These savory mashed potato pancakes are crispy outside and soft inside, and an excellent way to turn yesterday's leftovers into a tasty breakfast, brunch, or easy weeknight dinner. Flexible, adaptable recipe.
Mashed potato pancakes are quick and easy to make, and an excellent way to turn last night's leftovers into today's tasty breakfast or brunch. They also make an easy weeknight dinner, and kids eat them up!
This recipe for leftover mashed potato pancakes is extremely flexible, and can be used to make countless pancake variations. The basic ingredients are leftover potatoes and meat, plus a few kitchen staples. For the meat, you can use any protein you want, or leave it out entirely.
One of our favorite times of year to make mashed potato pancakes is the morning after our big St. Patrick's Day celebration. Corned beef potato pancakes with fried eggs and a slice of toasted soda bread is absolutely the best!
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Mashed Potato Pancake Ingredients
In this post, we detail how to make corned beef potato pancakes, and the ingredient list and images reflect this. However, the basic recipe and process is the same no matter what protein you choose to add.
- Mashed potatoes: Use leftover mashed potatoes of any variety, including instant mashed potatoes. Keep in mind, the mashed potatoes provide the flavor base; so if you use cheesy potatoes, for example, you will have cheesy potato pancakes.
- Corned beef: Use any leftover corned beef, diced ⅛-¼ inch.
- Onion: Use any type of onion. We prefer to use sweet onions for this recipe. Include the onion juice with the grated onions.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour; however, we recommend using Wondra. Wondra, or instant flour, is finely ground flour that has been pre-cooked and dried. This allows it to dissolve in batters more quickly than all-purpose flour, and alleviates lumps.
- Pepper: We prefer to use white pepper for this dish for its subtler flavor; however, you can use whatever pepper you like. Paprika is also a good addition.
How to Make Potato Pancakes with Corned Beef
Prep Diced Meat
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the diced corned beef.
Substitutions: If you use very lean meat in place of the corned beef, add a teaspoon or two of oil to the pan before adding the diced meat.
Stirring frequently, fry it as you would chopped bacon; until the sides are brown and crispy.
Make Batter
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg and then stir in the mashed potatoes and grated onion.
Sprinkle the flour over the top of the potato mixture, and stir to mix thoroughly.
Add the fried corned beef to the mashed potato batter and mix to incorporate it evenly.
People make mashed potatoes differently, and this can affect how the batter turns out. Potato pancake batter should be the consistency of thick, but pourable, pancake batter.
- If the batter seems too thin: Add flour to the batter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter reaches the desire consistency.
- If the batter seems too thick: Add water or milk to the batter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter reaches the desire consistency.
Fry Potato Pancakes
Preheat griddle to 325°F | 162°C, or heat a heavy skillet over medium heat.
When the griddle or skillet is hot, oil the surface as you would for pancakes and pour ¼ cup batter onto the hot surface. Brown on both sides.
Serve potato pancakes warm, with sour cream or applesauce on the side.
Substitutions & Variations
Corned Beef: You can use ham, chicken, roast beef, hamburger, veggie crumbles, sausage, or anything else that sounds good to you.
Vegetarian: Leave out the meat entirely.
Roasted garlic is also fabulous in potato pancakes.
Top Tip
☘️ Best Ever St Patrick's Day Breakfast: Corned beef potato pancakes, fried eggs, warm applesauce, and toasted soda bread.
Boxty are Irish potato pancakes made from a combination of grated and mashed potatoes. Put a true Irish spin on corned beef potato pancakes by substituting grated potatoes for half of the mashed potatoes in this recipe.
To do this, use 1 cup of mashed potatoes and one cup of grated potatoes. The grated potatoes must be squeezed and well-drained.
FAQ
Potato cakes usually fall apart because they are too wet, don't have enough flour, or a combination of the two. This most often happens because of variations in how and with what people make their mashed potatoes.
Correct this imbalance by adding flour to the batter 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get a batter that will hold together when fried.
What to Serve with Potato Pancakes
Potato pancakes make a tasty breakfast, brunch, or easy weeknight dinner. They are delicious with eggs (or egg bites!), and make a great accompaniment for quiches, soups, vegetable dishes, hearty salads, and many dishes from our German recipe collection.
Corned beef potato pancakes are particularly delicious with a drizzle of Russian dressing.
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Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
Equipment
- 1 Electric Griddle or large, heavy skillet
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- ¼ cup grated onion undrained
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces leftover corned beef or ham, chicken, turkey, ground beef, etc.; cubed ⅛-¼ inch
Instructions
Prep Diced Meat
- Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the diced corned beef.Substitutions: If you use very lean meat in place of the corned beef, add a teaspoon or two of oil to the pan before adding the diced meat.
- Stirring frequently, fry diced meat as you would chopped bacon; until the sides are brown and crispy.
Make Batter
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg and then stir in the mashed potatoes and grated onion. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the potato mixture, and stir to mix thoroughly.
- Add the fried corned beef to the mashed potato batter and mix to incorporate it evenly.
- People make mashed potatoes differently, and this can affect how the batter turns out. Batter should be the consistency of thick, but pourable, pancake batter. If the batter seems too thin: Add flour to the batter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter reaches the desire consistency.If the batter seems too thick: Add water or milk to the batter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter reaches the desire consistency.
Fry Potato Pancakes
- Preheat griddle to 325°F | 162°C, or heat a heavy skillet over medium heat.
- When the griddle or skillet is hot, oil the surface as you would for pancakes and pour ¼ cup batter onto the hot surface. Brown on both sides.
- Serve potato pancakes with sour cream or applesauce on the side.
Notes
Corned beef potato pancakes are particularly delicious with a drizzle of Russian dressing.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Stephanie says
This recipe is much like the one my dad used to make when I was little. Before seeing this post, I haven't thought about how much I loved them too in years. Definitely making them this weekend!
Michelle says
Such a comforting and simple way to use up mashed potatoes
Tara says
Made these pancakes for brunch with friends. The crispy outside and soft inside made it the perfect texture. Everyone really enjoyed it!
Tayler says
This is my favorite way to use leftover mashed potatoes! And this recipe is the absolute best!
Andrea says
I love how easy these mashed potato pancakes are to make and that you added corned beef to them. Yummy!
Emily says
This was brilliant! I had never thought to make pancakes out of leftover mashed potatoes - the kids ate them right up. We all loved the crispy outside and soft inside!