My grandmother's best potato pancakes
Aug 08, 2025
If you're looking for the best potato pancakes recipe that's crispy, honest, and quick, you've come to the right place. These classic potato pancakes were a staple at our house - my grandmother would most often serve them with mushroom sauce, but we often ate them on their own, still hot straight from the pan.
My grandmother also called them baked jerky and prepared them without weighing, just with feeling and experience. I have measured the ingredients exactly for you so that this recipe will work for everyone. And I have also added an optional little tip – a little sourdough, which will soften the dough and give it a subtle bready flavor.
If you also like quick recipes with boiled potatoes , I recommend saving the recipe.
Grandma's Crispy Potato Pancakes Recipe
Servings: 7–8 patties
Ingredients:
450 g boiled potatoes
60 to 100 g of plain wheat flour, depending on whether you add saourdough:
→ 60 g if you add sourdough or:
→ 100 g if you don't have sourdough
70 g sourdough (optional – add if you have leftover or leftover)
1 egg
4 g salt
lard for baking
How to make potato pancakes step by step:
1) Boil the potatoes in their skins for approximately 20 minutes and let them cool.
2) Peel the cooled potatoes and grate or mash them finely into a larger bowl.
3) Add flour, sourdough (if you have it) , egg and salt. Knead into a compact, soft pancake dough.
– Don’t worry, the dough is a little sticky. It helps if you grease your hands with lard or water. Just be careful – the water in the pan may splatter.
4) Shape the dough into patties approximately 1.5 centimeters high.
5) Heat the lard in a frying pan over medium heat and slowly fry the potato pancakes on it until golden brown on both sides.
Tips from Mari
Lard is the key: it's what gives the pancakes the right flavor and crunch. If you use oil, they'll be good, but less traditional.
Yeast: not necessary, but I recommend trying it - the dough will be softer and more elastic.
Variations: add herbs, garlic or cracklings to the dough and you will conjure up a completely different version.
Quick tip: if you have leftover boiled potatoes from lunch, you can turn them into this simple and tasty recipe in no time.
What to serve potato pancakes with?
Grandma's potato pancakes are great on their own, but we love them best as a side dish. Traditionally, we serve them with a quick mushroom sauce. – a combination that will perfume the entire kitchen and delight every diner. 🍰 And for a sweet treat, I recommend the blackberry pie with crumb topping .
