This Middle Eastern Potato Chop Recipe features crispy potato croquettes, filled with perfectly seasoned ground beef, Italian parsley, and onion filling. Serve these tasty potato patties with a Middle Eastern salad and plenty of pickled turnips!
I first shared this recipe in my cookbook, Mom's Authentic Assyrian Recipes, which I published in 2008.
The name "Potato Chop" doesn't exactly sound Assyrian, does it? To be precise, these meat-filled potato croquettes are called "Poteta Chap" in Assyrian.
The word for "potatoes" in Assyrian is "Kirtopeh." However, it is possible that Assyrians picked up this term during the British colonization of Iraq during WWI. Or it could very well be the Arabic word for "potatoes," which is "batata."
The second part of the name, however, makes a little more sense. The word "chap" sounds similar to "
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Potato Chops are easy to prepare, especially when you prepare them my way, with boxed mashed potatoes instead of boiling and peeling potatoes, which takes way too much effort!
- Since meat and potatoes are pretty filling, all you need is a few potato chops and a salad, and you will be left satisfied.
- The patties can be prepared ahead of time and reheated, a few at a time, as needed.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes: Although most potato chop recipes use potatoes, I've found that boxed mashed potatoes are a million times easier to work with and taste just as good.
- Meat: You can use beef, lamb, turkey, venison, or whatever meat you prefer. Traditionally, beef or lamb is used.
- Spices: I like to add salt, black pepper, paprika, allspice, and cayenne. If you prefer mild food, you can omit the cayenne pepper.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
🥔 How to Make Potato Chop
Step 1: Cook filling ingredients (ground meat, onions, spices, and parsley), then cool.
Step 2: Mix the entire box of Idaho Potato Flakes, eggs, salt, and warm water by hand to form the potato dough.
Step 3: Stuff a golfball-sized ball of the potato dough with one heaping tablespoon of filling. Flatten the filled dough balls between your palms into a disc, using a back-and-forth clapping motion.
Pro Tip: Wetting your hands first is helpful.
Step 4: Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees F or until bubbles form as soon as you add the patties to the oil. Brown a few patties at a time in the oil, turn when the edges begin to brown. It should take approximately 2 minutes per side.
Step 5: Drain potato chops on paper towels
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🍽 Other Ways to Make Potato Chops
Breaded Potato Chop
Although my potato chop recipe has never contained bread crumbs, some do add them (my sister, Rosa, for example).
This is done by first dipping the potato chop in eggs, and then into breadcrumbs. Mom would have never approved of this method. Honestly, I've tried making them both ways, but I prefer them without breadcrumbs.
While the bread crumbs give you a slightly crunchier texture, the potato chop leave behind burned crumbs in the oil. These crumbs then stick to the other potato chop being fried. The end results are not very attractive.
Vegetarian Potato Chop... Say What?
So I've shared before that both of my kids are picky eaters. And when I say "kids," I'm talking 20 and 24-year-olds! But I'm a sucker for altering the recipes to please everyone in the house (I don't recommend doing that unless you love cooking).
In order to get my daughter, Nena, to eat Potato Chop, I replace the meat filling with cheddar cheese. What's better than cheesy potatoes, right? If you have picky eaters or vegetarians at home, try these Cheese-Filled Potato Chops!
Using Potatoes Instead of Potato Flakes
Even though this recipe is perfect just the way it is, some might prefer using the method their moms used to make potato chop.
If this describes you, here are the steps to making the potato dough using real potatoes. The filling mixture will be the same.
- Boil approximately 2 lbs. of Russet or Idaho potatoes (approximately 6 large potatoes) until tender, drain, and cool.
- Peel potatoes, then use a potato ricer or masher to mash the potatoes.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of starch, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 egg to the mashed potatoes.
- Knead the dough until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Assemble the patties as described in the recipe card instructions below.
Baked Potato Chop
You can bake Potato Chop as well, but just so you're aware, they definitely taste better fried! There is also a chance that the patties might open up as they bake. But to give this a try, follow these simple steps:
- Place the Potato Chop on a greased baking sheet.
- Brush the tops with vegetable oil.
- Bake at 450° for 20 minutes, or until golden in color.
For an even easier version, divide the potato mixture in half. Press half of the dough inside a buttered baking dish. Spread the meat mixture evenly over the potatoes.
Carefully spread the remaining potato dough over the filling mix, and brush the top with melted butter. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
A Potato Chop is a round potato croquette filled with a tasty spiced ground beef filling. Once formed, the potato patties are deep-fried until golden brown and served as an appetizer or a light meal, usually accompanied by a salad.
When you freeze Potato Chop, they inevitably retain moisture, which makes them fall apart when fried. A better option is to refrigerate the patties if you need to make them a few days ahead of time. Alternatively, they can be fried first, then frozen. The patties can then be defrosted before reheating in a toaster oven or an air fryer.
Potato Chops prepared with boxed potato flakes average 105 calories each. This does not take into account the amount of oil absorbed when fried. Add an additional 40 calories for each teaspoon of oil absorbed by the croquettes.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you are left with extra filling, wrap it in a tortilla, pita bread, or mix it in with vermicelli rice for a delicious, easy meal.
