German Potato Pancakes Recipe is based on an authentic Continental recipe that uses grated potato, flour, and egg. The mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper and fried on a griddle. These savory pancakes are served with applesauce or sour cream as I have done here, and are perfect for snack time, brunch or dinner.
I first came across the potato pancake when I was studying German in England. My husband is something of a potato aficionado, and he loves experimenting with potatoes and any dish related to them. As a part of my German class, we were taught several easy German dishes using simple ingredients. One of my class projects was to translate a German recipe. I chose the Kartoffelpuffer because it was both it was quick and easy to make. The recipe itself was an heirloom that had apparently been in my teacher’s family for generations.
Interesting facts about the potato:
The humble potato is a true wunderkind. From its origins in the Andean mountains of South America through the Colombian Exchange, there is hardly a country that doesn’t have a potato dish. Whether it is baked, boiled, fried, sautéed, or even made into gnocchi, the versatility of this simple tuber is unmatched.
Migrating from England through Holland and into Germany and the rest of Europe, Africa, and Asia, this tuber has fed us through wars, droughts, and famine. It is this hardiness that makes the potato the world’s fourth-most important crop (after rice, wheat, and maize). Throughout history, marauding soldiers burned wheat fields. But since the potato grew underground, they didn’t notice it. Peasants used it as a way of preserving a staple and nutritious food. In fact, King Frederick the Great of Prussia’s government taught people how to plant potatoes as a way of feeding his army and his people. From the Austrian War of Succession through the Napoleonic conflicts, and the two World Wars, the potato became a strategic source of food.
Recipe variations of the German Potato Pancakes:
The Potato Pancake is a global food and is found everywhere from Ireland to India and back again. In Korea, it is called Gamja-jeon, in Iran Kuku sib Zamini, Placki Ziemniaczane in Poland, the Jewish Latke, the Irish Boxty, and the American Hash Brown. No matter what it is called, it consists of shredded potatoes, some additional starch in the form of flour, seasoned by a variety of ingredients and fried. The recipe for the German Potato Pancakes is one of those comfort foods that can be prepared as needed. They can be baked, deep-fried, air-fried, and shallow fried.
In Germany and Austria, the varieties of the potato pancake are called by a panoply of names, including Kartoffelpuffer, Reibekuchen, and Reiberdatschi. They can be served as a savory or as a sweet, accompanied by sour cream or apple sauce, depending on what is being served.
Some common questions:
- Why are the Potato Pancakes rubbery in texture? If too many eggs are used in the pancake mixture, then the they will have a rubbery texture.
- How to bind the German Potato Pancakes? Flour is used to help bind the grated potatoes. Using too much flour can result in dense pancakes. I adapted the German recipe by adding some rice flour for a crispy texture without the use of a lot of oil.
- What is the difference between German Potato Pancakes and Latkes? Latkes are thicker than the potato pancakes and not so uniform in shape with some shredded pieces of potato sticking out.
Other add-ons:
The recipe for the German Potato Pancakes is one of the most forgiving dishes in the world. Beyond the basic potato, you can make it in a variety of ways using countless ingredients.
- Minced bird’s eye chili or chili flakes
- Minced garlic or garlic powder
- Herbs such as chopped sage or rosemary
- Grated cheese
- Shredded meat such as chicken
- Grated zucchini
How to make the German Potato Pancakes using this recipe:
- Peel and grate the potatoes. Use a kitchen paper to absorb most of the moisture leaving some starch behind. Add the chopped chives, grated or thinly sliced onions, and season with salt, and pepper.
2. Add the egg and the flours and just mix to combine them.
3. Heat a griddle with a few drops of olive oil. Spoon out the mixture and flatten the top with the back of the spoon. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Then, flip over and add a few drops of olive oil. Cook for another 3 minutes. Drain and blot the pancake on paper towels.
5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and garnish with cut chives.
1. Grating the potatoes and not shredding them tastes better.
2. The original recipe called for grating onions too, but I liked them sliced fine.
3. Any potato works well for this recipe. The key is to absorb the moisture after grating and leaving behind some starch to help bind them naturally.
4. Do not overmix the pancake batter, just mix to combine the ingredients.
5. Make the pancakes right after combining them and just before serving. Do not make the batter ahead of time.
6. Using too many eggs will result in a rubbery or overly chewy pancake texture.
7. While flour helps bind the shredded or grated potatoes, too much flour will result in dense (not fluffy) pancakes.
8. If you finely grate the potato, the batter will be more watery because of the higher moisture content relative to the size of the potato. This makes the pancake softer and fluffier. The opposite is also true. If you use a large grate size, you get less moisture relative to the shred and will result in a crunchier pancake (like a well-made latke).
9. Do not crowd the pan. When you fry too many pancakes at the same time, the temperature of the oil drops, which will result in soggy pancakes.
How to serve the German Potato Pancakes using this recipe:
I have categorized the German Potato Pancakes as a side dish because this is a versatile dish that can be served for brunch, dinner, as an appetizer, as a side, or even a snack. In my family, we usually like them with our main course, served with a dollop of sour cream and chives. In Germany, besides the sour cream, this savory pancake is served with a yogurt-herb sauce or as a sweet with applesauce or fruit compote.
How to store:
These German Potato Pancakes must be made fresh and eaten as soon as possible. They cannot be stacked one on top of the other and can be refrigerated for a day. You could freeze the pancakes between wax paper layers and put them in a Ziploc bag.
Other Continental recipes that might interest you:
German Potato Pancakes Recipe
Equipment
- griddle-stovetop
Ingredients
- 2 Russet potato
- 4 sprigs chives
- 1 onion
- 1 egg
- 1½ tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp rice flour
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Peel and grate potatoes. Use a kitchen paper to absorb most of the moisture leaving some starch. Add chopped chives , grated or thinly sliced onions, and season with salt, and pepper.
- Add the egg and the flours and just mix to combine them.
- Heat a griddle with a few drops of olive oil. Spoon out the mixture and flatten the top with the back of the spoon. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Then, flip over and add a few drops of olive oil. Cook for another 3 minutes. Drain and blot the pancakes on paper towels.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and garnish with cut chives.
Notes
- I like these pancakes golden brown in color with less oil. If you prefer them crispy, then add a little more oil and fry until the desired crispiness and color.
- See blog post for more tips.
Nutrition
this is a great really quick snack!
Tastes good! Thanks for the recipe.