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This German potato skillet is a simple, savory one-pan meal inspired by the German dish, bratkartoffeln. It’s a great way to use up potatoes and can be easily adjusted, making it a great dish to experiment on or use up any leftover vegetables!
My husband and I got to travel through Germany this past Fall and quickly learned that Germany’s cuisine is pretty true to its stereotype: sausages and potatoes. It may come in many different forms, but that’s about 90% of what we ate in every city.
Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious, and it’s amazing how creative they can be with two common ingredients! But by far, my favorite way they cooked potatoes was a simple potato skillet in a kartoffelhaus (literally “potato house”) that looked like a dungeon. So of course, I tried to recreate it with a few of my own twists.
Tips
- This is a dish to experiment on! Try adding in different vegetables, herbs, cheeses, etc. The world is your oyster. We usually just throw in whatever needs to be eaten up in the fridge.
- To make this vegetarian, omit the pork belly (obviously) and replace the fat with two tablespoons of coconut oil or another high-heat oil of your choice. Keep in mind that unrefined coconut oil will adjust the flavor of the dish.
- Don’t skip washing the potatoes. This is important to make them more crispy during the frying stage.
German Potato Skillet Ingredients
Pork Belly: This ingredient is great since the fat is used to fry and flavor the potatoes. You can substitute it for bacon, but be sure to use a more plain or unflavored bacon, preferably unsmoked if you can find it.
Unsalted Butter
Gold Potatoes: I use Yukon in this dish, but you can really use any kind you wish. Russets will fry a bit differently, so just keep that in mind.
Sweet onion: or yellow
Garlic Cloves
Spinach: Throw this in for some greens. We have even used spring mix and it worked just as well. If you have sauerkraut, that is also a great addition!
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Oregano: Dried or fresh
Mozzarella: Optional, but highly recommended! It really puts the dish over the top.
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Tools You May Need
Knife
Cutting board
Potato Peeler (optional)
German Potato Skillet Directions
STEP 1: Prepare the potatoes by peeling them and cutting them into ½ inch cubes. Put them in a colander and wash with cold water to remove any excess starch. This will help them become crispy while cooking, so be sure to wash them well!
STEP 2: Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add 8 oz of cubed pork belly (or bacon) and cook through until it reaches your desired texture. (We like to get them a bit crispy.)
Note: If you are omitting the pork, add the coconut oil in the skillet and skip down to step 4.
STEP 3: Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork belly into a separate bowl and set it aside for later. Reserve any leftover pork fat in your skillet and do not drain.
STEP 4: Add in your cubed potatoes. At this point I go ahead and season my potatoes. Add one teaspoon of paprika and salt to taste on top of the potatoes, but do not stir it in yet. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. This will help the potatoes to start to crisp up. Meanwhile, peel and mince the garlic cloves and dice the onion.
STEP 5: Stir the potatoes for the first time after the 5 minutes ends. Cover the skillet again and continue frying them for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (You don’t want to stir too often or the potatoes will not crisp up. I stir about four times total within 15 minutes, so around every 4 minutes). Halfway through the 15 minutes, stir in the minced garlic and onions.
STEP 6: When your potatoes are cooked through and almost as crispy as you would like them, turn the heat down to medium. Remove the lid and stir in the pork belly and spinach. Fry for 3 to 5 more minutes until the flavors have melded and the spinach is wilted.
STEP 7: Top with fresh or dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste, and shredded mozzarella. If you want the mozzarella to melt quickly, turn the heat off and cover with the lid for about two minutes.
Serve hot and enjoy!
How to Store
Store this dish in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container.
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If you love this recipe, give it a rating! Try any fun or interesting variations? Let us know in the comments below!
German Potato Skillet
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
- Potato peeler
- Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 8 oz pork belly* cubed or thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 lbs golden potatoes
- 1 large sweet onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 large handful of spinach fresh
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano
- ½ cup mozzarella
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut into ½ inch cubes. Wash the cubed potatoes off with water in a strainer to remove some of the starch.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add pork belly. Cook until browned.
- Remove the pork belly with a slotted spoon and set aside for later, reserving any pork fat in your skillet.
- Add the butter to the skillet and melt.
- Add cubed potatoes, salt, and paprika to the skillet. Cover and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. Meanwhile, peel and mince your garlic cloves and dice the onion.
- After the 5 minutes is up, stir the potatoes for the first time. Continue to fry them covered for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Halfway through, add the minced garlic and onions into the pan.
- Remove the lid and stir in the pork belly and spinach. Fry for 5 more minutes uncovered.
- Top with oregano and mozzarella
Notes
- *You can substitute pork belly for bacon. It is the same cut, just thinner and sometimes seasoned.
- You may need to adjust the cooking time based on your stovetop. Mine tends to have a higher heat, so you might need to increase from 15 to 20 minutes on step 6.
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