Bratkartoffeln Recipe: Easy German Fried Potatoes Side 2026

Bratkartoffeln are Germany's beloved fried potatoes, and they could not be simpler to make. The trick is boiling whole potatoes with their skins on first, then chilling them before slicing and frying in clarified butter or ghee. The result is golden, crispy slices with a rich, buttery flavor that pairs with almost anything.

Unlike French fries or hash browns, these potatoes are cooked twice: once in water, once in fat. That double cooking gives them a creamy interior and a beautifully browned crust. Clarified butter is the traditional choice because it withstands high heat without burning, though sunflower oil works well too.

This dish is a staple of German home cooking and appears alongside everything from schnitzel to fried eggs. It is endlessly adaptable, so feel free to add onions, bacon, or a pinch of sweet paprika if you like. Serve them hot for the best texture.

Ingredients for Bratkartoffeln

For 2 servings:

• 400 g potatoes
• Salt
• 25 g clarified butter or ghee (or 3 tablespoons sunflower oil and 1 teaspoon butter)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

How to Make Bratkartoffeln Step by Step

1. Boil the Potatoes Whole

First, wash 400 g of potatoes well and boil them in a pot with water and a pinch of salt for about 20 minutes, unpeeled, until they are tender when pierced with a knife. Keep in mind that cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes. Once cooked, let them cool slightly, peel them, and let them cool completely whole. It is important that they are cold before frying so the starch sets and they do not break apart during frying.

2. Slice the Potatoes

Once cold, cut the potatoes into slices that are not too thick. If the potatoes are large, cut them in half first.

3. Fry the Potatoes on One Side

Next, heat 25 g of clarified butter in a skillet, or if you do not have it, 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil, and fry the potatoes for 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally so they all cook through.

4. Flip and Fry the Other Side

Flip the potatoes and fry them on the other side. When they are golden all over, remove them to a plate lined with paper towels and salt to taste. If you used sunflower oil and want to give them their characteristic buttery flavor, you can cook them for one more minute in the skillet over medium-low heat with a teaspoon of butter so it melts and coats all the potatoes.

5. Serve with Parsley

These potatoes are ideal to accompany a meat dish, fish, or eggs since they go well with everything. To enjoy them at their best, serve the Bratkartoffeln freshly made and still warm, sprinkled with a little chopped parsley, though this is optional.

Tips for the Best Bratkartoffeln

Use Clarified Butter or Ghee

Clarified butter or ghee is essential for this recipe because it withstands high heat without burning and gives the potatoes a special, delicious flavor. You can find it in large supermarkets or any health food store, or you can easily make it at home from butter. If you do not have it on hand, sunflower oil is a good substitute. We do not recommend using regular butter because it would burn during frying, though to achieve that characteristic taste when using oil, you can add a teaspoon of butter once the potatoes are fried and heat them in the skillet over medium-low heat for one more minute so all the potatoes are well coated.

Add Onions or Bacon

Starting from this basic recipe for German fried potatoes, you can add ingredients such as chopped onion or bacon — Speck — which are very present in traditional German cooking. You can also serve them with chopped chives or season them with sweet paprika to give them different flavor nuances. As you can see, this is a very versatile recipe that you can adapt to your tastes.

Serve Them Hot

These potatoes are ideal to accompany a meat dish, fish, or eggs since they go well with everything. To enjoy them at their best, serve the Bratkartoffeln freshly made and still warm, sprinkled with a little chopped parsley, though this is optional.

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