These irresistible German Potato Pancakes are perfect when you're craving a crispy potato dish with a fluffy inside that is also simple to make! Kartoffelpuffer are golden brown, deliciously fried potato fritters for any time of the day made with only a couple of staple pantry ingredients. This traditional dish can be served with applesauce or sour cream.
Kartoffelpuffer is a popular holiday street food of Germany. My authentic German Potato Pancake recipe comes together in a few ingredients, in under half an hour and is easily customisable with loads of different variations.
Reibekuchen (aka Kartoffelpuffer) is my top-of-the-line pick at Weihnachtsmarkt (apart from backfisch and crepe mit Nutella). These hot, crispy potato fritters in the freezing cold of December just warm up the heart.
If you are a fan of German food, make sure you try my Chicken Schniztel with Mushroom Sauce and my fusion Black Forest Tiramisu!
Table of Content
What Is Kartoffelpuffer
Pronouncing Kartoffelpuffer (kaar-taa-fuhl-poo-fr) is a bit of a mouthful for sure! These traditional German potato pancakes combine finely shredded potatoes, grated onions, flour, and egg to create a disc-shaped potato dish.
This recipe was first recorded in 1877 in Germany and used to be a 'peasant' food. Now it is a staple dish found across all regions, served in restaurants and as a popular street food at local festivals (like Oktoberfest), Karneval (carnival fair) and Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas markets).
Reibekuchen, karoffelphannkuchen, Reibeplätzchen, Reiberdatschi, Dotsch, Baggers and Grumbeerpannekuche are all different regional names of this dish.
Reibekuchen can be served with sweet or savoury sides but the most common accompaniment is apfelmus (applesauce).
Potato Pancakes Around The World
People have enjoyed potato pancakes for hundreds of years, with many variations worldwide. Here are some interesting interpretations from other countries:
- Switzerland: Rösti is Switzerland's version of potato pancakes and one of their national dishes. It is does not contain any egg or flour.
- Poland: Placki Ziemniaczane, are very similar to karoffelpuffer. They are thin, flat discs fried to golden brown perfection and commonly eaten during Lent.
- United States: Hash Brown is a quintessential American breakfast dish which mostly only contains grated potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper and fried till crisp and golden.
- Korea: Potato pancakes from Korea are called Gamjajeon and have a crispy exterior with a chewy middle. They are served as one large pancake, then sliced, and often contain scallions and garlic.
- Eastern Europe - Latkes is a Jewish dish and very similar to the German kartoffelpuffer. Unlike German potato pancakes that use finely shredded potatoes, latkes are made with thickly grated potatoes. It is a common treat on Hanukkah.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes - Use potatoes high in starch content, like russet, Idaho and Yukon Gold. If in Germany, get the vorwiegend kochend or festkochend. They are best for Kartoffelpuffer.
- Onion - yellow or white onion works best in this dish!
- Flour - all-purpose white flour.
- Eggs - they help bind the batter.
- Seasonings - usually, only salt and pepper are added. I like to put in smoked paprika for extra flavour.
- Cooking oil - use any neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying these fritters. Some options are rapeseed, sunflower, canola oil, and vegetable oil. Some recipes additionally add butter as well.
- Garnish - chives or green onion works excellently as a garnish, giving them some colour too.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make German Potato Pancakes
Grab your potatoes, and let's make some mouthwatering Kartoffelpuffer!
1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Thinly shred the potatoes from the small side of the box grater.
2. Now, grate the onion on the large holes. Onion otherwise can get really mushy.
3. Wring potatoes first and save the liquid collected at the bottom. Then, squeeze the onion too, in a separate bowl.
4. Transfer grated onion and potatoes to a bowl. Mix the seasonings, flour, egg, and a little bit of white potato starch liquid.
5. Using a measuring cup, spoon the batter into hot oil and press lightly with a spatula to flatten.
6. Fry on medium heat till the kartoffelpuffer is golden brown and crispy on both sides.
7. Remove on a wire rack and season immediately with some sea salt.
8. Top with sour cream and chopped chives. You can also enjoy these German pancakes with applesauce.
Expert Tips
- Don't let the batter sit for too long. The salt pulls moisture out of the potatoes and makes the entire batter watery.
- Fry in a single layer. If you overcrowd the pan, the potatoes start steaming instead of frying.
- Make sure your oil is heated well. Adding the potato pancakes to a cold pan will absorb too much oil and be soggy.
- Grate potatoes on the small side of the grater. It gives the most authentic results. I prefer to grate onion separately on the large blade because I feel it gets all mushy otherwise.
- Remove as much moisture from the grated potatoes and onions to ensure crispness before making a batter. You can squeeze in your palms, wring in a kitchen towel, or press in a sieve.
- Adjust the heat while frying. Medium-high works most of the time, but it might vary from stove to stove. If the pancakes don't seem to be bubbling, increase the heat, and if they are burning, decrease it. We don't want them to burn before the insides are cooked.
- Ideally, remove your fried potato pancakes on a wire rack. When you put on a paper towel, the trapped heat makes them soggy from the bottom.
Serving Suggestions
These classic German potato pancakes can be served with sweet spices, apple sauce, fruit compote, maple syrup, cranberry sauce or just powdered sugar.
