How Much Oil You Should Be Using For Skillet Potatoes

Nothing ruins breakfast like a soggy helping of potatoes. Just imagine digging in with your fork, dunking your spuds in a dipping sauce of your choice, and chowing down, only to find that there's no satisfying crunch in your bite. That's a true letdown.

Preparing perfect skillet potatoes requires expertise and precision, according to Eating Well. If you're planning to whip up this side dish at the last minute, think again. The cooking process must begin at the grocery store. Knowledge is power, and in this case, you should know that you can't randomly select a potato and expect a delicious outcome. The best potato for this dish depends on what kind of result you want to achieve. Russet potatoes are a great choice because they'll produce the crispiest exterior and the fluffiest center.

The size of your potatoes is up to you, but it's important that they're uniform to ensure even cooking. Once you've diced them up, boil the potatoes for at least 10 minutes, until they are fork tender with fluffy interiors. Southern Living recommends boiling lots of potatoes at once, storing them in the fridge, and frying them up when needed.

While you're boiling your potatoes, you can get a jump on the cooking process. The next steps can make or break your final result.

Skillet potatoes make a great side dish at breakfast (or any meal), but they can pose a minefield of mistakes if you don't know what you're doing. When the prep work is complete, and the time comes to fry the potatoes, you'll want to start with the right oil. According to Southern Bite, the best type of oil for frying potatoes is peanut oil. But if you're feeding a large group or someone with an allergy, canola or vegetable oil work as well.

It's critical to use the correct amount of oil as well. Eating Well reported that you should preheat about a quarter of an inch of oil in your pan until it sizzles. Your heat should be set to medium-high. Frying the potatoes in an adequate amount of oil is key to achieving a crispy bite because the oil is what conducts the heat for the potatoes.

Once you put the potatoes in the hot oil, it's important to let them cook for about 10 minutes before jostling the pan and flipping the spuds. Toss in dried herbs to amp up the flavor in your dish and you won't be disappointed!