Sauteed Potatoes (Crispy and Fluffy)

These crispy sautéed potatoes are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. They have an addictive golden brown crust and just a touch of garlicky flavor that you simply won't be able to get enough of. Plus, these sautéed potatoes are so, so easy to make. In fact, all you need are just a few simple ingredients and about 15-20 minutes to make 'em.

The Best Sauteed Potatoes 

If you love potatoes, just wait until you try this sauteed potatoes recipe. It makes perfectly golden and crispy potatoes that have a creamy-fluffy interior that's simply to die for.

They also have a hint of garlic to 'em too, and I swear each bite of these potatoes is better than the last! Honestly, this recipe is so good it's quickly become one of my most requested potato recipes for family dinners. My 2 year old is especially obsessed with it.

Plus, it's incredibly quick and easy to make. As I mentioned, just about 15-20 minutes is all it takes to whip these sauteed potatoes up.

Also, since this recipe is such a breeze to put together, you'll have plenty of time to make some tasty main dishes to go with it. This skirt steak recipe, this eye of round roast recipe, these air fryer pork chops, and this bottom round roast recipe are a few of my favorite mains to serve with 'em.

Ingredients

As if these sautéed potatoes couldn't get any better, they're also made with just 4 simple ingredients. And they're all basic pantry staples that you more than likely have on hand already, so you can probably make this incredible side dish for dinner tonight!

Anyway, here's what you'll need for this sauteed potatoes recipe:

• 1.5lb. Russet potatoes
• ½ cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced

See what I mean by simple?!

By the way, if you like easy side dish recipes, then you should totally check out this sauteed shiitake mushrooms recipe and this sauteed zucchini recipe. Both only have 5 ingredients and are just as easy to make as these potatoes are!

Ingredient Substitutions and Suggestions

While I usually use Russet potatoes for this recipe, you can use any other kind of floury potatoes and get fantastic results. It works great with Yukon gold potatoes and even sweet potatoes.

With that said though, I don't recommend using waxy potato varieties like red potatoes or new potatoes since they won't have quite the same texture when cooked.

Now, as far as the cooking oil goes, if you want to keep these sautéed potatoes healthy, I recommend using either olive oil, avocado oil, or macadamia nut oil. However, if all you have on hand is vegetable oil, you can use that too.

Lastly, if you don't have fresh garlic available, feel free to use a sprinkle of garlic powder in its place.

How To Make Sauteed Potatoes

As I mentioned earlier, making these sauteed crispy potatoes is a walk in the park. All you have to do is par-boil the potatoes for 5 minutes, then saute 'em for a few minutes until golden and they're ready to serve.

Not bad, eh?

Anyway, let's not waste another second and get cooking!

Step 1: Par-Boil The Potatoes

First things first, you'll want to wash and dry your potatoes thoroughly. Then, you can peel the skin off the potatoes and chop them into 1-inch chunks.

Next, you'll want to add the potatoes to a pot filled with cold water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Once it boils, bring the heat down to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes.

After the potatoes cook a little, you can drain the water and shake the potatoes in the pot. This makes the cooked exterior of the potatoes fluffier and is the secret to getting those perfectly crispy edges later.

Step 2: Sautee The Potatoes

Now that the potatoes are prepped, you'll want to take a large cast iron skillet or frying pan, add the olive oil to it, and put it on the stovetop over high heat.

Once the oil is hot, you can add the drained potatoes to the skillet and season 'em with some salt and freshly ground black pepper. By the way, make sure not to overcrowd the pan. You'll want most of the potatoes to lay flat on the surface to avoid mushy potatoes.

Anyway, now you can cook the potatoes over high heat for about 10 minutes - or until they're lightly golden brown and crispy.

Step 3: Serve The Potatoes

As soon as your potatoes are looking good, you can turn off the heat and let the potatoes cool in the pan for around 30 seconds.

Then, you can go ahead and add in the minced garlic, and toss the potatoes with it for a couple of minutes.

Finally, transfer your crispy sauteed potatoes to a plate and cool them down a bit before serving.

Enjoy!

How To Store Sauteed Potatoes

This recipe for sauteed potatoes makes enough for 4 servings as a side dish.

If you happen to have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and they'll stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Alternatively, to store the potatoes for even longer you can freeze them. So, to do that, just put the potatoes in one layer on a tray then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag - or airtight container - and freeze them for up to 12 months.

How To Reheat Cooked Potatoes

When you're ready to enjoy your sautéed potatoes again, there are a couple of ways to reheat them.

First, you can toss them in a skillet with a little oil and cook them over medium heat for around 10 minutes or so.

Another option is to reheat them in the oven. Just arrange them on a baking tray and bake them in a preheated oven set to 400°F (200°C) for 10-15 minutes - or until they're fully heated. Just make sure you keep them covered with foil until the last few minutes of cook time. Then, you can remove the foil and continue baking 'em until they're crispy!

FAQs About This Sauteed Potatoes Recipe

Is it better to boil potatoes before frying them?

Yes, it is better to boil potatoes before frying. Par-boiling potatoes will give the insides of the potatoes a tender texture while resulting in a more crispy exterior after they're boiled.

Can you saute potatoes without boiling them first?

Yes, you can saute potatoes without boiling them first. However, it may take longer to get them fully cooked, and they won't have the same fluffy interior that makes them so good.

What does saute potatoes mean?

Sauteeing potatoes means cooking them quickly in a small amount of oil. It allows the potatoes to get super crispy outside while staying fluffy inside.  

How to sautee potatoes?

To sautee potatoes, first, you'll want to cut them into cubes. Then, you can add the cubed potatoes to a well-oiled pan and cook the potatoes until the bottoms start to brown. When that happens you can toss/turn the potatoes occasionally, until all the sides are crispy and browned all over.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make sauteed potatoes!

Although these crispy sauteed potatoes with garlic are easy to make, they're anything but basic. From the crunchy golden outside to the pillowy soft insides, these pan-fried potatoes are absolutely addicting! And since they go great with pretty much anything and everything I really think they're up there as one of the best potato recipes I've ever made.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these sautéed potatoes as much as I/we do.

As always, if you give it a try, don't forget to leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

More Sauteed Recipes

If you're a fan of easy side dish recipes like this one, I have plenty more on the blog you can try out next!

Here are some reader favorites:

• Sauteed asparagus
• Sauteed broccoli
• Sauteed brussel sprouts
• Sauteed zucchini
• Sauteed bok choy
• Sauteed butternut squash

Also, don't forget to check out my Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube channel for more great recipes! I post new ones on them all the time.