A staple in cuisines all over the globe, the potato is a versatile ingredient that stars in some of our favorite summer dishes. From creamy potato salad to crispy French fries and samosas, we've rounded up our best summer potato recipes.
No summer picnic is complete without potato salad. Our lemon mayonnaise smashed potato salad is super creamy, with a kick from lemon juice and mustard powder. Or try our German potato salad with bacon, onion, and parsley. For a Nordic twist look to potatissallad, a Swedish summer favorite featuring sautéed kohlrabi, fresh dill, and boiled potatoes.
Potatoes were practically made for frying. It doesn't get much more classic that French fries and potato chips. The trick to great fries is to fry them twice—the first frying gives them a tender, fluffy interior, while the second crisps them up. Our potato chip recipe is flavored with a mix of barbecue spices like cayenne, cumin, and garlic.
Fried potatoes feature heavily in cuisine from parts of India. Bhajiya is a street food made of of pieces of potato battered in chickpea flour and fried. And who could forget samosa? These fried pastries filled with potato and peas are a hearty, delicious snack.
If you don't want to deep-fry, try roasting your potatoes. Roasted potatoes are a wonderful side plain, but to brighten them up try dressing them with a lemon-olive oil emulsion.
Find all these dishes and more in our collection of our best summer potato recipes.
Potato Salad Hot Dog
Throw this easy, gherkin-flecked potato salad on a hot dog, or simply eat it on it’s own. Get the recipe for Potato Salad Hot Dog »
Lemon Mayonnaise Smashed Potato Salad
Homemade lemon mayonnaise adds zesty flavor to these tender, coarsely mashed potatoes. Get the recipe for Lemon Mayonnaise Smashed Potato Salad »
Roasted Potatoes with Lemon Olive Oil
Simple roasted baby potatoes with whole garlic cloves are the perfect foil for a zesty lemon and olive oil emulsion.
Old-Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes
Thinly sliced potatoes and onions are baked in a rich cream sauce in this classic crowd-pleaser. Get the recipe for Old-Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes »
Padang-Style Mashed Potato Fritters (Perkedel Kenteng)
To make these crisp-crusted fritters, mashed potatoes blended with pan-fried shallots and freshly grated nutmeg are dipped in beaten egg and fried. Get the recipe for Padang-Style Mashed Potato Fritters (Perkedel Kenteng) »
Patatas Bravas
In Spain, the stopgap to late-night dinners is bar snacks like patatas bravas, crisp potatoes blanketed in mayonnaise and a thick spicy tomato sauce. Get the recipe for Patatas Bravas »
Kohlrabi Potato Salad (Potatissallad med Kålrabbi och Dill)
Dill-and-new-potato salad is an iconic summer food in Sweden. In this version, sautéed kohlrabi, fresh dill, and boiled potatoes are warmed in melted butter to make a simple side dish that’s perfect for picnics and backyard barbecues.
Irish Potato Bread
These squares of crispy potato flatbread are similar to potato farls, the fried potato bread that’s a traditional part of the Northern Irish breakfast known as an Ulster Fry. Get the recipe for Irish Potato Bread »
Trenette al Pesto
In this classic Genoese dish, fettuccine pasta is combined with string beans, baby red potatoes, and tossed with basil pesto. Get the recipe for Trenette al Pesto »
Indian Mashed Potato Fritters (Aloo Bonda)
For this Mumbai street-food snack w, mashed potatoes are seasoned with cumin, mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger, and chile; balls of the aromatic mash are then coated in a turmeric-accented chickpea-flour batter and deep-fried until crisp and golden. Get the recipe for Indian Mashed Potato Fritters (Aloo Bonda) »
Brisket and Potato Kugel
This hearty meat and potato casserole is perfect for a nontraditional Passover main.
German Potato Salad
Some recipes for this salad call for sautéing the onions in the bacon fat, but we prefer them left raw.
Hyderabadi-Style Lamb with Potatoes (Aloo aur Gosht ka Kaliya )
In the Indian city of Hyderabad, this dish is traditionally made using goat, but lamb makes an excellent substitute.
Boiled Potatoes with Quark and Flaxseed Oil (Pellkartoffeln mit Leinöl)
Flaxseed oil adds a pleasant nutty flavor to this classic East German potato dish.
French Piped Potatoes (Pommes Duchesse)
These elegant potatoes are brushed with an egg wash before baking for color and crunch.
Fried Potato-Filled Pastries (Samosas)
Triangular deep-fried pastries stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas are an iconic Indian snack.
French Bacon, Potato, and Reblochon Casserole (Tartiflette)
Reblochon, a soft washed-rind cheese from the French Alps, adds a luxurious creaminess and delicious pungency to this simple bacon and potato gratin.
Bhajiya (Fried Chickpea-Battered Potatoes)
For this Mumbai street-food snack, chunks of potato are dredged in a light chickpea-and-rice-flour batter that is spiced with turmeric and chile powder.
Julia Child's Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Thirty cloves of garlic go into this creamy side dish. Get the recipe for Julia Child’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes »
Kroppkakor (Swedish Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Bacon and Onion)
Kroppkakor, hearty mashed potato dumplings stuffed with an allspice-laden filling of bacon and onion, are a specialty of Oland, an island off the southern coast of Sweden.
Roasted Morel-Rubbed Chicken with Charred Lemon, Asparagus, and Potatoes
In this recipe, dried morels are pulverized and rubbed onto the chicken before roasting to perfume the bird and help produce evenly browned skin.
Potato, Spinach, and Red Pepper Frittata
This basil-laced potato and vegetable frittata makes a satisfying lunch.
Ignacio Mattos' Potato Salad
Boiling potatoes whole and unpeeled means they don’t absorb too much water as they cook. Mixing them with an egg yolk and olive oil yields a rich dressing without the heavy creaminess of mayonnaise. Get the recipe for Smashed Potato Salad »
Roasted Potatoes
Seniard Creek cook Clarence Bratton’s method for roasted potatoes, which calls for cooking them at a high temperature, turns them golden brown on the outside and creamy within.
Roasted Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Shallots
Roasting potatoes for potato salad, rather than boiling them, lends a caramelized sweetness that’s offset by a tangy dressing of sour cream, mustard, and shallots.
Herbed French Fries
Classic double-fried french fries get extra savory flavor from a sprinkling fresh herbs and grated parmesan.
Potato and Leek Soup (Sopa de Poro y Papa)
This creamy, rich soup is a favorite in Mexico City. In summer it’s usually chilled like a vichyssoise, but it’s also served hot, especially in the cooler months.
Salsa-Dipped Potato and Chorizo Sandwiches (Pambazos)
These salsa-dunked and griddled sandwiches, an iconic Mexico City street food, are named for the pambazos—soft, oval rolls—they’re typically made with. Telera and kaiser rolls make fine substitutes.
Sauteed Potatoes and Chiles (Papas con Rajas)
Smoky roasted poblano chiles add deep flavor to starchy potatoes in this side dish typical of central Mexico. Get the recipe for Sauteed Potatoes and Chiles »
Barbecue Potato Chips
Barbecue chips’ smoky, tangy flavors are easy to create at home with a simple mixture that combines classic barbecue sauce spices such as chile powder, garlic powder, and onion powder, with the added kick of cayenne pepper.
Jude's Perfect Potato Salad
A healthy dose of celery seeds and sharp Dijon mustard add a kick to this mashed potato and egg salad. Get the recipe for Jude’s Perfect Potato Salad »
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