There are so many reasons I made these Fried Potato Stuffed Onions. Probably the number one was being back in Germany. I have so many memories associated with Bratkartoffeln. I’ll never forget the day my late mother-in-law first made German fried potatoes, especially for me. I was a vegetarian at the time. Consequently, she thoughtfully excluded the speck.

Additionally, pre-meeting my husband, I used to hang out late nights at Schumann’s in Munich. Sharing a plate with a side of quark and a glass of red wine with my girlfriends became a tradition.

Jump to Recipe

Also, this dish reminds me of the Fall season in Germany. September brings thoughts of Oktoberfest which begins in September. Munich’s Oktoberfest was sadly but wisely, canceled this year due to the pandemic. However, this does not mean creating Oktoberfest-inspired dishes are off the table.

You don’t have to make this entire recipe for Fried Potato Stuffed Onions. Honestly, just double the recipe for the potatoes and enjoy. I highly recommend serving them with a side of sour cream or creme fraiche. If you can get quark, use that. However, this dish is tasty. Give it a go, especially if you love onions.

Creating this recipe takes several steps. All are easy. But you must have time or be in one of those moods, a glass of wine in hand where spending time in the kitchen is a pleasure. First, peel and boil the onions for 10 minutes. Once cooled, slice the tops off and reserve.

Tip!

Reserve the onion water to create a stock for future use.

Hollow the onions out, reserving a chopped one-and-a-half cup for the recipe. Save the rest for another dish. Peel and boil the potatoes then slice them into coins. Heat the speck in a large skillet. when it turns crispy, fish it out with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Then, cook the chopped onions in the speck grease. When they are browned, remove them from the pan, also with a slotted spoon.

Add some clarified butter to the pan. Spread the potatoes out. Fry on both sides. Then, add the crispy speck and fried onions. Sprinkle with chopped chives and stir everything together.

Stuff the potatoes into the onion shells. Brush with vegetable oil and bake until browned.

Serve two onions per person for a meal. Alternately, serve one per person for a side dish.

Fried Potato Stuffed Onions

Course Dinner

Cuisine German

Keyword Bratkartoffeln, Fried Potatoes, Stuffed Onions

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 4

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

8 large onions
1 lb small yellow potatoes
1/2 cup speck or chopped thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee
1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive or canola oil for coating and brushing

Instructions

Prepare the onions:

Peel the onions and blanch them in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
TIP: Save the onion water for soup stock.
When the onions are cool enough to handle, cut the top off of each onion. Set the lids aside. Use a sharp paring knife to scoop out the insides of each onion. You should have no more than 2 onion layers remaining.
Chop the scooped-out onion flesh into small pieces enough for 1.5 cups and set aside.
Discard the rest or save for repurposing into another dish.

Make the fried potatoes:

Rinse the potatoes, peel them and boil in salted water for 12-15 minutes. You should be able to run a fork through them without them falling apart.  Drain and let them cool completely.
Use a sharp knife to slice the potatoes into rounds.
Heat the speck in a large skillet. When the speck becomes crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion pieces to the pan, Stir to coat with the fat and sauté until browned, Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Melt the clarified butter in the pan then spread the potato slices out in the pan.
Cook until browned on one side, about 8 minutes.
Flip them over, add the speck, and fried onions back into the pan. Sprinkle the chives over the potatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Remove from heat.   Set aside

Assemble & Bake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat a large casserole dish with vegetable oil.
Fill the onion shells with the fried potatoes and place them in the oiled casserole dish.
Cover each onion with the reserved previous cut lids and brush with olive or canola oil.
Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the onions are nice and brown.
Remove from the oven. Garnish with extra chopped chives, replace the lids and serve.