns Easy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Crispy Oven-Baked Potato Wedges Stuffed Potato Cakes Vegan Parmesan Potatoes Stuffed Potato Skins