These Pan Fried Potatoes are crispy little nuggets that make an appearance frequently at our table for everything from dinners to breakfast. They’re easy to make with just 4 ingredients and suit almost every diet as well. They’re always a huge hit and steal attention away from any main dish you serve with them!
It all started with an Italian restaurant. I feel like quite a few of my recipe stories begin with that line. It’s my version of ‘once upon a time’, I suppose! But from the first time I tasted these crispy potatoes scented with rosemary, I knew they had to be a permanent fixture in my life.
Watch How To Make Pan Fried Potatoes
I’ve been making them for over 15 years now, and everyone loves them! In fact, you may want to print off the recipe because someone always asks for it. I’ve made a few slight changes over the years, but the texture and flavor are still the same.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes – Yukon golds are my favorite here. But if you ever see a potato called ‘Huckleberry Golds’, snatch them right up! They have a purple skin and aren’t the prettiest in this dish. But the yellow centers cook up somewhere between a Yukon gold and the fluffiness of a Russet potatoes. Speaking of Russets, they will work here as well, but I find them a bit dry compared to Yukons. And finally, if you have red potatoes, they will do in a pinch, but they definitely won’t be as crispy.
- Olive oil – A good quality extra virgin olive oil here really makes these potatoes taste amazing. And if you’re worried about the heat getting too high for olive oil, you can sub in avocado oil instead.
- Rosemary – is my favorite herb here, but we have been known to switch it up with a little thyme once in a while!
- Sea salt – I have provided a measurement for the sea salt. But just season to taste for what you like.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by cubing up the potatoes into 1/2″ cubes as evenly as you can.
Step 2: Remove the rosemary leaves from the stems.
Mince the rosemary and set it aside.
Step 3: Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the potatoes, rosemary, sea salt, and pepper.
It’s important to add at least some of the sea salt while the potatoes are cooking for the best flavor. You can start with less than called for and add more if desired.
Step 4: Cook the potatoes over medium heat, stirring only when the bottom layer has browned, until mostly tender. It’s important to make sure the pan is not smoking hot because the potatoes will burn on the outside before cooking through.
Add the remaining rosemary and cook a few minutes longer. Then season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper if desired.
Ways to serve this
- Serve these crispy rosemary potatoes with my Pork Sirloin Roast, Sausage and Peppers, or Pork Tenderloin.
- Or try it with our favorite comfort food dishes like Tuscan Chicken, Creamy Garlic Chicken, or Pizza Chicken.
- For special occasions or holidays, try these potatoes with my Ribeye Roast, Air Fryer Rib Eye or Tuscan Steak, or with my Beef Tenderloin with my Mushroom Cream Sauce. Add Maple Sage Carrots, Honey Glazed Carrots, or Sautéed Green Beans as a veggie and Apple Spinach Salad for dinners where you’re entertaining. For very special dinners, start with my Cranberry Mocktails and Antipasto Platter. Finish this showstopper meal with my Death by Chocolate or Chocolate Cake.
FAQ’s
No, it is not necessary in this recipe to boil your potatoes before pan-frying. If you want to pan-fry boiled potatoes, try my Crispy Instant Pot Potatoes instead.
The most common reason pan-fried potatoes aren’t crispy or even soggy is overcrowding the pan. It’s better to cook them in 2 pans rather than overcrowding them. Also, don’t stir the potatoes until they’ve browned, and maintain a temperature that browns well without being so hot the pan smokes and they burn.
The main benefit to boiling potatoes before you fry them is they will cook much faster and generally they don’t need as much oil to crisp up. However, their texture is different than pan-fried potatoes that are cooked starting with raw potatoes. I’d encourage you to try both methods because they’re both tasty, just different. We make crispy potatoes both ways!
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead – these potatoes are best served immediately. For a make ahead option, try my Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes.
- Reheating – pan fry the leftover potatoes in a non-stick skillet over medium low heat until heated through. The potatoes won’t be as crispy and they are drier reheated. I usually add an over easy egg on top for breakfast if I have leftovers.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a regular cast iron skillet, not an enameled cast iron skillet. These potatoes tend to stick sometimes in an enameled cast iron skillet, and metal utensils can’t be used in that type of skillet.
- Use a metal spatula along with your regular cast iron skillet (not enameled). These 2 tools together make for the easiest, crispiest potatoes. Between a well-seasoned cast iron skillet and a metal spatula to scrape up any potato bits that might be sticking, you should have no problems.
- Monitor the heat! If the heat is too low, the potatoes will steam and not crisp up properly. If the heat is too high, the oil will smoke, and the potatoes can burn around the edges before they’re cooked in the centers. A medium to medium-high heat works well here.
- ‘Calorically’ speaking, this recipe serves 6. However, I just wanted to let you know that in my experience, no one ever eats ‘1 serving’ of these potatoes, especially at special occasion dinners. If you have big eaters at your table, it’s probably safer to figure it serves around 4.
- How to double this recipe: the easiest is to use two skillets. Or roast them in the oven for a ‘hands-free’ option – which is nice if you’re entertaining. They’re not quite as crispy, but still delicious. I usually roast them at 425ºF for about 25-30 minutes. You’ll need 2 cookie sheets, and lining them with parchment paper will make cleanup much easier.