Another popular and my preferred way to enjoy potato cakes is with sour cream!
If you want to spruce up these potato fritters, try fun toppings like smoked salmon, dill, and creme fraiche. Potato pancakes are delicious on their own but are also a tasty base for any toppings you want to experiment with.
Kartoffelpuffer are an excellent side dish to a great dinner meal or can be eaten for breakfast. If you have leftover pancakes from breakfast, eat them with meat and sour cream for lunch!
Variations
Reibekuchen are like a delectable blank canvas, excellent for the at-home chef to create something extraordinary that the whole family will love. If you want to spice up your recipe, here are some options.
- Play with seasonings: In addition to freshly ground pepper and salt, I suggest adding some cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, cumin, or dried basil. Most seasonings play well in potato pancakes. Check out the Pakistani version of potato fritters called pakoras!
- Sneak in some veggies: Leeks, zucchini, carrots, and green onions are delicious additions to your grated potatoes. Just grate your extra vegetables and add them to your potato mixture before frying. Potato fritters are an excellent way to sneak some veggies for picky eaters too.
- Switch up the fresh herbs: Fresh dill, rosemary, parsley, chives, or thyme are excellent additions to this German potato pancakes recipe. Add your fresh herbs to the batter, or use them as a garnish. If you make a savory version, dill and thyme are tastier, but rosemary goes wonderfully with apple or cranberry!
- Swap with butternut squash: If you have sweet potatoes or butternut squash, you can use them as a substitute for regular potatoes. Your potato cakes will be a bit sweeter and have a fun orange color. Sweet potatoes still play well with traditional toppings like maple syrup and apple sauce.
Equipment
You will definitely need a box grater to shred the potatoes and onion to make this authentic kartoffelpuffer recipe. Use the small shredder for the potatoes (NOT the zesting side) and the larger one for grating the onions.
If you have a food processor, that's awesome, since it will make the process so much quicker. Similarly, use the small shredder blade for the potatoes and the medium or large one for onions.
FAQs
Traditionally, hash browns are only shredded potatoes fried until crispy and deeply golden brown. When making potato pancakes, you use a binding agent like egg and flour so they can be shaped before frying and hold together much better. German potato pancakes are also served with a variety of sweet and savory toppings, while hash browns are eaten as a side dish to classic breakfast foods.
Latkes and Kartoffelpuffer are often mentioned interchangeably, but they aren't the same. Delicious german potato pancakes are much more straightforward, traditionally using only finely shredded potatoes and a binder. Latkes have more in the recipe, sometimes adding baking powder, matzo meal, and an occasional splash of milk.
I don't recommend doing the prep in advance. The potatoes tend to discolour and get soggy. They won't be as crispy and pleasing as if you make them fresh. On the other hand, it's a simple dish that comes together very quickly.
Although, you can make it ahead of time and keep the fried kartoffelpuffer in an airtight container in the fridge.
Ideally, reheat in an air fryer to revive some of the crunch. Air fry at 180°C (350°F) for 4-5 minutes. Otherwise, an oven will also work. Arrange it on a baking tray and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 5-8 minutes till hot.
You can freeze cooked potato pancakes for up to a month. Store them in an airtight box.
Video
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📖 Recipe
German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer)
Ingredients
- 4 medium (550g / 1.2lb) potatoes see notes
- 1 small (90g) yellow onion
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 medium egg
- ¼ cup (60ml) cooking oil for frying
- 2-3 tbsp chives to garnish
Equipment
- Box Grater or food processor
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Then using a grater or food processor grate them on the small side.
- Place them in a kitchen towel and wring to squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Don't throw the liquid from the potatoes. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
- On the large side, grate the onions. Grating on the larger holes will keep its texture intact. Squeeze out extra water by wringing in the same kitchen towel.
- Then put the potatoes and onions in a medium-sized bowl. Add the flour, salt, white pepper, smoked paprika and egg. Mix well to form a batter.
- Drain most of the liquid from the potatoes and save the white potato starch at the bottom. Add around 2 tablespoon to the batter and mix well.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add ¼ cup of the pancake batter and press lightly to flatten. Don't over crowd the pan, work in batches or the potato pancakes will get soggy.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat. Flip when you notice brown edges. Cook on the opposite side for 3-4 minutes till golden and crispy.
- Remove on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Sprinkle sea salt immediately. You can also keep in a preheated oven while you tend to rest of the batter.
- Spoon some sour cream on the kartoffelpuffer and garnish with chopped chives. Enjoy hot!
Video
Notes
- Use potatoes high in starch content, like russet, Idaho and Yukon Gold. If in Germany, get the vorwiegend kochend or festkochend. They are best for Kartoffelpuffer.
- Don't let the batter sit for too long. Start frying immediately! The salt pulls moisture out of the potatoes and makes the entire batter watery.
- Make sure youroil is heated well. Adding the potato pancakes to a cold pan will absorb too much oil and be soggy.
- Adjust the heat while frying. Medium-high works most of the time, but it might vary from stove to stove. If the pancakes don't seem to be bubbling, increase the heat, and if they are burning, decrease it. We don't want them to burn before the insides are cooked.
- Remove your fried potato pancakes on a wire rack. When you put on a paper towel, the trapped heat makes them soggy from the bottom.
Nutrition
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