Skillet Potatoes
On November 07, 2023 (Updated April 04, 2025)
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These skillet potatoes are the quintessential comfort food. They’re perfectly fried in cast iron and those crispy edges make them the ultimate side for all of your BBQ entrees.
Skillet Potatoes
Skillet fried potatoes are the perfect way to make tantalizing tubers. Cooking them in a hot skillet ensures they get beautifully soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside. These potatoes are the ideal side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They go amazing with a loaded omelette, or piled high next to sizzling steak. You can’t go wrong with fried potatoes on the side.
The Best Potatoes for Frying
When it comes to frying potatoes, using baby red potatoes is the way to go. Red potatoes are perfect for frying in a skillet, as they tend to be waxier than russet potatoes and hold their shape well during cooking. You won’t end up with your potatoes falling apart in your skillet, and the result will be perfectly thin, crisp potatoes that haven’t turned mushy after frying them.
I like to slice my potatoes nice and thin then fry them up in some of my beef tallow, bacon fat, or butter with my Hey Grill Hey Chicken Rub for that ultimate punch of flavor. Skillet fried potatoes don’t need a lot of fuss to get them good and tasty. Some good fat and spices are all you need to get ridiculously flavorful taters.
How to Make Potatoes in a Skillet
Congratulations. You’ve made the excellent decision to cook some potatoes in a skillet. They’re gonna be crisp and delicious, and they’ll be ready in less than 30 minutes. Here’s the rundown on how to cook fry potatoes to infuse them with tons of flavor:
- Preheat that skillet. I recommend using a 12″ cast iron skillet. If you try to put potatoes in a skillet that isn’t totally warmed up, they will turn starchy and will never turn golden brown and crispy. So make sure the skillet is good and hot before you toss your potatoes in.
- Use fat. Potatoes need fat to make them oh so delicious. I recommend using beef tallow (rendered beef fat), but if you don’t have any available, you can also use bacon fat or butter. Both give you plenty of flavor, but beef tallow takes these potatoes to a crazy new flavor level.
- Season liberally. Potatoes can be really bland, but they soak up seasoning well. Don’t be shy when you give those taters a good sprinkling of my Hey Grill Hey Signature Chicken Seasoning. If you don’t have any chicken seasoning on hand, try this recipe for my Homemade Veggie Seasoning. It’ll taste amazing as well.
- Let ’em sizzle. Do not stir your potatoes too frequently or else you will break them apart. Allow them to become golden brown on one side before you gently flip them with a wooden spatula to brown the other side.
Cooking Potatoes in an Iron Skillet
These skillet potatoes can be cooked in any skillet you have available. However, the best type of skillet for these potatoes is a cast iron skillet. I like to grill them up in my 12″ cast iron skillet so there’s plenty of surface area for the potatoes.
Cast iron is heavy and thick, and as it heats, it tends to heat more evenly across the entire pan (when compared to a regular frying pan). It also retains heat extremely well. Good heat retention and a nice even heat helps you get that dark caramel golden brown color on your potatoes.
Also, when you are using a 12″ skillet you have a lot of surface area to work with. When frying or sautéing veggies, it’s important not to crowd them. If you have your veggies stacked on top of one another, they don’t cook evenly. Give your potatoes some room to give each slice access to the beef fat (or butter) and heat. A spacious pan will get you those coveted crispy edges and a nice, even bake.
More Potato Recipes
Are potatoes your favorite BBQ side? Then listen up, spud lover, I have more great tasty tater recipes for you below so you can add potatoes to every meal, every day.
- Best Smoked Mashed Potatoes
Crispy Grilled Baby Potatoes - Grilled Red Potatoes
- Smoked Baked Potatoes
- Smoked Chantilly Potatoes
Skillet Potatoes Recipe
Follow this recipe and I’ll teach you the simple steps to making your own fried potatoes at home. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes in the Hey Grill Hey app, and how-to videos on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Let’s make delicious food together.
Skillet Potatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby red potatoes thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons beef tallow bacon fat, or butter
- 1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Chicken Rub or your favorite herb seasoning blend
Instructions
- Preheat the skillet. Preheat a 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add fat and potatoes to the skillet.Melt beef tallow or butter in the bottom of the skillet and add sliced potatoes.2 pounds baby red potatoes, 2 Tablespoons beef tallow
- Season the potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with Chicken Rub and stir potatoes gently with a spatula to coat potatoes with seasoning and beef tallow.1 Tablespoon Hey Grill Hey Chicken Rub
- Cook the potatoes. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring gently every 2 minutes until potatoes are fork tender with crispy brown edges.
- Serve and enjoy. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s a great way to prepare your potatoes with a smoked tri tip.
Fast and tasty , ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
I love this recipe! Made the potatoes and threw them on the Traeger to catch a little smoke while I cooked my steaks. Amazing!
I love this recipe! Made the potatoes and threw it on the Traeger to catch a little smoke while I cooked my steaks. Amazing!
Kent Rollins taught me to rinse your potatoes till the water is clear to remove the starch it definitely helps them crisp up better
As a self-taught cook (with infinite help from videos like yours), I love your quick, easy tips. I didn’t have a cast-iron skillet, but you inspired me to buy one! These potatoes were its maiden voyage, so to speak. Excellent! Thanks!
The recipes are great. I don’t think a person could eat any better. Just some good old down home country cooking with a little extra. Don’t get any better. Can’t wait to get the recipe book to start trying them out. You guys have done a good job. Thanks.
I’ve done them in Cast iron skillets Dutch ovens but I’ve actually found a good stir fry pan work just as good and less mess
Red potatoes r the best but onions and butter crisco
And but them in beer first
O and hatch roasted chills added is awesome
Lard works well also. Gives a wonderful flavor.
I make these often adding in some sliced onion and bacon. Yummy!!
OMG, these potatoes!!! Do you sell larger pants for those of us who make your recipes?
Haha no! Maybe a new idea lol!