Golden brown fried mashed potato balls are the perfect way to put leftover mashed potatoes to good use. This appetizer is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers and there are so many flavors that can be implemented to make this recipe truly delicious.
These crispy fried mashed potato balls aren't just a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers, they are also excellent as a game day appetizer or side dish. Leftover mashed potato balls are also a great idea to use up some leftover potatoes from Christmas and make this recipe for a New Years Eve hors d'oeuvres or party appetizer. Served with a sour cream or ranch dip sauce, your guests won't be able to get enough of these little bites.
This was inspired by my Loaded Bacon Potato Balls on this site, and pairs well with this Reverse Seared Steak.
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Ingredients
- yellow or gold potatoes
- potato starch
- green onion or chives
- neutral oil for frying
- salt
- pepper
- sour cream
- chipotle sauce
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Peel the potatoes. Cube the potatoes. Add to a pot of salted water and boil until a fork can easily poke through the potato. About 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Step 2: Chop the green onions. Add the cooked potatoes to a bowl. Mash with a hand mixer, potato masher or potato ricer. Place potatoes in the fridge to cool. Add green onions, potato starch, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly.
- Step 3: Use a cookie scooper to scoop balls of the potato mixture. Roll in your hands to create an even ball about 1-2 inches in diameter. Heat oil on medium-high heat on the stove until the temperature of the oil 350 degrees. Mix chipotle sauce with sour cream and set aside.
- Step 4: Shallow fry the potato balls. Flip the potatoes every 2-3 minutes until potato balls are golden brown all around. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the oil and place on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain excess oil. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and toss with salt. Serve warm with chipotle sour cream.
Hint: use a potato ricer to make sure the potatoes are as mashed as possible. There is nothing worse than big chunks of un-mashed potatoes throughout this appetizer.
Substitutions
- Potatoes - russet potatoes can also be used for this recipe
- Potato Starch - use corn starch if not available, they will act the same way in the recipe
- Green Onions - chives are a great option to use if green onions are not available.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes into the potato mixture for some extra heat. Hot sauce could also be added to the mixture
- Loaded - add bacon and cheese to the mashed potato mixture
- Cheesy - add a cube of sharp cheddar cheese to the center of each potato ball
See this Loaded Mashed Potato Ball recipe on my website!
Equipment
To create this recipe, you will need a stock pot to boil the potatoes in, a sauté pan to fry the potato balls, and a large bowl to mix the potatoes in. A small cookie scoop is also helpful to scoop and form the potato balls since you only want them to be about 1-inch balls.
A potato ricer, potato masher or hand mixer is also needed to mash the potatoes and a potato peeler is used to peel the potatoes. As with most recipes, a sharp knife and cutting board is also needed.
Storage
Store the leftover mashed potatoes in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days if using leftovers to make this recipe. Remaining mashed potato balls can be stored for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
When heating up the fried potato balls, either re fry them for a few minutes until warm, heat them up in the air fryer or bake them. You can heat them up in the microwave but this will take away the crisp of the potato balls.
These ingredients do stand up well to freezing for up to 2 months if stored properly.
Top Tip
For an extra crisp, coat the potato balls in an egg wash bread crumb mixture before frying. This is not necessary as the potato crisps up on its own but if you want double the crisp coating the balls in panko bread crumbs is how you get it.
FAQ
Since you will be using your hands, the cold mashed potatoes make that process much easier and more doable and will help avoid burns.
This recipe includes directions to make a chipotle sour cream which I feel pairs the best but you can choose your favorite dipping sauce. Life fries, these potato balls really go with almost any dipping sauce you could imagine since they are similar in flavor.
A neutral oil with a high smoke point in the best for frying. Avocado oil is the best, but this can get expensive. A peanut oil, canola oil or vegetable oil will work fine too.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Fried Mashed Potato Balls:
📖 Recipe
Fried Mashed Potato Balls
Equipment
- 1 potato ricer
- 1 large bowl
- 1 saute pan
- 1 Stock Pot
- 1 small cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 4 yellow potatoes peeled and cubed
- 3 tablespoon potato starch
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup green onion chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes. Cube the potatoes. Add to a pot of salted water and boil until a fork can easily poke through the potato. About 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Chop the green onions.
- Mash with a hand mixer, potato masher or potato ricer. Place potatoes in the fridge to cool.
- Add green onions, potato starch, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Mix thoroughly. Use a cookie scooper to scoop balls of the potato mixture. Roll in your hands to create an even ball about 1-2 inches in diameter.
- Heat oil on medium-high heat on the stove until the temperature of the oil 350 degrees. Mix chipotle sauce with sour cream and set aside.
- Shallow fry the potato balls. Flip the potatoes every 2-3 minutes until potato balls are golden brown all around. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the oil and place on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain excess oil. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and toss with salt. Serve warm with chipotle sour cream.
Notes
- store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
- to reheat, either fry the leftover balls, air fry them or bake them. Microwaving them will cause them to get soggy.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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