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    Home » Breakfast & Brunch Recipes » Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes

    Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes

    Feb 28, 2014 · by Valentina · 15 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes are crispy on the outside, and packed with tender potatoes, cabbage and a kick of heat on the inside. They're fantastic for brunch, lunch or dinner -- as a side or vegetarian main course.Several Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes stacked on a purple plate

    With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, Melissa's Produce sent me a box of gorgeous green produce, including the star of today's recipe, Napa Cabbage.

    Green and beautiful.

    St. Patrick's Day isn't a holiday I typically celebrate. For starters, I'm not Irish. I know a lot of people enjoy this holiday, and I love experimenting with foods, making things for different holidays that celebrate other cultures.

    So I decided to make Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes which are packed with green-ish Napa Cabbage and potatoes, two things that are quite common to eat on St. Patrick's Day.

    So there, I totally just justified this recipe being great for the holiday. 😉
    Half of a large Napa cabbage

    Tips for Making Cabbage Potato Pancakes

    After the potatoes and onions are grated, as much liquid as possible must be squeezed out of them. They can literally be "wrung out," like a wet cloth. This should be done at least twice before they're mixed with the other ingredients. Do the same thing with the cabbage after it's grated. The less liquid in these ingredients, the crispier your pancakes will be.

    The recipe instructions will guide you through using a food processor to grate everything. If you don't have one, with a little more effort you can use a hand grater. The pancakes will be just as good -- it's just a little trickier and you will just get a bit of a workout. 😉

    As with any savory pancake, it's important to do a "seasoning test" before making all of them. (See instruction no. 7 below)

    (Detailed instructions are below.)

    Another delicious potato pancake for you . . . .

    Mexican Cheesy Potato PancakesSpicy Pepper Jack Potato Pancakes on a purple plate with cilantro

    I hope you enjoy the Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes as much as my family and I do!

    Melissa's Produce sends me produce for recipe testing. This is not a sponsored post and as always, all opinions are my own. 

    small stack of cabbage potato pancakes on dark purple plate

    Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    Spicy Cabbage Potato Pancakes are crispy on the outside, and packed with tender potatoes, cabbage and a kick of heat on the inside. They're fantastic for brunch, lunch or dinner.
    Makes about 16 pancakes / serving size: about 3
    Print
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Argentinian
    Servings 5
    Calories 281 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound Idaho Russet potatoes
    • about ½ large yellow onion
    • 2 pounds Napa cabbage, cut into large chunks
    • 1 cup breadcrumbs
    • 3 eggs
    • 2 tablespoons chili paste
    • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • grapeseed oil for the pan

    Instructions
     

    • Grate potatoes, onion and cabbage. Set up your food processor with the grater attachment.
      Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces that will easily fit into your food processor. Grate the potatoes and onion in a food processor, and immediately place them in a strainer, over a mixing bowl.
      Without separating the leaves, keeping the head of cabbage as intact as possible, cut it into large pieces that will easily fit into your food processor. Shred the cabbage.
    • Drain. Use your hands to squeeze the grated potatoes and onion firmly to get any extra liquid. Let them sit for a few minutes and then squeeze them again.
      Then squeeze any excess liquid from the cabbage. (Using your hands works the best.)
    • Mix. Combine the potato mixture with the cabbage, breadcrumbs, eggs, chili paste and garlic. Mix until well blended.
      Season generously with salt and pepper.
    • Test the batter. As with any savory pancake I make, here too, it's important to do a "seasoning test" before making all of them. Do this by heating a bit of the grape seed oil in a sauté pan and once it's hot, place a very small amount (about 1 teaspoon) of the mixture in the pan. Sauté until it's golden brown, about, about 20 seconds per side. Now taste. Does it need more salt and pepper? Adjust the seasonings!
    • Cook. Generously coat a large sauté pan with grapeseed oil, and place it over medium-high heat.
      Use a ¼ cup measure to shape approximately 16 evenly-sized pancakes, placing them in the preheated pan as you go. There should be at least a couple of inches between them. Use a flat-bottomed spatula to gently press the pancakes down to flatten them -- they should be about ¼ inch thick. Cook until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
      Continue sautéing the pancakes using more of the oil if necessary, until you've used the entire mixture.
    • Serve warm or hot.

    NOTES

    The measurements in this recipe can all be "give or take" a bit.
    If you're gluten-free, simply use gluten-free bread crumbs.
    Calorie count is only an estimate.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 281kcal
    Keywords best potato sides, vegetarian comfort foods
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christina

      March 01, 2014 at 8:45 am

      Oh my! What a wonderful combination of ingredients. I know these would make me very happy! Must try!! xx

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 03, 2014 at 7:40 am

        Make them. Be happy. 😉 Thanks, Christina.

        Reply
    2. Jeanne @JollyTomato

      March 03, 2014 at 3:44 am

      Looks great! I love potato pancakes and cabbage, so this sounds like a match made in heaven!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 03, 2014 at 7:41 am

        Thanks so much, Jeanne! xo

        Reply
    3. Nespresso varieties

      March 11, 2014 at 5:06 pm

      That sounds absolutely delicious! Many thanks for sharing, I would love to give it a try this weekend!

      Reply
    4. j

      March 13, 2014 at 3:54 pm

      Very excited to try these! Can you speak, please, as to whether these freeze well? I'm thinking they would be nice snacks for my little boy. Thank you.

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 13, 2014 at 4:19 pm

        Thank you! Yes, you can freeze them -- in an airtight container. Reheat them in a very hot oven to get them crispy again. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Elisa

      March 17, 2014 at 4:50 pm

      Hi! These look awesome and I'm looking forward to making them. Quick question...did you use fresh or dry breadcrumbs? Thanks, Elisa

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 17, 2014 at 5:16 pm

        Hi Elisa, I used dry breadcrumbs. 🙂 Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Bob

      May 16, 2014 at 12:32 am

      The grated potatoes aren't rinsed in water and then squeezed?

      Reply
      • valentina

        May 16, 2014 at 5:08 am

        Nope. 🙂

        Reply
    7. LS Kaar

      November 11, 2015 at 10:11 am

      Chile is the country, I think you meant 'chili' paste.

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 11, 2015 at 10:18 am

        Hi there! Thanks for visiting my site and checking out this recipe. I've always been taught to use "chilE" for the peppers, and/or things made specifically with them (i.e., chile paste) -- and that "chilI" is used specifically for a bowl of chili. Maybe there are differing thoughts about this, it's just the way I've learned to do it. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Sandie

      January 13, 2025 at 10:02 pm

      1/4 inch sounds too thin compared to the photo???

      Reply
      • Valentina

        January 19, 2025 at 10:49 pm

        Hi Sandie. Thanks for writing in. They are indeed pressed to about 1/4-inch in thickness. I hope you enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply

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