Shredded potato stir fry is a very popular homestyle dish in China. It is sometimes called Suan La Tu Dou Si (酸辣土豆丝), or hot and sour shredded potatoes. Different from the texture of roasted potatoes that you might be more familiar with, the potatoes in this dish are rinsed to remove some of the starch. And they are lightly cooked until crunchy and crispy, instead of a starchy texture. There are a few popular ways to season the stir fry, but the most popular one is to use vinegar and chili pepper to add a bold taste.
This potato stir fry may just be the best potato dish you ever try!
Potatoes stir fry ingredients
What type of potato to use
Potatoes are the main ingredient for this recipe so choosing the best potatoes and preparing them correctly is essential. I like to use red potatoes which are not as high in starch as russets. You can also use Yukon potatoes, which are similarly low in starch.
I prefer to cut the potatoes using a knife, but you can definitely use a mandolin slicer. Mandolins are very easy to use and they help create perfect, uniform pieces. When the potatoes are all shredded to the same size, they will cook more evenly.
Be sure to soak the shredded potatoes in cold water to remove the starch before cooking. This step is essential to making the potatoes crisp on the outside with a crunchy mouthfeel. And it also prevents the potatoes from sticking together during the stir fry.
Mise en place
- Sliced potatoes
- Ground Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
- Dried Chinese chili pepper
- Sliced Green onion
- Sliced chili pepper
- Chinese black vinegar
- Light soy sauce
- Sugar
- Chicken bouillon (or salt)
I used a Chinese long chili pepper, which is similar to Anaheim peppers but slightly spicier. You can also use Anaheim pepper, or jalapeno pepper if you prefer a spicier dish. You can also use thinly sliced bell pepper for a non-spicy dish.
How to Make Shredded Potato Stir Fry
- Soak and rinse the julienned potatoes, then pat dry.
- Saute the dried chili pepper, green onion and peppercorns.
- Stir fry with the shredded potatoes.
- Add the chili pepper.
- Add the seasonings.
- Stir everything together.
Do not over cook the potatoes
The key to making authentic tasting Chinese potato stir fry is to cook the potatoes over high heat until they are slightly undercooked. In other words, the potatoes should stay crisp and you should finish the cooking before they turn starchy. It gives the potatoes a refreshing texture that is quite different from the tender roasted potatoes common in Western cuisine.
Chinese Shredded Potato Stir Fry
A simple potato stir fry may not seem like a very exciting recipe at first glance, but once you take a bite of this delicious dish, you will be hooked. It has just the right amount of spicy and tangy flavor that will make your taste buds come alive. I promise that this will be your new favorite way to prepare potatoes. Give my shredded potato stir fry a try and enjoy traditional potatoes the Chinese way!
More delicious side dishes
- Chinese Zucchini Stir Fry
- 5-Ingredient Bitter Melon with Eggs
- Stir-fried Cauliflower with Tomato Sauce
- Ginger Green Beans (姜汁豆角)
- Vegetable Fried Rice (蔬菜炒饭)
- Air Fryer Chinese Eggplant
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Shredded Potato Stir Fry (酸辣土豆丝)
Ingredients
- 2 (9 oz / 250 g) red potatoes , julienned (or yukon potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns (Optional)
- 3 dried Chinese chili peppers
- 2 green onions , sliced
- 1 Chinese long chili pepper , thinly sliced (or 1 small bell pepper)
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
- 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon (or 1/4 teaspoon salt)
Instructions
- Rinse the cut potatoes with running water a few times, then add to a big bowl with cold tap water to cover. Let soak while preparing the other ingredients.
- When you’re ready to cook, drain the soaked potato. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Add the dried chili pepper and green onion. Stir a few times to release fragrance. Add the ground peppercorns and stir a few times.
