Crispy, Crunchy Potato Rosti
Jun 16, 2025
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Potato rosti is the kind of recipe that proves just how magical simple ingredients can be. Crispy on the outside, soft in the centre, and golden all over! It’s basically a giant hash brown, and my family has been making them this way for as long as I can remember. While the base is humble, the topping possibilities are endless.
Love a potato dish? Then you will love my garlic butter hasselback potatoes and Greek lemon potatoes.
From here, the recipe is so simple. But there is one important step you cannot skip. You need to squeeze out as much water from the grated potato as possible. This is what helps the rosti crisp up beautifully and hold its shape in the pan.
The real magic happens when you fry them in olive oil. It gives the rosti that gorgeous golden colour and those crispy, lacy edges that make every bite so satisfying.
When it comes to toppings, the options are endless. I love mine with a smear of garlic confit (no surprises here), some grated cheese and a sprinkle of chives. But I also love turning it into a breakfast meal by topping it with a fried egg and avocado. You can also keep it classic with sour cream and chives.
Ingredients for Potato rosti
The ingredients for potato rosti are as simple as it gets. Just a handful of basics, but when cooked right, they turn into something truly delicious.
- Potatoes: I’m not fussy with the potato type—just use what you have. I go for Sebago potatoes because they give that fluffy inside and crispy outside, but any good all-rounder will do the trick.
- Egg: I always add an egg white to help bind the mixture. It gives the rosti a bit more structure without making it heavy.
- Olive oil: I think frying the potato rosti in olive oil makes all the difference! I have seen lots of people fry in butter or ghee but olive oil will make it extra crispy, golden and also add a beautiful flavour. It's a win win in my opinion!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Potato rosti
For rosti, it's all about making them thin, crisp and golden. Just grate, squeeze, mix and fry until golden and crispy. Whether you make one big one (don't be scared of the flip) or a few small ones, they are a breeze to make!
Step 1: Peel the potatoes. Using the coarse side of a cheese grater, grate the potatoes.
Step 2: Place the grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and stir around with your hands until the water turns cloudy.
Step 3: Drain the potatoes and lay onto a clean tea towel. Pat dry with absorbent paper.
Step 4: Using a tea towel, squeeze out as much moisture from the potatoes as possible.
Step 5: Combine the flour, egg whites, garlic and onion powder and a generous amount of salt and pepper with the potatoes into the mixing bowl and mix well with your hands.
Step 6: Bring the olive oil to heat. Shape the rosti and place into the hot oil. If making a large rosti, cook for 10 minutes on each side.
Step 7: Allow to rosti to cool on a wire rack or a plate lined with absorbent paper.
Step 8: Top with whatever you please!
Topping ideas
You can keep potato rosti super simple or dress it up depending on your mood. Here are a few of my favourite ways to top it:
- A spoonful of garlic confit, a fried egg and some grated pecorino romano. Honestly, it does not get better than this.
- Smoked salmon with a dollop of sour cream and a few soft herbs. Brunch vibes all the way.
- Cherry tomato confit and some fresh basil for summery vibes!
- Dollops of Creme fraiche with some chives and salmon roe for something a little fancy and more traditional.
FAQ's
A good all-rounder like Sebago (in Australia), Russets (in the US), or Maris Piper (in the UK) works best. These potatoes give you that fluffy inside and crispy golden outside.
Yes, squeezing out the water is essential. It helps the rosti hold together and gives it that perfect crispy texture. You can either use a chux, tea towel or cheese cloth for this step!
Yes, you can prep the grated potatoes and even shape the rostis ahead of time. Just store them in the fridge and fry them fresh when ready to serve.
Yes, you can bake the rosti for a lighter option. Just brush them with a little olive oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) until golden and crispy on the edges. They won’t be quite as crunchy as pan-fried, but they’ll still be delicious.
How To Serve
While the potato rosti is delicious on it's own, it's such a versatile dish that offers so many serving options! Serve it as an accompaniment to a big breakfast with bacon, eggs and fried tomato. Serve it alongside a roast chicken or slow roasted lamb dinner. Or for more of a summery vibe, serve it alongside some grilled chicken skewers or the perfect pan seared steak!
