Irish Potato Cakes (Potato Farls)
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A super easy recipe for Irish Potato Cakes also known as Potato Farls. Yukon gold potatoes are mashed with butter and flour then formed into triangles and fried to perfection. These Potato Cakes are incredibly creamy on the inside and super crispy on the outside, making for an exceptional side dish for almost any occasion.
Irish Potato Cakes (Potato Farls)
I’ve made these using fresh mashed potatoes, but this is also the perfect recipe if you have leftover mashed potatoes from the night before. They are so easy to make with a nice crisp exterior and soft and creamy interior. My favorite way to eat them is for breakfast with eggs, because you can never have too many eggs. Actually, If I also fry up some bacon, I’ll save the bacon fat to cook the potato cakes in it for a little extra decadence.
I’ve used a potato ricer to push my cooked potatoes through, but it’s totally not necessary. You can use a regular masher or a large sieve. Either way you’ll have some terrific little potato wedges. Perfect for any time of the day!
Why You’ll Love These Irish Potato Farls
- Versatile. This is an extremely versatile side dish that can be adjusted according to your taste.
- Easy To Make. Using only 3 ingredients, not including salt and pepper, you can easily make these with very little effort.
- Budget Friendly. I love recipes that are easy on the pocketbook, and this one definitely is.
- Crowd Pleaser. Soft and creamy on the inside, super crispy on the outside, these potato farls are bound to be enjoyed by the entire family.
- Potatoes – My favorite potatoes to use for mashed potatoes are Yukon gold potatoes, but russets work great as well.
- Flour – You can use plain white all-purpose flour. This will help to turn the mash into a dough-like consistency.
- Salt/Pepper – You’ll always want to add some salt and pepper to taste, because I think it’s essential for good tasting potatoes.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter for almost all my recipes, since I’m able to control the amount of salt. I used it in both the mashed potato and also to fry the cakes in.
If you know how to make mashed potatoes you’re already halfway there to making potato cakes. It’s a quick and easy process with a delicious outcome!
The first step is to cube and cook the raw potatoes. To do this, peel and cut all the potatoes into equal size chunks so that they cook evenly. Next, transfer the potatoes to a large pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and cover them with cold water. Then bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and cook them for about 15 minutes or until they are fork tender.
After the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and put them in a bowl. Then mash them until smooth. You can do this step by running the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer, pressing them through a sieve, or using a potato masher. The idea is to get them as fluffy as possible.
Once the potatoes are good and mashed, add the flour, 3 tablespoons of butter, salt, and black pepper. Now, combine everything together until it’s fully incorporated. The mixture should form a dough. If it still seems a little wet, add a little more flour. If it seems dry add a splash of water.
Transfer the potato mixture to a lightly floured work surface. Then flatten the dough into a round 8-inch disk that is about 1 inch in thickness. Now, cut the disk of dough into 8 triangles like you would a pizza using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
Now, let’s cook the cakes! First, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Then add the Irish potato pancakes to the pan and fry them on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes or until they are crispy and golden. Keep in mind, if all the cakes don’t easily fit into your skillet you may need to fry them in batches. You never want to crowd your frying pan.
Are Potato Cakes Irish?
Potato cakes are common in the United Kingdom. Although many Americans associate potato pancakes with Hanukkah, they have more broad origins. They originated in the eastern European countries of Germany Austria, Russia and Poland as a peasant food. Potatoes were cheap, plentiful and easy to store, making them a staple and necessitating inventive potato recipes.
What Are Potato Farls Made Of?
The word farl literally means “fourths” meaning they are shaped from a circle of dough cut into quarters. The dough consists of mashed potatoes and flour. They are part of a family of Irish potato breads and pancakes. However, for this recipe, I cut them in eighths instead to make them a bit smaller in size.
What Other Ingredients Can I Use In Potato Cakes?
Although not traditional, add some herbs, garlic, green onions or scallions for additional flavor. I also like sour cream on the side!
What Is The Difference Between A Potato Ricer And A Potato Masher?
The equipment you use to mash your potatoes will have a big effect on their texture. With a masher, even with a good workout, some lumps are inevitable. A ricer provides the gentlest touch for the fluffiest mash.
What Can I Serve With Irish Potato Cakes?
Beef Pot Pies
Irish Lamb Stew
Beef Stew
Creamy Parmesan Baked Eggs
Expert Tips
- If using leftover mashed potatoes, I’d recommend taking them out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before combining with butter, or use really soft or melted butter.
- You may need to adjust your flour amount. For example, if you live in a dry climate, you may require less.
- If preferred, you can use half mashed and half shredded potatoes.
- If you’re not going to cook your potatoes immediately, place cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water so they don’t turn brown from oxidation.
- Forming the dough is easier if the mixture is cool.
Leftovers
Leftover cooled potato cakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Freezing
Let the potato cakes cool completely, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also flash freeze them first by placing them on a baking sheet and freezing until solid. Then simply wrap them up or just place them in an airtight container and freeze.
Thaw the frozen potato cakes in the refrigerator overnight, then simply follow the instructions to fry them.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try
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Irish Potato Cakes (Potato Farls)
Ingredients
Potato Cakes
- 2 pounds potatoes (such as Russets or Yukon gold)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 3 tablespoons butter
For Frying
- 3 tablespoons butter
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make sure all the potatoes are cut into equal size pieces so that they all cook at the same time. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill it with cold water, enough to fully cover the potatoes. Add about 1 tsp of salt to the water and stir.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a medium and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes. Put the potatoes through a potato ricer, press them through a sieve or simply use a potato masher to get them as fluffy as possible.
- To the mashed potatoes add the flour, 3 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly until you form a dough.
- Flatten the dough into an 8-inch disk on a lightly floured surface, about 1-inch thick then cut into 8 triangles, like cutting a pizza.
- Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the potato cakes and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, over medium heat, until gold and crispy.
Equipment
Notes
- If using leftover mashed potatoes, I’d recommend taking them out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before combining with butter, or use really soft or melted butter.
- You may need to adjust your flour amount. For example, if you live in a dry climate, you may require less.
- If preferred, you can use half mashed and half shredded potatoes.
- Leftover cooled potato cakes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- Let the potato cakes cool completely, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also flash freeze them first by placing them on a baking sheet and freezing until solid. Then simply wrap them up or just place them in an airtight container and freeze.
- Thaw the frozen potato cakes in the refrigerator overnight, then simply follow the instructions to fry them.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I just made this recipe. I’m a little disappointed because the flour flavor is still in the potatoes. I LOVE all of your recipes, Jo, and read all the comments religiously. I only gave it a three star because of that flour flavor. Is there anything I can change next time to change that?? Otherwise, super easy to make – agreed.
This recipe turned out perfect! So easy, and so good. I made it with eggs over easy and sausage. Great alternative to hashbrowns, for breakfast. Will definitely make again and again.
I also have tried with leftover potatoes and had a runny mess – so more flour or use fresh mashed! These look so nice…
Jo, This looks fabulous, and I will try soon, Perhaps a novice, silly question, if using leftover mashed potatoes, they usually have been made with milk or cream, Does it matter? Looks like your Potato Farls recipe uses no milk. I have never had success making potato pancakes from left over mashed taters, they taste great, but look like a mess. Yours look great.
You should still be able to use it but you might need to add a bit more flour.
I love potato farls, this recipe is better than the one i used before, gives nice firm texture when frying. I recommend using it as part of weekend fry-up instead of toast, goes great with baked beans and soft fried eggs.