German Potato Pancakes, also known as Kartoffelpuffer, are crispy pan-fried pancakes made with shredded potatoes. Serve these potato pancakes up with a dollop of sour cream, green onions, etc.
Preheat a skillet over medium heat with enough oil to make a ⅛” layer on the bottom.
While oil preheats, wash and peel the potatoes and onion.
Using a grater, shred the potatoes and onion, then stir together in a large bowl.
Using a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the potatoes and onion, then return to bowl and set aside.
Use a fork to mix together the egg, flour, and salt.
Pour wet mix into potato shreds and stir well.
Use a scoop or large spoon to transfer the potato mixture into the preheated pan full of oil, then flatten scoops of potato mixture with a spatula.
Allow potato pancake to cook 3–4 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown, then flip and continue cooking an additional 3–4 minutes.
Repeat until all the potato shreds have been used up—you may need to add additional oil between batches.
Notes
Do not rinse the potato shreds—the starch will help the pancake stick together.
Both sides of the pancakes should be golden brown.
You can keep your finished potato pancakes in the oven in a baking dish at 200°F while you finish cooking the rest of them.
Garnish your potato pancakes with sour cream and green onions.
You can add some of your favorite seasonings to the potato mixture to change it up a bit!