- Potato Chops can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to fry or bake them.
- Store cooked potato chops in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- You can also cook them in an air fryer with excellent results. Just brush the patties with vegetable oil and air fry until brown and crispy on both sides.
🥣 Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Potato Chop Recipe
Ingredients
Filling:
- ¾ lb ground beef (lean)
- 1 small onion (minced)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley (chopped)
Potato Dough Mixture:
- 13.75 ounce Boxed Idaho Mashed Potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups warm water
Other:
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
Prepare Filling
- Cook filling ingredients (ground meat, onions, spices, and parsley) then cool.
Potato Mixture
- Mix the entire box of Idaho Potato Flakes, eggs, salt, and warm water by hand to form the potato dough.
- Stuff a golfball-sized ball of the potato dough with one heaping tablespoon of filling. Flatten the filled dough balls between your palms into a disc, using a back and forth clapping motion.
Frying Directions
- Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees F or until bubbles form as soon as you add the patties to the oil. Brown a few patties at a time in the oil, and turn when the edges begin to brown. It should take approximately 2 minutes per side.
- Drain potato chops on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato chop.
Notes
- When forming the potato chops, wetting your hands first is helpful.
- If you are left with extra filling, wrap it in a tortilla, Pita Bread, or mixed it in with rice for a delicious, easy meal.
- Potato Chops can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to fry or bake them.
- Store cooked potato chops in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Potato Chops can also be cooked in an air fryer with excellent results. Just brush the patties with vegetable oil and air fry until brown and crispy on both sides.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 3/10/2019 and edited on 11/21/19 by reducing the amount of onion by half.
christina says
hi just curios to know if i can freeze the potato chops before or after cooking
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Christina,
Technically you can, however, I personally don't recommend it. Mainly because they accumulate ice that will cause the oil to pop as they are being fried. If you brush them with oil and bake them or air fry them, it might work, but they won't be as good as when they're fried.
DIANE JORDINAE says
If no stone unturned which is so fantastic for everyone: Vegetarians, picky eaters,variations including spicy hot those who want to cook like mom did with real potatoes prep...... I'm very impressed with the amount of time and effort that you put into your recipes and it is much appreciated!!!!!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Diane, I try to be as thorough as possible. Thanks for noticing!
Valerie says
Hello Hilda, this looks like a great recipe, and I look forward to trying it soon. In the past I’ve made potato chop with russet potatoes combined with either corn starch or potato flakes and eggs. I have trouble with the Pattie’s holding their shape and the edges falling apart. Would you know the cause of this?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Valerie,
I know what you mean, I used to have the same issue, that's why I've found using the potato flakes is so much easier! I think the reason they sometimes fall apart is too much moisture. Try adding some bread crumbs, that should help.
Barbara says
Potato Chop recipe
Hi Hilda!
I love that name because my maternal grandmother was named Hilda!
I want to try to make these by baking them on parchment. My idea was to. spray the parchment with Pam, then turn them after half the cooking time.
I would appreciate any thoughts and advice you could offer on this method.
I love your blog and find different and unique recipes there. Thank you for that!
Barbara
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Barbara,
Thank you very much for your nice comments. I have tried baking them that way before and although they're ok, they're so much better fried! You can always try baking a few and frying a few and comparing the two. There really is no comparison.
Kenneth V. Dabish says
I have been making "Potato Chops" for decades, using my late mother's manual potato ricer, which she gave me 30-40 years before her passing. This will be the first time I will be using instant mashed potatoes.
Also, my mom (born in Telkeppe, Iraq near Mosul, NEVER used curry. The primary spice was Chaldean Allspice (in a pinch ANY Allspice will do.). I had no ground cayenne pepper, so I added some red pepper flakes. I normally don't use cayenne, but thought I try it this time since I'm experimenting with Hilda's recipe.
I am 100% Chaldean Assyrian.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Kenneth, For some reason, I've never had success with using real potatoes to make potato chops. That's how my mom used to make them also. When my sister figured out a way to make them with instant potatoes, I gave it a shot, and I never looked back. They come out perfect, every single time! Regarding the spices, you can still use your Chaldean Allspice, or try it my way and then see what you prefer. I'll be curious to see what you think, enjoy!
auytu says
how does it taste like
Hilda Sterner says
The potato layer is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The filling is perfectly seasoned with (allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper). If you add the cayenne pepper, they'll be a little spicy, but not overly. They're delicious and very filling.
Lacey Keese says
Your site is one of my personal favorites for useful tips. Thanks for sharing
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Lacey,
That's very sweet! Thank you very much. 😘
Kathy Fisher says
We had these for dinner tonight. The spices were just right. Wonderful flavor. This recipe is a keeper. My husband kept making these "uummm" sounds and he wants me to make them again. Also, it would make a great appetizer and terrific party food.
Bebe says
I love this recipe. It’s easy to make and tastes great too.