Thousand Layer Potatoes are paper-thin potato slices tossed in melted duck fat and salt, stacked in a loaf pan and baked low and slow, then pressed under weight and chilled overnight. The next day you cut the loaf into squares and fry them until the outside is crisp and golden while the inside stays soft and layered. It’s a two-day project with very little hands-on work, and it makes 6 servings.
How to make them: Slice 2 pounds of peeled potatoes 1/8 inch thick, coat them in duck fat and salt, and layer them in a parchment-lined 9×5 loaf pan. Bake covered at 300°F for about 2 hours, press under a second pan, cool 1 hour and chill at least 8 hours. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares, freeze 30 minutes and fry at 375°F for 5 to 6 minutes.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Crisp outside, tender inside: every square shows dozens of thin layers.
- Five ingredients: potatoes, duck fat, salt, frying oil and flaky salt.
- Mostly waiting: the oven and refrigerator do most of the work.
- Make-ahead friendly: the squares keep in the freezer until you’re ready to fry.
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes: 2 pounds, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick. A mandoline makes even slices easy. Yukon gold potatoes work well.
Duck fat: 1/4 cup, melted, to coat every slice.
Salt: 2 teaspoons to season the slices, plus flaky salt to finish.
Oil: enough to fill your pot about 1 1/2 inches deep for frying.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1/4 cup duck fat, melted
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Oil, for frying (about 1 1/2 inches deep in the pan)
- Flaky salt, for finishing
How to Make Thousand Layer Potatoes
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 300°F.
2. Line the pan. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Cover the bottom and bring the paper up the sides with a little overhang.
3. Slice the potatoes. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick.
4. Coat the slices. Coat the slices in the melted duck fat and salt.
5. Layer the loaf. Layer the potatoes in the pan to form an even loaf. Drizzle the remaining duck fat over the top.
6. Cover the pan. Fold the parchment down over the potatoes and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
7. Bake. Bake for about 2 hours, until the potatoes are tender in the center. Test with a skewer or knife.
8. Press the loaf. Remove the foil and set a second loaf pan on the parchment over the potatoes. Weigh it down with several canned goods.
9. Cool and chill. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
10. Cut into squares. Remove the potatoes from the pan and discard the parchment. Cut the loaf into squares about 1 1/2 inches on each side.
11. Freeze the squares. Freeze the squares for at least 30 minutes.
12. Heat the oil. Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil to 375°F in a Dutch oven or saucepan.
13. Fry in batches. Working in batches, fry the squares until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes, turning as needed.
14. Drain and salt. Lift the potatoes out with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. Sprinkle with flaky salt and serve hot.
How Long Do Thousand Layer Potatoes Take?
Plan on two days, but only about 15 minutes of real prep. Here’s the timeline:
- Day 1, bake: about 2 hours at 300°F, covered, until a skewer slides through the center.
- Day 1, press and cool: 1 hour at room temperature under a weighted second pan.
- Overnight, chill: at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Day 2, cut and freeze: cut into 1 1/2-inch squares and freeze at least 30 minutes.
- Day 2, fry: 5 to 6 minutes at 375°F per batch.
Starting a day ahead is what lets the cooled potatoes slice into neat, clean squares.
What Are Thousand Layer Potatoes?
They’re thin potato slices baked into a tight loaf, then cut and fried. Think of them as part oversized potato chip, part tiny gratin: crisp and golden on the outside, soft and tender inside, with the stacked layers showing on every cut side.
Tips
- Slice evenly. Uniform 1/8-inch slices bake evenly and stack into a flat loaf.
- Coat every slice. Toss them well in the duck fat and salt before layering.
- Press it well. Unopened cans on a second pan of the same size work well as weights.
- Fry from frozen. Take out only one batch at a time and keep the rest in the freezer.
- Don’t crowd the pot. Fry in batches so the oil stays at 375°F.
- Salt right away. Sprinkle the flaky salt while the squares are still hot.
Variations
- Bigger batch: 4 1/2 pounds of potatoes and 1/2 cup duck fat in an 8-inch square pan make about 42 pieces; bake 2 to 3 hours.
- Vegan: a plant-based version layers the slices with potato flour, plant-based cream, nutritional yeast and rosemary, and fries them in canola oil.
- Skin on: peeling is optional if you slice thin.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: The chilled loaf is the first make-ahead point. After cutting, freeze the squares for up to a month; move them to a freezer bag if you’re keeping them longer than a few hours. Fry them straight from the freezer.
Cooling: The 1 hour at room temperature is within the 2-hour limit for cooked food; get the loaf into the refrigerator after that.
Leftovers: Refrigerate fried leftovers within 2 hours; they keep 3 to 4 days. Reheat covered to 165°F. They won’t be as crisp as when fresh.
What to Serve With Them
Serve them as a side with a steak dinner like garlic butter steak bites, or as a snack with garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups.
More sliced-potato sides: scalloped potatoes and copycat Ruth’s Chris potatoes au gratin. Prefer the oven over the fryer? Try baked garlic Parmesan potato wedges. For fried potatoes as a meal, make fried potatoes, onions and smoked Polish sausage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are thousand layer potatoes?
Thin potato slices baked with duck fat, pressed and chilled, then cut into squares and fried until crisp outside and tender inside.
How long do thousand layer potatoes take to cook?
About 2 hours in the oven and 5 to 6 minutes in the fryer, with at least 8 hours of chilling in between.
Can I make them ahead?
Yes. Freeze the cut squares for up to a month and fry them from frozen.
Why chill them overnight?
Starting a day ahead lets the cooled potatoes slice cleanly into squares.
What oil temperature do I need?
375°F, with the oil about 1 1/2 inches deep.
Final Notes
Slice thin, bake low, press overnight and fry hot. If you try the big 8-inch batch, tell me in the comments how it went.
Thousand Layer Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 1/4 cup duck fat melted
- 2 teaspoons salt
- oil for frying, about 1 1/2 inches deep in the pan
- flaky salt for finishing
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300°F.
- Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Cover the bottom and bring the paper up the sides with a little overhang.
- Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick.
- Coat the slices in the melted duck fat and salt.
- Layer the potatoes in the pan to form an even loaf. Drizzle the remaining duck fat over the top.
- Fold the parchment down over the potatoes and cover the pan with aluminum foil.
- Bake for about 2 hours, until the potatoes are tender in the center. Test with a skewer or knife.
- Remove the foil and set a second loaf pan on the parchment over the potatoes. Weigh it down with several canned goods.
- Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the potatoes from the pan and discard the parchment. Cut the loaf into squares about 1 1/2 inches on each side.
- Freeze the squares for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil to 375°F in a Dutch oven or saucepan.
- Working in batches, fry the squares until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes, turning as needed.
- Lift the potatoes out with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. Sprinkle with flaky salt and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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