Bity
These potato side dishes are the ones I reach for when a roast chicken, a steak or a simple piece of fish needs something comforting next to it. There is buttery mash, a creamy bake, crispy pan fried slices, proper chips and a cool potato salad, and every one of them comes from my own kitchen.
In short, here are 9 potato sides grouped by texture: three creamy, three crispy, two air fryer fries and one make-ahead potato salad. They take from about 20 minutes for Southern fried potatoes and onions to 1 hr 35 min for classic potato salad, including chilling, and serve 3 to 7.
I have sorted these nine potato side dishes by texture, because that is usually how I choose. First come the creamy, cosy ones, then the crispy roasted and fried ones, and finally fries and a make-ahead salad. After that you will find which potato to buy for each, what to serve them with, a make-ahead plan and the questions I am asked most.
Quick Breakdown
Creamy Potato Side Dishes
When the weather turns, these three are what I crave. They are rich, soft and spoonable, and two of them can be prepared well ahead of dinner.
1. Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Buttery mashed potatoes take about 30 minutes and serve 4. Proper mash should be light, not gluey, and this is how I get it every time. The cubes are boiled, drained well and left to steam dry in the hot pan. Then the butter goes in first, followed by warm cream. Because the fat coats the starch before the liquid arrives, the texture stays fluffy.
Get the Buttery Mashed Potatoes recipe →
For the silkiest mash of all, press the steamed potatoes through a potato ricer before the butter goes in; unlike a blender, it never overworks the starch.
2. Scalloped Potatoes Without Cheese
Scalloped potatoes without cheese are the old-fashioned version my grandmother would recognise: thin slices baked slowly in a cream sauce seasoned with garlic and smoked paprika, with no cheese at all. As a result, the flavour is clean and the sauce stays silky rather than greasy. It is my favourite partner for a Sunday ham or roast beef.
Get the Scalloped Potatoes Without Cheese recipe →
Evenly thin slices are what make this bake cook through at the same rate, and a mandoline slicer gets every round the same thickness in a few minutes.
3. French Onion Stuffed Potatoes
French onion stuffed potatoes are twice baked jackets that take about 75 minutes and make 4. Imagine French onion soup and a jacket potato had a baby. Slowly caramelised onions, a splash of sherry and beef broth are mashed into the fluffy insides, then everything goes back into the skins under Gruyere. They take a little time, but they feel like a restaurant side and reheat beautifully.
Get the French Onion Stuffed Potatoes recipe →
Crispy Roasted and Pan Fried Potatoes
Next, the crunchy ones. Each of these gets its colour a different way: in a cast iron pan, on a hot oven tray or in the air fryer basket.
4. Southern Fried Potatoes and Onions
Southern fried potatoes and onions are pure farmhouse comfort and one of the quickest sides I make, at about 20 minutes. Russets and onion are sliced a quarter of an inch thick and fried in a cast iron skillet with garlic powder and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover the pan for softer slices, or leave it open for more crunch.
Get the Southern Fried Potatoes and Onions recipe →
5. Baked Mexican Potatoes
Baked Mexican potatoes are spiced, oven roasted potato cubes baked at 400°F, serving 4. Unpeeled cubes are tossed in cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic, dried onion and a surprising pinch of cinnamon, then roasted until crisp at the edges. They are brilliant with tacos, grilled chicken or eggs. Also, the spice mix lives in a jar in my cupboard, ready for next time.
Get the Baked Mexican Potatoes recipe →
6. Air Fryer Baked Potato
An air fryer baked potato needs just three ingredients: a big russet, a little oil and a good pinch of salt. The air fryer gives you a skin that crackles and a light, floury middle, without heating the whole oven. I cook these on busy weeknights and pile them high with butter, chilli or leftover pulled pork.
Get the Air Fryer Baked Potato recipe →
Fries and a Make-Ahead Potato Salad
Finally, the two fries that live in my air fryer and the cold salad I take to every barbecue. These are the potato side dishes children never turn down.
7. Air Fryer French Fries
Air fryer french fries are homemade chips made with only a couple of tablespoons of oil, ready in about 35 minutes. First, the cut russets soak in cold water for half an hour to wash off the surface starch. Then they are dried thoroughly, cooked through at a lower heat and finished hot for crunch. They are worth the extra step, I promise.
Get the Air Fryer French Fries recipe →
8. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Air fryer sweet potato fries cook at 380°F for 18 to 20 minutes and serve 4. Strictly speaking, sweet potatoes are not related to ordinary spuds, but nobody at my table has ever complained. Cut into even quarter inch sticks and tossed in avocado oil, they turn caramelised at the edges and soft inside. Shake the basket regularly, because the natural sugars catch quickly.
Get the Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries recipe →
9. Classic Potato Salad
Classic potato salad is creamy, tangy and packed with egg, celery and onion, and it is the salad I bring to every summer gathering and plenty of winter buffets too. A splash of vinegar on the warm potatoes is my secret, since they soak it up and taste seasoned all the way through. Even better, it improves overnight.
Get the Classic Potato Salad recipe →
All 9 Potato Side Dishes at a Glance
Here are all nine potato sides in one table, so you can match one to the main dish and the time you have. Times and servings come from the recipe cards.
| Recipe | Style | Total time | Serves or makes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttery Mashed Potatoes | Creamy | 30 min | 4 |
| Scalloped Potatoes Without Cheese | Creamy | 1 hr 15 min | 7 |
| French Onion Stuffed Potatoes | Creamy | 1 hr 15 min | 4 potatoes |
| Southern Fried Potatoes and Onions | Crispy | About 20 min | 4 |
| Baked Mexican Potatoes | Crispy | About 1 hr 15 min | 4 |
| Air Fryer Baked Potato | Crispy | 1 hr 5 min | 3 potatoes |
| Air Fryer French Fries | Fries or salad | About 35 min | 4 |
| Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries | Fries or salad | 30 min | 4 |
| Classic Potato Salad | Fries or salad | 1 hr 35 min | 7 |
Which Potato to Use for Each Side
Use starchy russets for mash, baked potatoes and fries, Yukon Gold for mash, scalloped potatoes and potato salad, and waxy red potatoes for salads. Choosing the right potato makes more difference to potato side dishes than any trick in the method. Floury, starchy potatoes fall apart into fluff, which is perfect for mash and jackets, while waxy ones hold their shape in salads. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension has a handy guide to knowing which type of potato to use, and this is how it maps onto the recipes above.
| Potato type | Texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Russet (starchy) | Light and floury | Mash, baked and stuffed potatoes, fries, fried slices, roasted cubes |
| Yukon Gold (all-purpose) | Buttery, holds together | Mash, scalloped potatoes, potato salad |
| Red skinned (waxy) | Firm and creamy | Potato salad and anything boiled whole |
| Sweet potato | Soft and sweet | Fries and wedges |
What to Serve With These Potato Side Dishes
Of course, any of these works with almost anything. Still, a few pairings are worth knowing, because the richness of the side should balance the main.
- Roast chicken or turkey: buttery mash or scalloped potatoes, plus plenty of gravy.
- Steak or burgers: fries, an air fryer baked potato or the French onion stuffed potatoes.
- Pork chops or sausages: Southern fried potatoes and onions.
- Tacos, chilli or grilled chicken: baked Mexican potatoes or sweet potato fries.
- Barbecues and picnics: classic potato salad, which happily sits in the cool box.
Make-Ahead Potato Side Dishes for a Dinner Party
When I am cooking for a crowd, I always choose at least one side I can finish the day before. That way the oven and the hob are free for the main event.
- The day before: make the potato salad, assemble the scalloped potatoes and fill the French onion stuffed potatoes, then chill everything covered.
- An hour before: put the scalloped potatoes in the oven, remembering the extra 10 to 15 minutes from cold, and start the air fryer baked potatoes.
- Thirty minutes before: boil the potatoes for mash, or soak and dry your fries.
- Just before serving: reheat the stuffed potatoes at 350°F and fry the potatoes and onions so they arrive crisp.
Tips for Better Potato Side Dishes
Almost every disappointing tray of potato side dishes I have made came down to one of these habits, so they are worth a quick read before you start.
- Cut evenly: slices, cubes and sticks of the same size cook at the same rate, so you never get hard pieces next to soft ones.
- Dry before crisping: water is the enemy of crunch, so pat fries and cubes completely dry before oil goes on.
- Do not crowd the pan: a single layer with space around each piece is what lets the edges brown.
- Season warm potatoes: hot potatoes absorb salt, butter and vinegar far better than cold ones.
- Store them properly: keep raw potatoes somewhere cool, dark and airy, never in the fridge and never washed. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension explains how to store and prepare potatoes so they last for weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing a Side
What are the most popular potato sides?
Mashed potatoes, fries, baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes and potato salad are the classic potato side dishes, and all five are in this list. Fried potatoes with onions and roasted spiced cubes come close behind.
What is a good three ingredient potato side?
The air fryer baked potato needs just potatoes, oil and salt, and cooks at 385°F for about 60 minutes. Buttery mash is not far off either, since it is really potatoes, butter and cream with seasoning.
What is the quickest potato side to make?
Southern fried potatoes and onions, which are on the table in about 20 minutes, and the mash takes around 30. Sweet potato fries are another fast option at roughly half an hour.
Make Ahead and Storage
Which potato sides can I make ahead?
Three of them. Scalloped potatoes can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead (add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake), the stuffed potatoes keep for up to four days, and potato salad actually tastes better after a night in the fridge.
Can you freeze cooked potato sides?
Some of them. Raw, oiled sweet potato fries freeze very well, and for a baked potato I freeze the scooped flesh rather than the whole thing. However, potato salad does not freeze well, so make only what you will eat within four days.
How do I reheat mashed potatoes without drying them out?
Warm them gently with a splash of extra cream or milk and a knob of butter, stirring often, until steaming hot at 165°F (74°C). Low heat and a little more liquid bring back that soft, fluffy texture.
How long does potato salad last in the fridge?
Classic potato salad keeps 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge, but it does not freeze. Chill it for at least 1 hour before serving and do not leave it out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
