Cottage Fries with crisp edges, fluffy centers, and salty snack-ability—serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces.
Skillet Cottage Fries: Crunchy Edges, Pillowy Centers
A fast, one-skillet way to get crisp-edged potato rounds that are begging for a dip—perfect for weeknights or snacky sides.
Think of these as the best parts of roasted potatoes and fries combined: thin rounds that brown into a shattering crust while the insides stay soft and fluffy. Russets are the go-to here for their dry, starchy texture—slice, soak briefly to tame surface starch, and you’re already halfway to perfect crispness. They’re quick enough for a weeknight and casual enough to pile on the table with a bowl of ketchup or garlic aioli.
A hot 12" skillet is the secret. Swirl in a mix of vegetable oil and a knob of butter so you get both high-heat browning and rich butter flavor. Arrange the 1/4" rounds in a single layer (no crowding), sprinkle smoked paprika, thyme, salt and pepper, then leave them alone for 3–4 minutes so golden crusts form. Work in two batches if needed—overcrowding gives you steam, not crunch.
Once the first side is deeply golden, flip and slide the potatoes to the edges while you sauté chopped onion, red pepper and garlic in the middle until soft and sweet. A splash of low-sodium chicken stock toward the end loosens the browned bits and finishes the centers without losing crispness. Fold everything together, scatter chopped parsley, taste for salt and pepper, and serve straight from the skillet.
Leftovers re-crisp beautifully: heat in a dry skillet or a hot oven instead of the microwave. These cottage fries make a swoon-worthy side for roasted chicken, a quick protein, or a plate of eggs—anything that benefits from crunchy, salty, herb-flecked potatoes.
Ingredients
How to Make Cottage Fries
- Wash the potatoes and slice into 1/4" thick rounds (about 10–12 slices per potato). Place slices in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to remove excess starch, then drain and pat very dry with a towel.
- Roughly chop the onion and bell pepper into 1/2" pieces and mince the garlic; chop the parsley and set aside.
- Heat a large (12") nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
- Arrange the potato rounds in a single layer in the skillet (work in two batches if needed). Sprinkle with half the salt, half the pepper, smoked paprika and half the thyme. Let cook undisturbed 3–4 minutes until the bottoms are golden-brown.
- Flip the potato slices (use a thin spatula) and cook the other side 3 minutes. Push potatoes to the edges and add the onion and bell pepper to the center of the pan; season the vegetables with the remaining salt, pepper and thyme.
- Pour the chicken stock into the pan around the potatoes (not over them), cover, and reduce heat to medium-low; steam for 3 minutes to finish cooking the centers and soften the peppers and onion.
- Remove the lid, increase heat to medium-high and cook uncovered 2–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates and the potatoes and vegetables are crisp and browned to your liking.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, minced garlic and lemon juice until butter melts and coats the potatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Recipe Card
Cottage Fries
Cottage Fries with crisp edges, fluffy centers, and salty snack-ability—serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and slice into 1/4" thick rounds (about 10–12 slices per potato). Place slices in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to remove excess starch, then drain and pat very dry with a towel.
- Roughly chop the onion and bell pepper into 1/2" pieces and mince the garlic; chop the parsley and set aside.
- Heat a large (12") nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
- Arrange the potato rounds in a single layer in the skillet (work in two batches if needed). Sprinkle with half the salt, half the pepper, smoked paprika and half the thyme. Let cook undisturbed 3–4 minutes until the bottoms are golden-brown.
- Flip the potato slices (use a thin spatula) and cook the other side 3 minutes. Push potatoes to the edges and add the onion and bell pepper to the center of the pan; season the vegetables with the remaining salt, pepper and thyme.
- Pour the chicken stock into the pan around the potatoes (not over them), cover, and reduce heat to medium-low; steam for 3 minutes to finish cooking the centers and soften the peppers and onion.
- Remove the lid, increase heat to medium-high and cook uncovered 2–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates and the potatoes and vegetables are crisp and browned to your liking.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, minced garlic and lemon juice until butter melts and coats the potatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 40
- Saturated Fat
- 2
- Sodium
- 750
- Fiber
- 5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 7.5
- Protein
- 5.5
- Fat
- 10
- Cholesterol
- 8
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 275
- Sugar
- 3