A gooey, savory, satisfying dish of griddle potatoes that can also be in made a cast-iron skillet.
This side dish of griddle potatoes is perfect for a large stand-alone griddle, but it can be done with a portable griddle on a gas grill or large frying pan. You could even serve it as an appetizer. Just remember, potatoes take a while to cook, even when sliced thin. Short prep, long, relaxed cooking time. Plus copious quantities of savory starch, salty meaty prosciutto and smoky, melty aromatic cheese. Add a reverse-seared steak, and you’ve achieved Valhalla. You in?
What are griddle potatoes?
If you’re used to mashed potatoes and baked potatoes, you might wonder, just what the heck is a griddle potato? The truth is, you’ve probably already had them. They’re basically diner-style home fries, made from thin sliced potatoes, and cooked until golden brown on a flat top or griddle. You can keep them plain with just potatoes like you get in a diner, or season the potatoes with almost any spice rub (pork rubs work especially well), or add other ingredients like onions, pepper, ham, and cheese to make ’em the way you like ’em.
Why you’ll love griddle potatoes
- Crispy: Spreading the potatoes across the entire surface of the griddle puts maximum starch in contact with maximum hot metal, creating maximum golden brown and crispy surface.
- Gooey & Savory: Cheese and potatoes are a slam dunk flavor combo. Smoked gouda amps the outdoor aromas and with the savory prosciutto, these griddle potatoes are super satisfying.
- Easy: Thin-sliced potatoes don’t need to be pre-cooked. They cook through on the griddle in about 30 minutes. Simple.
- Hearty: This dish is filling enough to be a small plate or side dish. You could even serve it as an appetizer. This amount feeds about 2 hungry people but you can easily double the amount if you have the griddle space (or cook a large amount in batches on a smaller griddle).
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes: Yukon Golds work best. But you could use another medium-starch potato like Yellow Finn, German Butterball, or even Purple Peruvian potatoes. Click here to find out more about potato types.
- Smoked Gouda: Melty, smoky and easy to find, I like smoked gouda here. But you could use another cheese, like smoked cheddar or smoked Gruyère.
- Prosciutto: Ahhh ham. Whether it’s prosciutto, jamón ibérico, serrano ham, speck, culatello, or good ‘ol country ham, there’s nothing quite like it. Just like bacon, it’s a natural with potatoes. Choose your favorite dry-cured ham. Click here to find out more about types of ham.
- Shallots: You could use onions, but I like the subtler taste of shallots here. It lets the prosciutto and potatoes shine through. A little garlic rounds out the flavor.
- Rosemary: I love rosemary with potatoes. But you could use another herb if you like: thyme, oregano, chives…they all work. I sprinkle some fresh tarragon over the top at the end. Feel fre to replace that with whatever fresh herb you like.
How to make griddle potatoes
Prep.
Get your potatoes sliced; shallots, ham and herbs chopped; and cheese shredded first. You want everything ready to go since it all gets mixed together and goes on the griddle at once.
Preheat.
Get your griddle or cast-iron skillet preheated on high. You want searing temps, at least at first. Check the potatoes every 10 minutes or so and if they’re starting to brown too fast before they insides are tender, lower the temp a bit.
Cook.
Spread the potato mixture in as thin a layer as you can get across the entire surface of your griddle. That’s what gives you maximum crispness. A thin layer allows the potatoes to cook through faster. A lid helps too.
Add the cheese.
Near the end of cooking, I sometimes mix in a little truffle oil. Just a touch—you don’t want to overdo it with this stuff. Then scatter the cheese evenly over the top, close the lid and cook until it melts.
Garnish.
I like to sprinkle herbs on top at the end. You could skip that step if you’re in a hurry.
Expert Tips
- Extra crispy: If you like extra-crispy potatoes, slice them thin, and then soak them in cold salted water for at least 8 hours to draw out some starch. Then drain, pat them dry, and mix with the remaining ingredients.
