I Tried the Trending Crispy Potato Pom Pom Recipe and It May Be My New Favorite Way to Have Potatoes

When surfing the wonderful world of social media, it can easily become an endless tunnel of delectable creations. Though I’ve picked up plenty of trendy dishes like the popular rice waffle and the lobster grilled cheese, the one thing I expect to see a lot of on social media is potato recipes. From creations touted as the “world’s best potatoes” to those that are crispy and Parmesan crusted, potatoes always seem to be hit and personally, I understand why.  

So, when I came across a TikTok video of  Whisper of Yum’s journey to creating potatoes in 100 different, delicious, and fun ways, my attention was immediately caught. Her first attempt? An innovative way to make fried potatoes. And, I couldn’t wait to give these Potato Pom Poms a try. 

Get the recipe: Crispy Potato Pom Poms

When making this recipe, start by peeling the skin of five Yukon potatoes and trimming the bottom so that they can lay flat on the counter. Once those are peeled and trimmed, grab a pair of chopsticks — or two butter knives — and lay them flat on the counter. Place your potatoes in the middle, and without cutting all the way through, slice a quarter inch apart both vertically and horizontally. 

Next, place your potatoes in a bowl of water and add salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes before pouring off the water. While the potatoes are resting in the water, in another bowl, add flour, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder before whisking together. 

Place your potatoes into the dry mixture, making sure the mixture gets into the slits of the potatoes so that each can be evenly breaded. Add vegetable oil to a pan or deep fryer, and once hot, submerge each potato in, letting fry for 7 minutes until golden brown. Remove and enjoy! 

I really enjoyed making these potatoes. They were fun, easy to create, and even more delicious to eat. The final product was amazing! I could see myself recreating these potatoes at any given time with my loved ones at home. The crispiness and the golden color that was produced made these potatoes phenomenal for presentation. 

Though I really did enjoy the recipe as it was, there is one adjustment that I would make to the recipe itself, and that would be either using less cumin or substituting the cumin for a different spice/herb. 

• Go for the vegetable oil. Though you are free to use whatever oil you’d like, I opted to go with vegetable oil frying these potatoes. You also have the option to drop a few pieces of garlic in as well to deliver a garlicky flavor for your outcome.
• Don’t be afraid to change up the seasonings. As I mentioned above, the one thing I would change about this recipe is the use of cumin. Substituting cumin for another herb — such as rosemary — could be a great option.
• Go for the gold. Be sure to use Yukon potatoes because they will provide the best result for this recipe.