Lyonnaise Potatoes

Lyonnaise potatoes is an easy potato side dish that you can add to your favorite entrée to complete your meal. It is a flavorful and easy potato recipe with onions in a delicious butter sauce.

lyonnaise potatoes in a blue serving bowl.


What Are Lyonnaise Potatoes and Where They Are From?

The term lyonnaise originated in France and it means “prepared with onions”. So, from the name of this recipe, you can gather that its main components are onions and potatoes. This French dish is a quintessential way of cooking buttery onions and slices of potatoes.

The recipe is of French origin, and it is known for its thinly sliced and crispy oniFrench side dish to serve with oh so many main dishes. Don’t let the fancy name throw you off, it really is one of these easy recipes you are going to love.

How Lyonnaise Potatoes Differ From Potato Au Gratin

Potatoes au gratin and lyonnaise potatoes are actually quite different. Standard potatoes au gratin recipes do call for thinly sliced potatoes, but they do not require onions as one of the main ingredients. Also, the potatoes do not become crispy, but rather tender in a creamy butter sauce.

For the lyonnaise potatoes, onions are an essential part of the dish. They are made right along with the crispy potatoes in their own butter sauce.

What Makes Potatoes Lyonnaise So Good?

This recipe is one of a kind. You get so many different textures and flavors that play wonderfully together. 

For instance, the potatoes become nice and crispy on the outside but are tender and buttery on the inside.

And then the onions become perfectly caramelized so that when mixed with the potatoes, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley you get an amazing flavor profile. Is it some of the best comfort food that you can ask for! 

How to Parboil Potatoes

For this recipe, you will need to parboil the potatoes. This basically means to partially boil the potatoes.

You do not need to boil the potatoes as long as you would for mashed potatoes.

Place the peeled and sliced potatoes (¼ inch thick) in enough water to cover the potatoes. Then add a little salt.

Allow the water to come to a boil and continue cooking the potatoes for another 4 minutes. Then drain and put them aside.

You don’t need to give the potatoes an ice water bath, as you don’t want to stop the cooking process yet.

Lyonnaise Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

This simple recipe for lyonnaise potatoes makes a delicious potato side dish. You won’t need any crazy ingredients, so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding them. Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Yukon Gold potatoes – these potatoes have a naturally buttery flavor, it is ok to use Russet potatoes
  • White onion – this type of onion has a milder taste than yellow onions, so these are my preferene here.
  • Butter – it is ok to use either salted butter or unsalted butter.
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh chopped parsley
lyonnaise potatoes ingredients on a tray.

Best Potatoes to Use For Potatoes Lyonnaise

This recipe works the best with Yukon gold potatoes. They have the perfect buttery texture that is elevated by the parboil process and the caramelized onions.

If you do not have Yukon Golds, the next best for this recipe would be russet potatoes.

How to Make Lyonnaise Potatoes

  1. Peel and slice the potatoes then place the sliced potatoes into a large pot with enough water to cover them, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the temperature to simmer, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large stainless steel or a cast iron skillet. Add the onions and salt.
  3. Place a lid on the onions and stir every few minutes. When they just begin to color, remove the onions from the skillet and set aside, but do not wipe out the skillet. 
sautéed onion slices in a skillet.
  1. Melt butter in the skillet, and layer the potatoes on top of the melted butter. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Toss to make sure the potatoes are fully coated with the butter, and cook over medium heat until the bottoms are brown and crispy.
  2. Add the onions to the pan, flip the potatoes, and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown. Stir occasionally to make sure the potatoes brown evenly.
browned potato slices in a skillet.
  1. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top just before serving.
lyonnaise potatoes in a blue serving bowl.

How long do you cook lyonnaise potatoes?

While this is a simple recipe, it is not the quickest to make. Between parboiling the potatoes, browning the onions, and cooking it all together, it will take about 45 minutes or so to put this dish together. 

So, if you want to make this as a side dish, make sure you allow enough time to make it before you plan to eat your meal. 

overhead view of lyonnaise potatoes in a bowl.

How to store lyonnaise potatoes

You should store the lyonnaise potatoes in an airtight container for up to five days. You can freeze leftover cooked potatoes in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

How to reheat lyonnaise potatoes

I recommend reheating these in an air fryer. Place potatoes on a heat proof dish, and heat for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees for maximum crispiness.

Love potatoes? Try these recipes!

Check out more of my easy vegetable side dish recipes and the best gluten-free recipes here on CopyKat!

lyonnaise potatoes in a blue serving bowl.

Lyonnaise Potatoes

Lyonnaise Potatoes is a delicious side dish perfect for any occasion. Buttery sliced potatoes with onions are beautifully browned on the outside and soft on the inside.
4.75 from 4 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Lyonnaise Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 171kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt divided
  • 6 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1 large white onion sliced in half from pole to pole, then sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Peel and slice the potatoes to 1/4-inch thick.
  • Place the potatoes into a large pot with enough water to cover them. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the temperature to simmer, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet.
  • Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place a lid over the onions and stir every few minutes. When they just begin to color, remove the onions from the skillet and set aside, but do not wipe out the skillet.
  • Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet and layer the potatoes on top of the melted butter. Season with the remaining salt and ground black pepper. Toss to fully coat the potatoes with butter. Cook over medium heat until the bottoms of the potatoes are brown and crispy.
  • Add the onions to the skillet. Flip the potatoes and cook for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown. Stir occasionally to make sure the potatoes brown evenly.
  • Top with chopped parsley just before serving.

Notes

You can substitute Russet potatoes for Yukon Gold but the dish will not have the same creamy texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 810mg | Potassium: 520mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peppa

    4 stars
    I tried the Lyonnaise Potatoes just this afternoon for the first time, they were very delicious. The only reason I didn’t rate the dish with a 5 star is my potatoes weren’t as crispy as I thought they would be. I prepare a potato dish my family has always called Smothered Potatoes, which tastes the same and almost looks the same as this dish with the exception of the garlic and garlic powder I use in it.. It’s very simple and quick to make.

  2. Queen Bee

    5 stars
    This recipe sounds great, had a version of this at Ruth Chris steak house. I’m so excited to get started.

  3. Kenny Loiselle

    I’ve read recepes that suggest slicing the potatoes at 1/2″. I think 1/4″ works best! And of course butter is better.

  4. Katherine Ryan

    They look delicious, how can you go wrong with that ingredient list? It has three of my favourites – garlic, cheese and potatoes. 🙂 The best bit is where it goes brown and crusty near the edges of the dish, yum!

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