Fun Fact: My mom made these Rosemary Potatoes for Tyler & I’s engagement dinner along with my Life Changing Rosemary Mushroom Cream Sauce and prime rib. So if you need inspiration for any kind of special occasion, I can’t recommend these 2 recipes enough!
Side Dish Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy these Pan Fried Potatoes as much as we do! There’s rarely a family dinner, holiday, birthday, or breakfast for that matter that doesn’t include these potatoes. If you do get a chance to make them, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below, I really love hearing from you!
Pan Fried Potatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat a 10-12" cast iron large skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the potatoes and half the chopped rosemary to the skillet. I add the sea salt and pepper at this time, but you can add some of the sea salt then season to taste later if desired.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring to mix the rosemary, sea salt, and pepper in. Cook for about 15 minutes, using a metal spatula to turn the potatoes only as they brown.
- After about 15 minutes, turn the heat down to medium. If the pan starts to get too hot before the 15 minutes is up, turn the heat down sooner.
- Add the rest of the rosemary and continue to cook over medium heat. Continue to turn over the potatoes when brown edges appear on the bottom layer.
- Cook until the potatoes are tender with crispy brown edges, about 10 minutes.
- Season to taste with sea salt and pepper if desired, and serve immediately.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was published in 2014, but has been updated in 2021 and 2025 with more tips, nutritional information, new photos, and a video!
I followed your directions and the potatoes came out amazing! I grow rosemary on the patio and had a large organic russet potato, perfect for me! Had a very nice breakfast! I actually put two over medium eggs on top of the potatoes; in restaurants they call it a skillet meal. Delicious!
Thank you for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed these and the eggs on top sounds like a wonderful breakfast!
I added Garlic salt and grated Parmesan for more flavor. So yummy!
Sounds like very yummy additions, so glad you enjoyed it!
Really good rosemary potatoes! My looking time was shorter, but still came out crispy!
So glad you enjoyed these, they’re a mainstay in our family!
You can use dried rosemary just fine. The flavor will not be as fresh tasting but it will be delicious all the same. As a side note you will need to use a bit less rosemary in dried form because the flavor in condense. Just taste as you go to find the right amount to use. These potatoes are great with other herbs as well.
I’m glad you’ve had success with dried rosemary, maybe I need to try a different kind because we didn’t love the one we tried with these potatoes!
Your recipe sounds divine. We do something similar, but in the oven, and with both rosemary and garlic.
Question: you recommend an iron skillet, but I’ve switched to coated pans. Is it necessary to use an iron skillet, and how do you keep them clean and rust-free?
I like to use cast iron because it really crisps up the potatoes, but I have done these in non-stick pans whenever I’ve made them in someone else’s home and it still works great. I just soak my pan in water while we eat dinner to loosen any stuck bits on the bottom and then scrape it out with a plastic scraper under hot water. Then I put the pan on the stove, (dry the bottom if you don’t have a gas stove) and heat the pan over low heat until it’s dry. Then I just leave it on the stove until the next use or put it away the next morning when it’s cooled down. I hope this helps, and be sure to let me know if you haven anymore questions!
Made this recipe Las night and it was delicious! Love your recipes because they are easy to follow and very tasty 🙂
Thanks so much, that just makes my day to hear not only that you’re enjoying the recipes but that they’re easy to follow! 🙂
These were fantastic even with russets. I’ve cooked them in my Actifry three times and they were a big hit each time. We love salt in my home but even found half the salt was quite noticible. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, it’s a keeper in my books.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these, they’re a family favorite! I think the salt thing is because I use a coarse grey Celtic Sea Salt which doesn’t seem salty the same way as table salt (I’m adjusting my recipe to read to taste in case of variation in salts).
It’s winter and I do not have access to fresh rosemary. Would dry do and how much?
I don’t know if dried rosemary would be a good flavor in this recipe or not. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs to buy in the winter because it’s one of the least expensive, and you can get a lot of use out of 1 little package. If you can’t find fresh rosemary until the summer, I would try the recipe plain without any rosemary at all – I make them that way sometimes for breakfasts for a more subtle side dish! Hope you enjoy the recipe and be sure to try it with fresh rosemary when you can! 🙂
I love rosemary and potatoes together! I can imagine how good these must have tasted and how delicious your kitchen must have smelt! Great recipe Kari!
Rosemary and potatoes are a seriously addictive combination for me, I just can’t stop eating these!
So many times I ask waiters for the recipe of dishes I love, but the answer it’s either that they don’t give out recipes or that the dish was invented by a Grandmother and it’s a closely guarded family secret!
So kudos to you for figuring out how to recreate these fantastic rosemary potatoes at home and moreover for sharing the recipe with us. I really appreciate it 🙂
Those kind of answers always make me wish I had an Italian Grandmother too, then I would be chock full of ‘top secret’ recipes! The great thing about Italian food is it’s relatively easy to figure out at home, can’t say the same for any other cuisine! 🙂
I made these potatoes last night. OMG so easy and SO GOOD.
This recipe is going in the the “fave recipes” folder!
*only one “the” 🙂
Funny, I didn’t even catch the typo – my brain filled it right in which is a real problem when I’m trying to edit anything! So glad you like them, sometimes the simplest recipes are the biggest hit! 🙂