Name: Fried Potatoes and Onions
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup bacon grease; 2 pounds russet potatoes (peeled and diced); 1 medium onion (diced); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pepper

Easy Fried Potatoes and Onions

ByChrysti Benner On Aug 25, 2026Aug 25, 2026

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These country potatoes and onions are simple to make for a versatile, inexpensive side dish that goes with practically any main dish.

Tender southern fried potatoes and onions cook up nice and tender, with crispy brown edges. It’s an old-fashioned skillet side you can serve with breakfast or dinner.

Fried potatoes and onions served on a white plate, with a skillet of more potatoes in the background.

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If you ask me, the best side dishes are the ones that don’t need much effort to taste good, and Southern fried potatoes and onions are the perfect example.

These skillet fried potatoes work great in the morning alongside eggs, biscuits, pancakes, or a breakfast casserole.

I grew up regularly eating them with pinto beans and cornbread, which was one of my dad’s all-time favorite Appalachian meals.

My Mamaw taught me how to fry potatoes in bacon grease, cooking up a hearty skillet of tender seasoned potatoes with plenty of browned, crisp edges (my favorite part!).

The bacon grease gives the potatoes that old-fashioned savory flavor I associate with Southern cooking, but you don’t have to render bacon every time you want to make them.

You can actually buy store-bought bacon grease (yes, it’s a thing!), or you can use shortening or vegetable oil instead.

Southern fried potatoes in a cast iron skillet. A wooden spoon is in the skillet.

Cooking Potatoes and Onions in a Skillet

The key to good country potatoes and onions is getting the potatoes tender while still giving them time to brown.

Cooking them over medium heat helps to ensure they don’t burn before the centers are cooked.

Since the bacon grease gives some extra flavor to the potatoes, the seasonings are pretty simple. Keep in mind that potatoes love salt, so if you skip the bacon grease, be sure to add some extra salt.

More Favorite Appalachian Recipes:

Close-up view of pan fried potatoes and onions, with a wooden spoon scooping out some of the golden-brown potatoes from the skillet.

How to Make Fried Potatoes with Onions

It’s really easy to make this simple side dish.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bacon Grease
Russet Potatoes
Onion
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper

A fork dips country fried potatoes and onions into a small dish of ketchup.

How to Make It:

Find the full printable recipe available below

Cook potatoes and onions. First, you’ll melt the bacon grease in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the potatoes and onions to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Two photos; one shows diced potatoes and onions in an iron skillet with bacon grease; the other shows the mixture after cooking for a few minutes to soften the onions.

Season the potatoes. Then, you’ll add in the garlic powder, salt, and pepper, stirring to coat the potatoes and onions with the seasonings.

Cook until the potatoes are tender and browned, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally but allowing the potatoes to sit long enough to brown.

Two photos; one shows seasonings added to potatoes and onions; the other shows the potatoes and onions after frying in the skillet to golden-brown perfection.

Notes and Adaptations:

Don’t want to render your own bacon fat? You can buy bacon grease at many grocery stores. BaconUp is a common brand.
If you want to cook your own bacon to get the grease, you can crumble the bacon and add it to the potatoes after they’re cooked through, if desired.
Want to skip bacon grease? You can use vegetable shortening (such as Crisco) or vegetable oil. If you aren’t using bacon grease, you’ll probably want to add more salt to the potatoes.
I prefer to use Russet potatoes for pan frying.

Potatoes and onions fried in bacon grease are served on a white plate. The cast iron skillet of remaining potatoes is in the background.

Recommended Equipment:

Cast Iron Skillet

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Fried Potatoes and Onions

Author: Chrysti Benner

Serves: Servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Skillet fried potatoes and onions are a classic southern side dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Ingredients

Instructions

Melt the bacon grease in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the potatoes and onions to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add in the garlic powder, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cook until the potatoes are tender and browned, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally but allowing the potatoes to sit long enough to brown.

Notes

Don’t want to render your own bacon fat? You can buy bacon grease at many grocery stores. BaconUp is a common brand.
If you want to cook your own bacon to get the grease, you can crumble the bacon and add it to the potatoes after they’re cooked through, if desired.
Want to skip bacon grease? You can use vegetable shortening (such as Crisco) or vegetable oil. If you aren’t using bacon grease, you’ll probably want to add more salt to the potatoes.
I prefer to use Russet potatoes for pan frying.
These are delicious served alongside a breakfast casserole or fluffy pancakes in the morning, or with pinto beans and cornbread or meatloaf for dinner!
If you have leftover baked potatoes, you can dice them up and fry them the same way–you just won’t need to fry them as long since they’re already cooked.