- Prep ahead: You can prep the spuds and other cut-up ingredients ahead of time. Just mix everything together, wrap it tight and chill it in the fridge for up to 8 hours.
- Use the microwave: At the end of cooking, after sprinkling on the cheese, especially if you don’t have a lid for your griddle or skillet, you could use the microwave instead. Transfer everything to a microwave-safe dish, scatter on the cheese, and nuke for about 30 seconds until the cheese melts. That allows you choose a more table-friendly serving platter as well.
- Reheat: If you have leftovers, chill them for up to 3 days. Spread the mix in a thin layer on your griddle or skillet and cook them again until heated through. Potatoes can handle the heat.
Griddle Potato FAQs
Should I boil my potatoes for griddle potatoes?
No. It’s not necessary. When you slice them thin and spread them in a thin layer on the griddle, they will cook through from start to finish entirely on the griddle or skillet.
How do I know when griddle potatoes are done?
Lift up and look on the underside. They should be golden brown and crispy. Poke the tops with a fork, too. They should be tender.
How do I get griddle potatoes extra-crispy?
You can soak them in water ahead of time to draw out starch. It also helps to use a very hot griddle and plenty of fat. This recipe gets melted fats from beef tallow and prosciutto. You also want the spread the potatoes in a thin a layer. Avoid overcrowding so all the potatoes can touch the hot metal. You may want to smash them down a bit to press them into the hot metal for even better browning and crispness.
What seasonings are best for griddle potatoes?
Salt and pepper is really all you need. You could use a pork rub or other paprika-based seasoning. I like fresh herbs too. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, and chives all work well.
If you like these griddle potatoes, you’ll love…
- Baked Potatoes on the Grill
- Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese
- Syracuse Salt Potatoes
- Great Greek Potatoes
- Warm French Potato Salad
Griddle Potatoes with Ham and Cheese
Rate this RecipeSpecial Tools
Ingredients
Method
- Prep. Peel and mince the shallot and toss it into a largish bowl. Peel and slice the garlic as thin as you can and add it to the bowl. Chop the prosciutto into 1/4-inch chunks and in it goes. Mince the rosemary and add it. Scrub the potatoes, cut out the eyes, and slice them very thin, about 1/8 inch thick (a mandoline works great here). Add them to the bowl. Melt the fat and combine it with the potatoes, shallot, garlic, prosciutto, rosemary, and pepper. Toss to make sure all the slices are evenly coated with the aromatic mixture. Grate the cheese and chop the tarragon leaves and set them aside.
- Fire up. Preheat your stand-alone griddle on high. Or get your grill to Warp 10 and preheat a large cast-iron skillet or a griddle that can go on top of the grates.
- Cook. Scoop the potato mixture onto the griddle and spread into an even layer. Try to get each slice of potato in contact with hot metal. Close the lid and sizzle for about 30 minutes. Putting the lid down helps the potatoes cook through. If you use a large skillet, cover it with a couple lids or a big sheet of foil. Check the undersides after 20 to 30 minutes, and when they get golden, if you sliced them thin, they are done. Taste one to see. It should be tender and not mealy inside. On some griddles, but especially with a cast-iron skillet over a hot grill, you may need to lower the heat so the potatoes don't burn before they are cooked through and tender. Near the end of cooking, if you wish, drizzle with truffle oil and mix it in.
- Add the cheese. Scatter the cheese and tarragon evenly over the top and close the lid until the cheese melts, 5 minutes or so. (For a nicer presentation, you can scoop the potatoes into a serving dish, scatter the cheese and tarragon on top, and microwave for 30 seconds.)
- Serve. Serve with a large spatula to keep the lovely top intact and scatter with large-grain salt.
Notes
Approximate Nutrition
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This recipe is adapted from Meathead’s book, The Meathead Method, published May 13, 2025. It is available now on Amazon.
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