✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
These copycat Arby's Potato Cakes are thick, crispy shredded potato patties, soft and fluffy inside. They're back on Arby's menu, but a tray from my own fryer, salted while hot, is hard to beat.
How Do You Make Arby's Potato Cakes at Home? (Quick Answer)
Par-boil whole russet potatoes for 10 minutes, cool them, then peel and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. Toss the shreds with potato starch, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and white pepper, press into 1/2-inch rounded triangles and freeze for 30 minutes. Fry at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes until golden, or air fry at 400°F.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Par-boil, then freeze. Half-cooked potatoes grate into strands that stick together, and 30 minutes in the freezer firms the cakes so they hold their shape in hot oil.
Why You'll Love These Potato Cakes
- Crunchy outside, fluffy inside just like the drive-thru side.
- No eggs, no flour just potato, a little starch and seasoning.
- Freezer friendly shape a big batch and fry straight from frozen.
- Fry, air fry or bake whatever your kitchen and your weeknight allow.
- Made for dipping with horsey sauce or red ranch on the side.
What Are Arby's Potato Cakes?
Arby's Potato Cakes are thick, golden patties of shredded potato, crunchy at the edges and soft in the middle, served as a side in place of fries. They're basically a grown-up hash brown, and they disappear from a plate fast.
There's no official recipe, so this is how I make mine at home: par-boiled russets for long shreds that stick together, a spoon of potato starch, simple seasoning and a quick freeze before frying.
Are they still on the menu? Yes, they're back. Arby's cut the Potato Cakes in 2021, brought them back for a short run in July 2024, and in February 2025 announced they were back nationwide to stay. Menus vary by location, so check the Arby's app near you. This is the make-it-at-home version.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Russet potatoes: high-starch potatoes for fluffy middles and crisp edges.
- Potato starch: binds the shreds and adds crunch. Cornstarch works the same way.
- Onion and garlic powder: a light savory backbone without bits of onion that burn.
- White pepper: gentle heat with no black specks, like the drive-thru version.
- Oil: canola, vegetable or peanut oil with a high smoke point.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Russets only. Starchy russets fry up fluffy inside and crisp outside. Waxy potatoes stay gummy.
- Par-boil whole. Cooking the potatoes whole and still firm in the middle gives you long shreds that cling together, with no egg or flour needed.
- Let them cool. Hot potatoes turn mushy on the grater. Twenty minutes on the counter and they shred cleanly.
- Don't skip the freeze. My first batch went straight into the oil and fell apart into very tasty hash browns. Thirty minutes in the freezer fixed it for good.
- Pack them firmly. Press each cake with your palms like you mean it, then tidy the edges. Loose shreds burn before the middle heats through.
- Salt while hot. A pinch of fine salt the second they come out of the oil sticks to every crispy edge.
- Hold the oil at 350°F. I clip a thermometer to the pot. Fry in small batches so the temperature doesn't crash.
Copycat Arby’s Potato Cakes
4
servings (3 cakes each)25
minutes25
minutes300
kcal1
hour55
minutesCopycat Arby’s Potato Cakes: par-boiled, shredded russet potatoes seasoned with onion and garlic, pressed into thick rounded-triangle patties, frozen until firm and fried until crisp and golden outside and soft inside. Air fryer and oven options. Makes 12 cakes.
Ingredients
- For the Potato Cakes
2 lb russet potatoes, scrubbed (about 4 medium)
2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to finish
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- To Fry
4 cups neutral oil for frying (or oil spray for the air fryer)
- To Serve (Optional)
1/2 cup Arby’s-style horsey sauce or red ranch, for dipping
Directions
- Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until a knife goes in about halfway but the centers are still firm. Drain and cool for 20 minutes, until you can handle them.
- Peel the potatoes (the skins slip off) and grate them on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl. Gently toss in the starch, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and white pepper with a fork, without mashing.
- Press about 1/3 cup of the mixture into a rounded triangle about 1/2 inch thick, packing it firmly. Repeat to make 12 cakes and set them on a parchment-lined tray.
- Freeze the tray for 30 minutes, until the cakes are firm. This keeps them from breaking apart in the oil.
- Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F. Fry 3 or 4 cakes at a time for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a rack and sprinkle with salt right away.
- Air fryer: spray the frozen cakes well and cook at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway. Oven: brush with oil and bake at 425°F on a parchment-lined sheet for 25 minutes, flipping halfway. Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Like this recipe?
Follow us @recipefairy on Pinterest
Fried vs Air Fryer vs Oven
Pick your method.
| Fried | Air fryer | Oven | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 350°F oil | 400°F | 425°F |
| Time | 3 to 4 minutes | 12 to 15 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Crunch | Most | Very good | Good |
| Batch size | 3 or 4 | 4 to 6 | All 12 |
Dipping Sauces
Potato cakes were made for dunking. My copycat Arby's Horsey Sauce is creamy with a horseradish kick, and the tangy Arby's Red Ranch sauce is the sweet and smoky one. Plain ketchup with a dash of hot sauce never hurts either.
Storage and Reheating
Freeze shaped, uncooked cakes on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months and cook them from frozen. Keep cooked cakes in the fridge for up to 3 days and re-crisp them in the air fryer at 375°F for 4 to 5 minutes or in a 400°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The microwave makes them soft.
More Fast Food Side Copycats
Love a crispy potato side? Try my copycat McDonald's hash browns, the Burger King Cheesy Tots or a batch of McDonald's-style French fries.
See which old menu items you can still make at home in our list of discontinued fast food items, and browse my copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Arby's Potato Cakes made of?
They're thick, crispy patties of shredded, seasoned potato, a lot like an oversized hash brown. Arby's calls them crispy, golden and perfectly seasoned. My copycat uses par-boiled russets, a little potato starch, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and white pepper.
Are Arby's Potato Cakes back?
Yes. Arby's cut the Potato Cakes in 2021, brought them back for a short run in July 2024, and in February 2025 announced they were back nationwide to stay. Menus vary, so check the Arby's app near you.
Can I make potato cakes in the air fryer?
Yes. Freeze the shaped cakes, spray them well with oil and air fry at 400°F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until deep golden. They are a touch less crunchy than fried, but still crisp.
Why did my potato cakes fall apart?
Usually the potatoes were overcooked, grated hot or the cakes were not frozen first. Par-boil just 10 minutes, cool before grating, pack the cakes firmly and freeze them for 30 minutes before frying.
What sauce goes with Arby's Potato Cakes?
Horsey sauce and red ranch are the classic Arby's pairings, and both are easy at home. Ketchup, ranch and a little hot sauce on the side work too.
Can I freeze potato cakes?
Yes. Freeze the shaped, uncooked cakes on a tray until solid, then bag them for up to 2 months. Fry, air fry or bake them straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the cooking time.
