Draniki potato pancakes are a beloved Eastern European classic made from grated potatoes, onion, and a handful of simple seasonings. Crispy on the outside and soft within, they’re comforting, satisfying, and incredibly easy to prepare.
Whether you’re craving a hearty breakfast, a light dinner, or a make-ahead snack, this recipe for Draniki delivers every time. What makes it stand out? The texture—light and crisp with no flour, just natural potato starch. This method keeps them tender yet perfectly held together. These pancakes are brilliant year-round and especially handy on busy mornings. Make a batch the night before and reheat them in a pan—no sogginess, just crispy perfection. Serve with sour cream and herbs, top with smoked salmon and capers, or keep it classic with a dollop of butter. However you plate them, these pancakes are a true kitchen win.
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Ingredients and Why They Matter
Each ingredient in draniki potato pancakes serves a clear purpose, offering either flavour, structure, or both. The beauty of this dish lies in how well these simple elements come together.
- Potatoes: The star of the dish. Mature, starchy potatoes with rough skin and a yellow or white centre are essential. Their high starch content not only enhances flavour but also helps the pancakes hold together naturally—no flour needed.
- Onion: Adds subtle sweetness and savouriness, while also helping prevent the grated potatoes from oxidising and turning grey.
- Garlic: A little garlic adds warmth and complexity, giving the pancakes a deep savoury profile.
- Egg: Acts as a natural binder, working alongside the potato starch to keep everything intact during frying.
- Salt and pepper: The simplest seasonings, but essential. Salt elevates the flavour of the potatoes, while black pepper adds a hint of heat.
- Dried herbs (like dill and parsley): Dill brings a gentle freshness and earthy aroma, while parsley brightens the overall flavour. You can play around here depending on your taste.
- Natural potato starch: Instead of flour, we use the potato’s own starch. After grating, the potato liquid is squeezed out, and the starch settles at the bottom. This homemade starch is then mixed back in to provide the perfect consistency.
- Oil or salo (lard): Frying in vegetable oil will work well, but traditional recipes use salo—rendered pork fat—for its deep, smoky richness. It adds an authentic touch and a bolder flavour.
I have another recipe for draniki, where we add the sour cream straight into the batter. Yummy!
How to Make Draniki
This recipe is incredibly easy and beginner-friendly, yet it delivers big on flavour and texture. You’ll be amazed how a few humble ingredients turn into something so delicious.
- Grate and squeeze: Start by grating the potatoes finely, add a pinch of salt, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible using your hands—this helps the pancakes crisp up. Save the drained liquid and let it sit for a few minutes to collect the potato starch.
- Add flavour: While the starch settles, grate the onion and garlic, then mix them into the drained potatoes along with an egg, dried herbs, pepper, and salt.
- Use the starch: Once the starch has sunk to the bottom of your bowl, pour off the water and scoop 2–3 tablespoons of the starch back into the potato mixture—this binds everything naturally without flour.
- Shape and fry: Heat oil or salo in a pan, shape the mixture into small, flat pancakes, and fry them on medium heat for 4–5 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
Tip 1: Don’t overcrowd the pan—leave space between each pancake so they cook evenly and get beautifully crisp edges.
Tip 2: If your mixture feels too wet, let it sit for a few extra minutes to allow any remaining moisture to release before frying.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
While the base of potato draniki is simple and traditional, you can easily customise them to suit your taste. Try using different dried or fresh herbs—chives, tarragon, or coriander can add new dimensions. Shallots or red onions can be used instead of yellow onions for a slightly sweeter or sharper flavour. Want some spice? Add a pinch of smoked paprika or a dash of cayenne. For a vegan variation, you can skip the egg and use a tablespoon of flaxseed mixed with water, or simply increase the potato starch content.
Serving Suggestions
The joy of draniki is in the eating—and how you serve them can take them to the next level. The most traditional way is with a generous spoonful of sour cream, topped with fresh chopped dill or chives. For a more elevated dish, layer on some smoked or salted salmon with a few capers and a drizzle of lemon. Pickled vegetables—like cucumbers, beetroot, or even sauerkraut—cut through the richness with bright acidity. Or top your draniki with sautéed mushrooms in garlic butter, or caramelised onions with crumbled feta. Arrange them on a platter for sharing, or stack them high with your favourite toppings and a fresh herb garnish.
How to Store Draniki
If you’ve got leftovers (which is rare), draniki potato pancakes store well. Place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to reheat, skip the microwave—it’ll make them soggy. Instead, reheat them in a skillet with a tiny bit of oil over medium heat. This revives their crispy texture and keeps them tasting fresh. You can also freeze them: layer between parchment paper and freeze flat. Reheat from frozen in the oven or pan for a quick and easy snack.
FAQ
What type of potatoes should I use for Draniki?
Use mature, starchy potatoes—like Maris Piper, King Edward, or Russet. These varieties are high in starch, which helps the pancakes hold together and crisp up without flour.
Why don’t you use flour in this recipe?
Draniki rely on natural potato starch instead of flour. After grating and squeezing the potatoes, the drained liquid is left to settle. The starch that sinks to the bottom is mixed back in to bind the pancakes—keeping the texture light and authentic.
What are the best toppings for Draniki?
Classic sour cream with dill is always a winner. For more variety, try smoked salmon, sautéed mushrooms, caramelised onions, pickled veg, or crumbled feta.
Can I make Draniki without eggs?
Yes, you can make them egg-free. Use a tablespoon of flaxseed mixed with water as a vegan binder, or increase the potato starch to help hold the mixture together.
What oil is best for frying Draniki?
Neutral oils like sunflower or vegetable oil work well. For traditional flavour, fry them in salo—rendered pork fat—which adds a rich, smoky taste.
The Draniki Potato Pancake Recipe
Draniki, a delicious potato pancakes, offers a burst of rich flavour with every bite. Crafted with minimal ingredients and a straightforward method, these golden treasures are not just incredibly tasty but also are very easy to prepare.
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium sized potatoes
- "Potato water" - when draining grated potatoes, we need to keep this liquids to get the starch out of it.
- 1 onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 egg
- pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, dried herbs: dill, parsley
- oil for frying. Delicious if you find "salo" (lard) for frying.
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Grate the potatoes using a fine grater. For a more uniform consistency, use a fine grater. Put the grated potatoes in a bowl and mix in some salt.Move them to a colander to drain away any extra liquid, but put the colander above a bowl or a cup/glass - we need to keep all the liquids from potatoes, as it would be our starch. Press down on the potatoes to make sure they're as dry as possible. Set aside liquids for 5 minutes and start preparing other ingredients.
- Peel and grate the onion, add to the potatoes and mix. Onions will help maintain the color of the potatoes and prevent them from browning. Add minced or grated garlic, 1 egg, pinch of salt and pepper, dried herbs like dill or parsley.
- Return to potato liquids - the starch should have settled at the bottom of the bowl. Scoop 2-3 full tablespoon and add the starch to the potato-onion mixture. Combine all ingredients together.
- Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. How you shape the potato pancakes is entirely your choice. You can mold them into neat and thin ovals (as shown in the photo) or simply scoop them with a spoon and drop them onto the hot pan. Just make sure to flatten them a bit. Don't make the potato pancakes too thick; they will remain raw inside.
- Fry draniki on medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until they're golden brown, without covering them.
- Once cooked, transfer the pancakes to a paper towel to soak up any extra oil.
- Enjoy the pancakes warm with sour cream. For an added kick, consider mixing the sour cream with finely chopped herbs, garlic, salt, and spices
