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If you’re craving a snack that is perfectly crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, you need to make these crispy potato balls. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they cook quickly, and the possibilities for serving are endless. You can keep them classic with ketchup, dress them up with a sauce you already love, or pair them with a party platter for potato perfection.
Table of Contents
Reasons This Recipe is Worth Making
- Super-crispy exterior with a perfectly soft, creamy center.
- Uses simple ingredients found at any grocery store.
- Great for dipping and serving as an appetizer or side.
- Easy to prep ahead, so frying is quick.
Ingredients Needed to Make Crispy Potato Balls
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Creamy potatoes that mash smoothly and fry up with a tender center.
- Cornstarch: Helps bind the mixture and creates a crisp outer shell once fried.
- Vegan Parmesan: Adds a savory, cheesy flavor. We like to use freshly grated Violife Parmesan.
- Parsley: Helps bring a fresh flavor that balances the richness.
- Salt: Seasons the potatoes so they remain flavorful throughout.
- Garlic powder: Adds garlic flavor without extra moisture.
- Black pepper: Gives a gentle bite and rounds out the seasoning.
- Vegetable oil: Needed for frying and getting that crisp.
Equipment Needed
- Large pot for boiling potatoes
- Colander for draining
- Vegetable peeler for removing skin before cooking
- Potato masher or ricer
- Large mixing bowl
- Cookie scooper for dividing into balls
- Kitchen thermometer for oil temperature
- Deep pot for frying
- Slotted spoon or spider strainer
- Wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate for draining
Serving Suggestions
- Classic Dips: Ketchup or mustard
- Creamy Dips: Vegan ranch or garlic aioli
- Spicy Options: Sriracha ketchup, chili garlic sauce, or harissa mixed into tomato sauce
- Party Platter: Serve with various dips, alongside sliced pickles and olives for variety.
- As a Side: Pair with veggie burgers, sandwiches, or a big salad.
- With Toppings: Sprinkle with extra vegan parmesan and chopped parsley, then serve with our homemade marinara
Boil the potatoes until fork tender
mash or rice until very smooth
Add the remaining ingredients
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store cooked potato balls in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Before frying, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Fry from frozen until golden.
Reheating
- Oven: Bake at 400°F until hot and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes
- Air fryer: Heat at 375°F until crisp, about 6 to 10 minutes
- Stovetop: Reheat in a skillet with a thin layer of oil over medium heat, turning as needed
- Microwave: This is our least recommended method. It works for warming, but the exterior will soften and become soggy.
Tips for Making the Best Crispy Potato Balls
A few minor details make a big difference with texture and frying.
- Mash the potatoes until very smooth. Lumps can cause cracking when shaping and frying. We recommend using a potato ricer for the smoothest texture.
- Let the potatoes cool before mixing. Hot potatoes can make the mixture sticky and more complicated to roll.
- Mix just until combined. Overmixing can cause a dense texture.
- Keep your portions consistent. Sizing the balls similarly helps them fry evenly. A cookie dough scoop is helpful.
- Chill the rolled balls if the mixture feels soft. A short chill helps them hold their shape.
- Use a thermometer. Oil that is too cool makes them greasy, and oil that is too hot browns before heating through.
- Fry in small batches. Crowding drops the oil temperature and can lead to uneven browning.
- Drain on a wire rack. Paper towel-lined plates are fine, but can trap steam and soften the bottom crust.
- Season right after frying. A pinch of salt while the food is hot sticks best and boosts flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can bake them, but they won’t have the same crispy crust as frying. For best results, brush or spray the exterior with oil and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425°F, flipping halfway through, until golden and firm.
Yes. Lightly spray the potato balls with oil, then air fry at 400°F until crisp and golden, shaking or turning once or twice for even browning.
This usually comes from the mixture being too warm, not mixed evenly, or the oil being too hot or too cool. Let the mashed potatoes cool before shaping, be sure the cornstarch is thoroughly mixed, and keep the oil at a steady temperature with a thermometer. Chilling the shaped balls can also help.
Yes. You can prepare the potato mixture and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 24 hours. Roll into balls when ready to fry, or roll them first and store the shaped balls in a single layer until you’re ready to fry. You can also freeze the balls before frying by freezing them in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transferring them to a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months
If you do not have vegan parmesan, you can swap in nutritional yeast for a savory flavor, or use a different finely grated vegan cheese. Keep in mind that different cheeses melt at different rates so that the exterior color may change.
Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. Avoid strongly flavored oils since they can overpower the potatoes.
Yes! Have fun with it and make it your own. We suggest smoked paprika, onion powder, Italian seasoning, or a pinch of cayenne. Keep the additions dry so the mixture remains easy to roll.
Place the fried potato balls on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and bake at 200°F until ready to serve. This helps them stay crisp while you finish frying batches.
Crispy Potato Balls
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: About 36 potato balls 1x
Description
Perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these crispy potato balls are the perfect snack or side. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they cook quickly, and the possibilities for serving are endless.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (about 4 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup shredded vegan parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Peel and quarter the potatoes, then add them to a large pot with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and cool for 10 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes. Transfer the cooked potatoes to a large bowl and mash or rice until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients. To the potatoes, add the cornstarch, vegan parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and mix until combined.
- Prepare to fry. Heat the oil in a medium pot to 340˚F, then place a wire rack on a baking sheet or line a plate with paper towels for cooling.
- Divide into balls. Roll the mashed potato mixture into one-tablespoon-sized balls and set aside. Chill the rolled balls if the mixture feels soft to help them hold their shape.
- Fry until crispy. Fry the balls in small batches of about 8 at a time until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- Add salt. Remove the crispy balls from the oil and transfer them to the wire rack or paper towel-lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with salt, then continue with the remaining mashed potato balls until they are all fried.
- Serve. If you’d like, sprinkle them with additional vegan parmesan and chopped parsley when serving. Pair with your preferred dipping sauce(s) and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate the cooked potato balls in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Before frying, freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Fry from frozen until golden.
- Reheating
- Oven: Bake at 400°F until hot and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes
- Air fryer: Heat at 375°F until crisp, about 6 to 10 minutes
- Stovetop: Reheat in a skillet with a thin layer of oil over medium heat, turning as needed
- Microwave: This is our least recommended method. It works for warming, but the exterior will soften and become soggy.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 35
