TikTok's Viral 15-Hour Potatoes Are Worth Every Second of the Wait

If you thought accordion potatoes were the crispiest form of potato next to an actual crisp, this recipe for 15-hour potatoes will certainly change your mind. In a series of videos posted that have since gone viral, cookbook author Poppy O'Toole, who goes by @PoppyCooks on TikTok, shared the secret to achieving the crispiest potatoes ever: 15 hours of slicing, marinating, layering, baking, then frying to perfection. O'Toole originally posted the recipe in 2021, but it's stayed relevant for years now, known as the "15-hour potato." Videos tagged with the hashtag #15hourpotato on TikTok have garnered 103 million views, and even Gwyneth Paltrow tried the recipe.

Considering O'Toole is a Michelin-trained chef, it comes as no surprise that her crispy potato recipe is a hit. But it's also an all-day affair. Luckily, as someone who actually put it to the test, I can confirm that the process is a lot more tedious than it is technically challenging, and the majority of the 15 hours are spent waiting. And trust me, it's worth the time.

O'Toole's 15-hour potatoes recipe calls for Maris Piper potatoes, but you can easily substitute russet potatoes instead. I ended up trying both russet and sweet potatoes, and both came out delicious. Sweet potatoes aren't really known for their crispness, but for this recipe, the potatoes are sliced very thinly, and each is coated in a serious amount of fat, so the sweet potato version still yielded great results. Based on my experience, this recipe can crisp up even the most reluctant potato.

The entire process involves slicing, baking, compressing, and frying the potatoes, and though it might seem complicated, the hardest part of the recipe is waiting 12 hours for the potatoes to set in the fridge. After the final frying stage, 15-hour potatoes are a textural masterpiece. They're flaky, crispy, and light, and in terms of flavour, they definitely check all the boxes. When I took my first bite, I could hardly believe there wasn't any other seasoning besides beef fat and salt, and honestly, it didn't need anything else — not even ketchup. Never would I have thought that I'd spend 15 hours on a single batch of potatoes, but for that first bite alone, I'd say it was time well spent.

Here's exactly how to make O'Toole's crispy 15-hour potatoes recipe, so you can try it and see for yourself.

15-Hour Potatoes

Poppy O'Toole, user @poppycooks on TikTok

Ingredients

1. 240ml rendered beef fat
   1 tablespoon sea salt
   1kg Maris Piper or russet potatoes
   Vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 130°C.

Peel, wash, then thinly slice potatoes with a mandolin.

Add sliced potatoes to a bowl of beef fat and salt, then toss well to ensure each slice is fully saturated.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, and layer potato slices evenly, one by one.

Cover the top with parchment paper, and place in oven for 3 hours or until fork-tender.

After 3 hours, remove potatoes from oven, then compress with cans or any heavy object.

Place in the refrigerator, and chill for 12 hours.

After 12 hours, remove potatoes from the loaf pan, and cut into rectangular segments.

Heat a large amount of vegetable oil (enough to cover the pan) on a high heat, and lower potatoes into pot, deep frying for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the pot, then let cool before sprinkling with salt. Enjoy!

Information

Category

Side Dishes

Yield

6 servings

Prep Time

12 hours

Cook Time

3 hours

Total Time

14 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds