Lyonnaise potatoes are a classic French side dish made simply with golden seared potatoes, lots of buttery onions and a sprinkle of fresh parsley! It's a simple, rustic comfort food that is perfect to pair with endless meals and holiday feasts.
Check out this post to see step by step photo instructions, how to make this recipe a day ahead of time and our favorite serving suggestions.
What Are Lyonnaise Potatoes?
Lyonnaise potatoes is a fancy name for a simple side dish made from sliced potatoes, caramelized onions and lots of butter. The dish is named for its city of origin, the French city of Lyon.
Ingredients
Our classic Lyonnaise potatoes are made with just a few common ingredients. Here's what you'll need:
- Potatoes - We like to make this recipe with Yukon gold potatoes but, you can also use peeled russet potatoes.
- Lemon Zest - While not an original ingredient of authentic potatoes Lyonnaise, we love the zesty brightness added by a bit of fresh lemon zest.
How To Make This Recipe
This classic French style potatoes are easy to make with simple ingredients and minimal equipment. Take your time to caramelize the onion low and slow while crisping your potatoes to golden perfection! For the best results, use the largest skillet you have - a 12 or 14 inch skillet is ideal. Here's the step by step:
1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt generously. Meanwhile, prepare your onions and garlic. Melt butter in your largest skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and saute low and slow to begin caramelizing. Continue cooking the onions for about 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally while you parboil the potatoes. You want the onions to be concentrated, sweet and softened, but not charred.
2. While the sliced onions cook, slice your potatoes to a ¼ inch (6 millimeter) thick slices. You can use a sharp chef's knife, or a mandolin for ease and precision. Drop potato slices into the pot of salted water a few at a time, as not to disrupt the boil. Then, boil for about 4 minutes. Do not overcook - the potatoes will finish cooking later, in the frying pan. Drain the potatoes and allow to cool momentarily in the colander. When cool enough to handle, transfer the potato slices, in a single layer, to a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry.
3. When the onions are adequately caramelized, remove them from the pan and set aside. Wipe any remaining garlic or remnants from the bottom of the pan, to avoid burning in the next steps.
4. Heat a Tablespoon of olive oil in the large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add a layer of potato slices in a single layer and crisp about 5 minutes, until golden brown. For the best golden brown coloring and flavor, you will need to fry the slices of potatoes in several batches. Flip the potatoes to brown both sides and transfer cooked potatoes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Season each batch with salt and black pepper as you go. Fry the remaining batches of potatoes in a little additional oil, as needed.
5. Once all potatoes are golden brown, it is time to finish the dish. You can finish the dish immediately, or see below how to prepare this recipe in a casserole dish to bake at a later time. To serve immediately, wipe any excessive oil out of the bottom of the pan. Return the crispy potatoes and onions to the sauté pan and stir to combine. Finish seasoning the dish with lemon zest and half of the chopped parsley. Once hot, transfer the French Lyonnaise potatoes to a serving dish and finish with the remaining sprinkle of parsley. Serve immediately with all of your favorite main dishes!
How To Prepare This Recipe The Day Before
This Lyonnaise potatoes recipe is a great dish to serve at special occasions, holidays and potlucks! This dish can be prepared the day before and easily popped in the oven for dinnertime. Here's what we do:
- Day 1: Start by preparing the potatoes and onions, as usual, in Step 1 - 4 above. Then, prepare an oven-safe baking dish by brushing the inside with a bit of melted butter or non-stick cooking spray. Layer about ⅓ of the fried potatoes in an even layer in the baking dish. Then, top with half of the caramelized onions and garlic. Repeat layering, finishing with a top layer of potatoes. Cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate overnight, or until ready to bake.
- Day 2: Once ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit (140° celsius). Bake the foil-covered Lyon style potatoes for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 10 - 20 minutes or until heated through. Finish the dish with freshly grated lemon zest and parsley. Serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
Lyonnaise potatoes are a versatile French dish that goes great with many meals. We recommend serving these potatoes hot, with all of your favorite home cooked dinners. This recipe can also be a great addition to a breakfast or brunch spread. Here are a few of our favorite pairings:
- Holiday Meals - Follow our recommendations to make this dish a day ahead of time for any side dish for entertaining. This recipe is great for holiday meals including Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Roast Beef, Steak or Brisket
- Lamb Roast
- Ham
- Roast Chicken or Turkey
- Pork Chops - Try it with our yummy German Schnitzel and Alpine Fondue Sauce recipe!
- Sausage
- Salmon
- Breakfast - Serve these potatoes with eggs and bacon for a yummy alternative to hashbrowns.
Leftovers
- Refrigerator: This recipe is best enjoyed hot, right after cooking. However, you can save the leftovers in an airtight container for 3 - 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover potatoes in a microwave, stovetop skillet or hot oven until an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit
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Lyonnaise Potatoes
Special Equipment
- 1 Mandolin Slicer Optional
Ingredients
- 1 pound potatoes (a.) sliced ¼ inch thick (About 3 medium potatoes)
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 yellow onions peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ Cup olive oil
- Fine kosher salt* to taste - about 2 - 3 Tablespoons, plus more for seasoning water
- Freshly-ground black pepper to taste - about 2 teaspoons
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Gather, measure and prepare the Lyonnaise Potatoes ingredients as listed. To view metric measurements, toggle the US Customary/Metric switch at the top of this recipe card.Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt generously. Meanwhile, prepare your onions and garlic. Melt butter in your largest skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté low and slow to begin caramelizing. Continue cooking the onions for about 30 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, parboil the potatoes. Drop potato slices into the pot of salted water a few at a time, as not to disrupt the boil. Boil for about 4 minutes. Do not overcook - the potatoes will finish cooking later, in the frying pan. Drain the potatoes and allow to cool momentarily in the colander. When cool enough to handle, transfer the potato slices, in a single layer, to a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry.
- When the onions are soft and caramelized, remove them from the pan and set aside. Wipe any remaining garlic or remnants from the bottom of the pan, to avoid burning in the next steps.
- Heat a couple Tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add potato slices in batches, in a single layer in the pan. Crisp potatoes for about 5 minutes, per side, until golden browned. Season each batch with salt and black pepper as you go. Transfer cooked potatoes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Fry the remaining batches of potatoes in a little additional oil, as needed.
To Serve Immediately:
- To serve immediately, wipe any excessive oil out of the bottom of the pan. Return the crispy potatoes and onions to the sauté pan and stir to combine. Finish seasoning the dish with lemon zest and half of the chopped parsley. Once hot, transfer the French Lyonnaise potatoes to a serving dish and finish with the remaining sprinkle of parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!
To Serve The Next Day:
- Prepare an oven-safe baking dish by brushing the inside with a bit of melted butter or non-stick cooking spray. Layer about ⅓ of the fried potatoes in an even layer in the baking dish. Then, top with half of the caramelized onions and garlic. Repeat layering, finishing with a top layer of potatoes. Cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate overnight, or until ready to bake.
- Next Day: Once ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit (140° celsius). Bake the foil-covered potatoes for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 10 - 20 minutes or until heated through. Finish the dish with freshly grated lemon zest and parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
*Unless otherwise noted, foodworthfeed recipes are developed using Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt. If using iodized or table salt, reduce quantities by about half.
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