Crispy on the outside and deliciously soft on the inside these Polish potato pancakes, or placki ziemniaczane, are the perfect way to change up your potato side dish.
Simple potato pancakes are a staple in Polish homes. We don’t make fries, or tater tots or hashbrowns so this is our only real fried potato recipe. Other than reheating leftover potatoes of course. We make use of leftover cooked potatoes to make a potato hash but I wouldn’t call that a traditional dish.
These potato pancakes do resemble hashbrowns a bit but I think their closest cousin are latkes. I’m sure that the origin of both dishes is probably the same.
Potato pancakes are a versatile dish. They can be served on their own as a healthy snack with sour cream, as you know potatoes are a source of protein and vitamin A. They are also excellent as a side to soup, especially Polish Beet Soup, or with your favourite sauce mains.
So grab your ingredients and let’s get cooking! And don’t forget your sour cream!
Preparing Easy Polish Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
Potatoes: I use yellow flesh potatoes in this recipe. Yellow potatoes are a bit more sweet and softer so overcooking them will make them mushy quickly. White flesh potatoes are a bit more starchy and will hold their shape better so feel free to use white flesh potatoes instead.
Flour: I use all-purpose flour. It is a wheat flour and the most commonly used flour for baking. It is very versatile and makes anything from pizza dough to cookies and cakes. You can use whole wheat flour for this recipe to add a little bit more fibre if you’d like.
Onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.
Egg: Eggs are laid by many different animals but chicken eggs are what we use in this recipe. Eggs provide protein, fat and many other nutrients and therefore are a healthy part of our diet. Here they are used as a binder.
Neutral oil: They are called neutral because they have no flavour. These oils include sunflower oil and vegetable oil among others.
How to Make Polish Potato Pancakes
Step 1: Prep the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and grate them on the fine side of a box grater into a strainer or cheesecloth over a medium bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can before moving to a large bowl.
Step 2: Prep the onion
Peel and grate the onion into the strainer or cheesecloth. Squeeze the liquid and add it to the grated potatoes.
TIP: Once you start grating the potatoes you are committed to this recipe. The potatoes will turn a dark colour if left out for too long so keep going!
Step 3: Make the batter
To the large bowl add the
flour, egg and salt and stir everything to combine it well. I like to use my hand but a wooden spoon will work just as well.
TIP: If you can, get rid of any excess liquid after you’re done mixing.
Step 4: Cook the potato pancakes
Add the oil to a large pan and heat it on medium heat. Once hot, using a 1/3 cup measuring cup scoop out the potato mixture trying to avoid any excess liquid.
Add it to the pan and flatten it out using a spatula or the back of the measuring cup into 4-inch wide pancakes. Cook for 5 minutes per side.
NOTE: You will see that there is liquid separating from the potato mixture in the bowl. Try to avoid adding it to the measuring cup when scooping the mixture.
Substitutions
Russet Potatoes: Though white flesh potatoes are best for this recipe, I usually use yellow flesh potatoes because that’s what I typically have on hand. Yellow potatoes are a bit more sweet and softer and release more liquid. White flesh potatoes are a bit more starchy.
Flour: You can use wholewheat flour for this recipe without impacting the consistency of the potato pancakes.
Serving Placki Ziemniaczane / Polish Potato Pancakes
Placki Zimeniaczane, or Polish potato pancakes, are typically served with a dollop of sour cream to dip into. However, they are also often served on the side of Barszcz, or Borscht, or more simply put, Polish beet soup. Some prefer to dip potato pancakes in the soup and others will only have them with sour cream. I am love both options and can’t imagine having the potato pancakes without beet soup or sour cream.
Another way to serve these potato pancakes is as a side to a main dish. Typically these delicious potato pancakes will be served as the bed of a saucy meat dish like our beef in red pepper sauce, Gulasz or meatballs in mushroom sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best potatoes for Polish Potato Pancakes?
The best potato for these pancakes is russet potatoes as they have a more starchy consistency. I use yellow flesh potatoes since that’s what I usually have on hand but they do tend to release more liquid.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
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Polish Potato Pancakes Recipe
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Large bowl
- Strainer (or cheesecloth)
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Wooden spoon (optional)
- Box grater
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and grate them on the fine side of a box grater into a strainer or cheesecloth over a medium bowl. Squeeze as much liquid as you can before moving to a large bowl.900 g russet potatoes
- Peel and grate the onion into the strainer or cheesecloth. Squeeze the liquid and add it to the grated potatoes.130 g small onion
- To the large bowl add the flour, egg and salt and stir everything to combine it well. I like to use my hand but a wooden spoon will work just as well.900 g russet potatoes, 2 tbsp flour, 130 g small onion, 1 egg, ½ tsp salt
- Add the oil to a large pan and heat it up on medium heat. Once hot, using a 1/3 cup measuring cup add the pancakes to the pan and flatten the out using a spatula or the back of the measuring cup into 4-inch wide pancakes. Cook for 5 minutes per side.2 tbsp neutral oil
- Serve the potato pancakes with meatballs in gravy, beef in red pepper sauce or on the side of our Polish Barszcz or beet soup.
