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With just four simple ingredients, these Lyonnaise Potatoes have quickly become one of our new favourite things to enjoy on Friday nights with lamb chops, a green salad and a nice crisp glass of white wine. A classic French recipe for cooked potatoes fried in butter until golden and crisp, their flavour is amped up by then stirring through soft, sticky caramalised onions and finishing the bowl with a scattering of fresh chives. They may not be the quickest weeknight potato recipe, but they’re a real simple treat to finish the week with!
Typically, Lyonnaise Potatoes are made with sliced potatoes, but after making several different versions of the recipe and enjoying a wonderful version out for lunch on my birthday, I realised that new potatoes are much easier to work with and a lot more forgiving to fry in the pan (sliced potatoes fall apart quite easily!) – this way you also get the extra flavour and texture from keeping their skins on!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these Lyonnaise potatoes ahead?
They’re obviously better just as they come out of the pan because then you’ll get maximum potato crispness and the chives will remain vibrant and bright, but I re-heated this bowlful after I photographed them for 10 minutes in a 100C oven and they were still delicious. More sensible get-ahead tips would be to boil the potatoes and caramalise the onions ahead!
Will this recipe work with oil instead of butter?
Technically yes, but you’ll miss that buttery richness which is the whole point of the dish!
Can I use different herbs here?
Yes! I like chives as they up the allium flavours and compliment the caramalised onions, but chopped parsley and dill will also work well.
These easy, buttery, 4-ingredient Lyonnaise Potatoes are the perfect French inspired side dish with crispy potatoes, caramelised onions and fresh chives.
Ingredients
Scale
600g new potatoes
sea salt
1 small onion
20g unsalted butter
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Instructions
Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling, salted water until they’re tender. If they’re particularly big half the potatoes before you cook them; if not, simply halve them once they’re drained and just cool enough to touch.
Meanwhile, finely slice the onion into half moons. Warm half the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Melt the remaining butter in the pan and turn the heat up to medium high. Add the potatoes and a good pinch of salt. Fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the cut sides and some of the potato skins are golden brown.
Stir in the cooked onions, cook for a further minute until they are warmed through. Stir in the chives just before stirring.
I'm a food writer, professional recipe developer and cookbook author living in the English Countryside. I love creating easy, accessable recipes filled with vibrant world flavours that are manageable on busy weeknights. Simple and delicious dinners, from my kitchen to yours!
One Pan Pescatarian: 100 Delicious Dinners – Veggie, Vegan, Fish
My second cookbook contains 100 delicious dinner recipes, all of which are either vegetarian, vegan or which celebrate fish and seafood - all cooked in either one pot or one pan.*
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