In this article, I will share a recipe for mashed potato patties, which I have enjoyed since childhood. My mother used to make these patties for me when I was in primary school. It is a traditional Chinese dish popular in most Cantonese households.

You will notice that the ingredients and seasonings differ from most Western mashed potato patties. The most significant difference is that my mother added ground pork to the recipe. The pork alters the texture and flavor of the patty, making it a perfect accompaniment for plain rice, as is the norm in Chinese cuisine.

Note: Since ground beef is more popular in most Western countries than pork, you can use it as an alternative to pork if you want to try this recipe.

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1. How did my mother make the mashed potato patty?

The original recipe that my mother followed was quite simple. She boiled some potatoes and then mashed them just like any other mashed potato recipe. Then, she added the ground pork and salt and combined everything with beaten eggs.

2. My mashed potato with ground meat recipe

I added a small amount of soy sauce and black pepper to improve the flavor of this recipe.

• First, boil the potatoes until they are soft and tender. I prefer peeling off the skin, cutting them into large chunks, and boiling them until I can easily mash them with a fork. You can certainly use the leftover mashed potato to make this patty. Remember that the leftover mashed potatoes might have been seasoned, so you may need less salt to make the patty.
• The second essential ingredient for this dish is ground meat. My traditional Chinese mother used ground pork, but ground beef is also an ideal substitute. The meat should contain some fat as it will make it more tender. If you do not want to ground the meat at home, ask the butcher to do it.
• The seasoning for this dish is quite simple. I use salt, black pepper, and a small amount of light soy sauce to give it an all-Chinese taste. Light soy sauce is a common ingredient in many Cantonese dishes, and it will make the taste quite different from most Western potato patties.
• I also decided to add some finely chopped onions. While some people may choose to add more vegetables, like multicolored bell peppers, I prefer to stay close to the recipe my mother used to make when I was young. Sometimes, simplicity can be more delicious than complexity.
• You can bind all the ingredients using either egg or cornstarch. However, to add more flavor, I decided to use only eggs for today’s recipe.

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix them thoroughly. Please refer to the exact quantity of each ingredient in the recipe below. Once combined, gently form the mash into balls of the size you prefer. My mom usually makes them the size of a golf ball. Finally, cook the patties by pan-frying them.

3. Pan-fry the potato patties

I prefer pan-frying the potato patties using a nonstick pan or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. I’ve served potato patties in my previous restaurant and have experienced that they will still stick to the surface of a regular pan occasionally, making it difficult to flip over and eventually break them.

Heat sufficient oil in a pan at medium heat. If the oil is too hot, you may burn the potato quickly, making it turn golden brown on the surface, but the meat inside is still not cooked. On the other hand, if the temperature is too low, the potato will tend to stick to the surface.

I formed the potato into a ball instead of flattening it before putting it onto the pan because it would spread out slightly while frying. Then, I used a spatula to press on it to flatten it to the thickness that I wanted.

The potato patty should be thin.  Otherwise, the ground meat inside may not be fully cooked.

The best method for pan-frying potato patties is low to medium heat. When the first side of the patties turns golden, turn and pan-fry the other side. The process is just that simple. After that, you can remove the patties from the pan and serve them with plain rice.

4. Some variations to make the potato patties

These mashed potato patties are unique because they include ground meat and light soy sauce. You can also add some shredded raw potatoes to the mash. One approach I used while working in a restaurant was to combine half mashed potato and half shredded raw potatoes. This method is similar to the Irish boxty potato. Another variation is to incorporate some shredded cheese into the recipe. Alternatively, you can stuff the patty with cheese filling.

5. Other related potato recipes

If you enjoy these mashed potato patties, I have several other potato recipes on this blog that you might like to try.

• One unique dish is stir-fried potato in Chinese style. Unlike the usual cooking methods like boiling or baking, this dish involves julienne-cut potatoes stir-fried with a combination of Sichuan seasonings.
• Another classic potato recipe is Aloo Matar, a green pea and potato curry that is easy to make and not very spicy.

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Mashed potato patties with ground meat

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

My mother used to make these mashed potato patties when I was young. It is made with ground meat and seasoned with soy sauce.

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Ingredients

• 300g mashed potato
• 180g ground pork
• 40g finely chopped onions
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 beaten egg
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Peel off the skin of the potatoes, cut them into large chunks, and boil them until they can easily mashed with a fork. 
2. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix them thoroughly. Once combined, gently form the mash into balls of the size you prefer. 
3. Heat sufficient oil in a nonstick pan or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet at low to medium heat.
4. Shape the mashed potatoes into small balls and place them in the pan to fry. Flatten the patties with a spatula. The potato patty should be thin. Otherwise, the ground meat inside may not be fully cooked.
5. When the first side of the patties turns golden, turn and pan-fry the other side. 
6. Remove the patties from the pan to serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 393Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 1527mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 19g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 3/31/2024