- Add the potato. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Then add the pepper. Stir for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the Chinkiang vinegar and soy sauce. Sprinkle sugar and chicken bouillon. Stir and cook until the potatoes turn soft but still have a crisp texture, another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Transfer everything to a serving plate. Serve hot as a side dish.
Video
Nutrition
Have a question or feedback? Add a Comment
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Sabrina
SO AMAZING. I have only had this at restaurants and loved it. Never thought I could make it on my own. I bought a julienne mandoline JUST to create this dish, and it was so worth it. The flavors were heavenly.
John
Maggie I love your site! I have used your Kung Pao, Zucchini Stir Fry and now also this. This one is my favorite. I have never had potatoes like this before and the taste was very reminiscent of a Szechuan restaurant near me but I don’t think I’ve seen this dish on the menu (I bet they would make it if I ask).
Mine did not turn out a clean and “pretty” white color like yours and I am curious if you have any time for input on how mine went, but honestly even if I do it this way every time it is so delicious. Mine would turn yellow after about 1 minute of cooking; here is how it was different:
1. I used Jalapeno instead of Bell pepper for more spiceness
2. I don’t have dried chilies so I used Korean red pepper flake
3. I LOVE Szechuan peppercorn and I cannot see it thrown away so instead of infusing the oil with this and the chili, I added them at the same time as the potatoes and stir dried them all together in the wok (and kept them)
4. My wok was set to 7/10 on electric burner. I stopped cooking around 1.5 minutes because of the color it was getting — I think maybe mine was hotter than your instructions perhaps
5. I used peanut oil instead of vegetable since I love its flavor on potatoes or chilies
Maggie
Hi John, thanks for your kind words and I’m glad to hear you like the dish! I wonder if the color difference is caused by the different types of potatoes? Or maybe you can soak them for a longer time, because I do think it will make the potatoes turn whiter after the soaking.
Sarah
This was one of my favorite go-to dishes when I lived in China for a couple years, no matter where you go, every province seems to have a version of this dish. I am very keen to replicate it in my own kitchen. I know the recipe states to use a mandoline or julienne peeler but I have often wondered about the cutting technique they use to get such uniform potato slivers, my knife skills are not up to par when it comes to julienned and slivered things so I’m in awe thinking of how they use their cleaver to cut up the potatoes so perfectly! Looking forward to making this dish. Thanks, I love your work.
Maggie
Hi Sarah, if you want to challenge the recipe with a cleaver, I highly recommend you to watch the video in this post: https://omnivorescookbook.com/recipes/chinese-style-potato-salad (scroll down, you’ll find the video right above the recipe). I was shooting my mom cutting the potato slices for the salad. In fact, Chinese restaurants always use a knife, because it creates better and crunchier texture.
Happy cooking and let me know how the dish turns out! 🙂
Karen Weiss
Hi Maggie, I enjoy your posts so much. It’s wonderful to come across real Chinese home cooking recipes that haven’t been watered down.
I have a request for you. I have a friend from Taiwan that I like to cook for. She is vegetarian and can’t eat food with garlic or onion. When she cooks for us, her food is really tasty. How does she do it? What flavourings would she be using? Any hints or recipes would be appreciated. It’s northern Chinese style as she serves with noodles rather than rice. Many thanks, Karen
Joe kraatz
Can the potatoes in the stir fry be shreddedin a spiralizer? It would be much easier and faster.
Maggie
Hi Joe, yes I’m pretty sure you can shred the potatoes by using a spiralizer. Just to make sure to pick out the blade that makes the thin shred, so you can get the best texture 🙂
Happy cooking and hope your dish turns out great!
Jen
Love this dish! I always add more vinegar (I stayed in Shanxi for 3 years and came to appreciate their famous vinegar and it’s great in this dish!)
Maggie
I’m surprised (and happy) to hear about “more vinegar”! That is truly the Shanxi style. My friend who used to live in China adds vinegar on almost everything 😉
Linda Whittig
This looks amazing! I’m going to have to give it a try!