How To Store
While potato rosti are best eaten when freshly made, you can store any leftover rosti in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place them in a pan with a little olive oil to bring back that crispy edge. You can also freeze cooked rosti. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a container or ziplock bag. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven or a hot pan.
More Potato Recipes To Love
Garlic Confit
Cheesy potato bake
Potatoes
Olive oil mashed potatoes
Garlic Confit
Garlic butter jacket potatoes
Potatoes
Greek Lemon Potatoes
If you make this potato rosti, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!
If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.
Potato Rosti
Ingredients
- 2 lbs potatoes, peeled
- 2 tablespoon flour, white all purpose
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- 2 egg whites
- salt and pepper
- olive oil, for frying
Instructions
- Grate potatoes: Peel the potatoes. Using the coarse side of a cheese grater, grate the potatoes. Place the grated potatoes into a bowl of cold water and stir around with your hands until the water turns cloudy. Drain the potatoes and lay onto a clean tea towel.
- Squeeze potatoes: Pat the potatoes dry with absorbent paper. Wrap into a clean tea towel. Squeeze all of the moisture out of them. You can also use just your hands for this step. Try to release as much moisture from the potatoes as possible and then place into a large mixing bowl.
- Season: Combine the flour, egg whites, garlic and onion powder and a generous amount of salt and pepper with the potatoes into the mixing bowl and mix well with your hands. The potato rosti mixture should be sticking quite nicely together however, you can add a little bit more flour if needed.
- Bring oil to heat: In a medium sized pan on a medium heat, add the olive oil so it is roughly 2cm deep in the pan. Bring the olive oil to heat.
- Shape: If making individual smaller potato rosti, take a handful of potato rosti mixture and flatten well into the palm of your hands. Try to make sure the level of thickness is even throughout. Place 2 - 3 potato rosti into the pan and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side or until they are golden and crispy. Place the cooked potato rosti on a pre-lined plate with absorbent paper and repeat this with the remainder of the mixture. If making one large potato rosti, place the potato in pan, but do not pack down. Use rubber spatula to tidy the edges, then lightly pat down to even surface. Cook for 10 minutes or until the bottom is golden and crispy (you can check with a rubber spatula). Place a large board or plate over the pan and then flip the rosti onto the plate. Slide it back into the pan and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Slide onto a clean plate.
- Serve: Serve on its own or with some garlic confit, fresh chives and a grating of pecorino romano.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
What a lovely and delicious recipe. Will be making again.
So happy to hear this!
Yum!! These were such a hit in our house. I fried them in olive oil like you said and they came out so crispy. Thanks!
So glad you liked them!!
I made these for dinner last night and served with them with some roasted chicken and they were such a hit!! Thanks for such a great recipe.
Thank you for leaving such lovely feedback. So happy to hear that you loved them.
Can you bake these instead of pan frying them so they are more healthy?
Hi, do you ever freeze these and then reheat? Thanks
You can freeze and reheat!! Just give them a little spray with olive oil so they don't dry out.
Hi,
On my first batch, but need to go out for a couple of hours, Can I prepare these and store them in the fridge before cooking?
Thank you D
You absolutely can!
What can I use instead of egg white?
Hmm you need the egg white to bind the mixture together but it could perhaps works without! Let me know if you give it a try.
Have you tried just with a whole egg rather than 2 whites?
You can use a whole egg! It will just have a stronger egg flavour throughout but will still be very tasty.
Wow mayed this recipe for my wife for breakfast topped with avo sautéed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes and beef rashers on the sides topped with a fried egg.Drizzled some chilli oil and what a show stopper it was amazing.
That sounds delicious!
These Rostis were fantastic! First time I’ve ever been able to get a crispy one at home. Thank you 😊
So happy to hear that! Thank you 🙂
Nice. Nice. Nice
Thanks.
Thank you!