Pyttipanna
Pytt i panna
Swedish fried-up leftovers: diced potato, onion and meat, crisp in butter, with a fried egg and pickled beetroot.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Pytt i panna.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Pytt i panna means small pieces in a pan, and that is the whole recipe. Cold boiled potatoes, onion and whatever cooked meat is in the fridge are cut into small even dice and fried separately in butter until each is browned, then tossed together and seasoned. It goes on the plate with a fried egg, slices of pickled beetroot and a few capers or a spoon of the beetroot vinegar. The discipline is the dice. Cut everything the same size, keep the pan hot and do not stir too often, or you get soft hash instead of crisp pieces.
What you'll need
10 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Cut potato, onion and meat into dice of the same size, about 1 cm. Cold potatoes cut cleanly; warm ones crumble.
12 min
Step 2
Melt half the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes in a single layer, turning only every couple of minutes, until browned and crisp on most sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Tip out.
12 min
Watch: Too many potatoes at once and they steam. Use two pans or two batches.
Step 3
Add a little more butter and fry the onion until soft and golden at the edges, 5 minutes. Add the meat and fry until it catches colour, 3 minutes.
8 min
Step 4
Return the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and toss everything together over high heat for 2 minutes.
2 min
Step 5
Fry the eggs in the remaining butter in a second pan. Serve the pytt topped with an egg, pickled beetroot alongside, capers and parsley if you like.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 505 kcal
- Protein
- 30.3 g
- Carbs
- 33.9 g
- Fat
- 27.3 g
- Saturated fat
- 12.6 g
- Fibre
- 5.2 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 644 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Eggs
- Milk
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Leftover meat → Smoked tofu or halloumi, diced
A vegetarian pytt is common in Sweden now. Fry it until the edges crisp.
Tips
- Freshly boiled potatoes work if you spread them on a tray to cool and dry for 20 minutes first.
- Worcestershire sauce or a splash of the beetroot pickling liquid in the pan at the end is common and good.
- Restaurants serve it with a raw egg yolk in a half shell to stir through. Only do that with eggs you trust.
History & culture
Monday food in Sweden, after a Sunday roast. It is also a school lunch, a frozen supermarket staple and what you cook at 1 a.m. after a party. Finland eats the same dish as pyttipannu. Lunch restaurants serve a tidied-up version with raw egg yolk on top.
Recipes for frying up potato and meat scraps appear in Swedish household manuals from the late 1800s, once potatoes were universal. Industrial frozen pyttipanna arrived in the 1950s and made the dish a convenience food as well as a thrift one.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Pyttipanna take?
40 min all in — 15 min prep, 25 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Very easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Eggs, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Frying pan, Chef's knife, Cutting board.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Leftover meat → Smoked tofu or halloumi, diced. A vegetarian pytt is common in Sweden now. Fry it until the edges crisp.
What should I watch for?
Too many potatoes at once and they steam. Use two pans or two batches.
Any tips from this recipe?
Freshly boiled potatoes work if you spread them on a tray to cool and dry for 20 minutes first. Worcestershire sauce or a splash of the beetroot pickling liquid in the pan at the end is common and good. Restaurants serve it with a raw egg yolk in a half shell to stir through. Only do that with eggs you trust.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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