Summary: Crisp, savoury pancakes made from raw grated potatoes, garlic, marjoram and a little flour, fried in a thin layer of oil until golden. Ready in 40 minutes, makes 12 pancakes, serves 6.
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Category: Side Dishes, Czech Cuisine
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Quick overview
- Dish: Potato Pancakes (Bramboráky)
- Category: Side Dishes, Czech Cuisine
- Cuisine: Czech
- Main ingredient: Waxy potatoes, 1000 g, coarsely grated
- Guide: 20 Most Famous Czech Dishes
- Total time: 40 minutes (20 min preparation + 20 min frying)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Servings: 6 (12 pancakes, 2 per person)
- Key technique: Shallow frying
- Preparation types: Frying
- Dietary info & allergens: Contains gluten, eggs
- Suitable for: Light dinners, pub food, snacks, meat-free days
- Nutritional values (per serving): 380 kcal, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 18 g, Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Storage: 2 days in the fridge • Freezer: 1 month
- Pairing: Pilsner, dry cider, sour cream
- In short: Raw grated potatoes, garlic and marjoram fried in a thin pancake until crisp at the edges and tender in the middle.
- Last updated: 18 September 2026
WAGUU says: “Bramborák is a dish of pure instinct. The batter should be just barely holding together – if it looks like a dough, you have added too much flour. The reward is a pancake that crackles at the edges and stays soft in the middle.”
Key facts
| Preparation time: | 20 minutes |
| Cooking time: | 20 minutes |
| Temperature: | 170 °C oil (medium heat) |
| Servings: | 6 (12 pancakes) |
At a glance
Grated raw potatoes mixed with garlic, marjoram and just enough flour to hold them together, fried in a thin layer of oil until the edges turn deep brown and crisp. Eaten with sour cream, sauerkraut or just on their own.
Ingredients
Base servings: 6 • 12 pancakes, 2 per person
| Ingredient | Amount | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Waxy potatoes | 1000 g | raw, peeled, coarsely grated |
| Garlic | 4 cloves | fresh, peeled, crushed |
| Dried marjoram | 2 tsp | rubbed between fingers |
| Caraway seeds | 1 tsp | whole, lightly crushed |
| Fine sea salt | 2 tsp | fine |
| Black pepper | 0.5 tsp | freshly ground |
| Eggs | 2 pieces | large, room temperature |
| Plain flour | 60 g | fine, plus extra if needed |
| Cornflour | 1 tbsp | for extra crispness |
| Sunflower oil | 150 ml | for frying, or pork lard |
| Sour cream | 200 ml | full-fat, for serving |
| Chives | 10 g | fresh, finely chopped, for serving |
Why you will love this recipe
- Ready in 40 minutes: A bowl, a grater, a pan and half an hour at the hob. Bramboráky are the fastest Czech classic.
- Two textures in one bite: The edges are crisp and brown, the middle is soft and tender. That is the whole point of a good bramborák.
- Better without fuss: The less you handle the batter, the better the pancake. Mix, fry, eat – that is the whole method.
Why it works: Raw grated potatoes release starch and water. Some of that water is squeezed out (but not all – the starch is what binds the pancake), and the remaining starch plus the egg and a small amount of flour creates a batter that just barely holds together. Frying in a thin layer of oil at around 170 °C sets the outside quickly, so the pancake does not absorb too much oil. The marjoram and garlic are classic Czech pairings – they cut through the potato’s mildness. The cornflour absorbs extra moisture and helps the edges crisp faster.
Recipe overview
Preparation: 20 min | Cooking: 20 min | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6 | Type: Side dish | Origin: Czech
Detailed method
Total progress: 0 % done
Phase 1: Grating the potatoes – 15 min
Equipment: Box grater, large bowl, clean tea towel or muslin cloth, vegetable peeler
1. Peel the potatoes and grate them coarsely on the large holes of a box grater. Work quickly – grated potato oxidises and turns grey within minutes. As you grate, transfer the potato to a clean tea towel in handfuls and squeeze out some of the liquid. Do not squeeze it dry. Aim for a batter that is moist but not dripping. You want to remove roughly half the liquid, keeping the rest for body.
VKB: The grated potato is still moist but does not release water when you press it in your hand. It is pale cream, not grey.
Before you continue:
Do not squeeze all the liquid out of the potatoes. Some of it – along with the starch it carries – is what binds the pancake. If you squeeze too hard, you will need to add more flour and the pancakes will be heavy.
Phase 2: Making the batter – 5 min
Equipment: Large bowl, wooden spoon
2. Put the grated potato into a large bowl. Add the crushed garlic, marjoram, crushed caraway seeds, salt, pepper and both eggs. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the plain flour and the cornflour and mix again – just until everything holds together. The batter should look loose and shaggy, not like a dough. If it is too wet, add one more tablespoon of flour. If it is too dry, add a splash of milk or water.
VKB: The batter holds its shape when you lift a spoonful but still looks wet. It smells of garlic and marjoram. No dry patches of flour.
Before you continue:
Do not add too much flour. The batter should barely hold together. If it looks like a thick dough, the pancakes will be heavy and doughy instead of crisp at the edges.
Phase 3: Heating the oil – 3 min
Equipment: Large heavy frying pan (28 cm), kitchen thermometer (optional)
3. Pour the sunflower oil into a large frying pan – about 5 mm deep. Heat it over medium heat until it reaches about 170 °C. If you do not have a thermometer, drop a small piece of potato into the oil. It should sizzle gently and rise to the surface within 2 seconds. If it sizzles hard and browns immediately, the oil is too hot – reduce the heat. If nothing happens, wait another minute.
VKB: The test piece of potato sizzles gently and rises within 2 seconds. The oil is shimmering but not smoking.
Before you continue:
Do not let the oil smoke. Smoking oil is above 200 °C, which burns the outside of the pancake before the inside cooks. If it starts to smoke, take the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.
Phase 4: Frying the pancakes – 15 min
Equipment: Large frying pan, two tablespoons, fish slice, plate lined with kitchen paper
4. Take a heaped tablespoon of the batter and place it in the hot oil. Flatten it with the back of the spoon to about 1 cm thick and 10 cm across. Fry two or three pancakes at a time – do not crowd the pan. Fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, until the edges are deep golden brown and crisp. Turn carefully with a fish slice – the pancakes are delicate. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the rest.
VKB: The pancake is deep golden brown with crisp lacy edges. The centre is tender when pressed with a finger. No raw potato taste when you bite into the edge.
Before you continue:
Do not crowd the pan. If the pancakes touch each other, the oil temperature drops and they absorb fat instead of crisping. Fry two at a time if the pan is large, three at most.
Phase 5: Keeping them warm – 2 min
Equipment: Ovenproof plate, kitchen paper, low oven
5. As you fry each batch, transfer the drained pancakes to a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep it in a low oven at 100 °C. This keeps them warm and crisp without continuing to cook them. Do not cover the plate – a cover would trap steam and soften the pancakes.
VKB: The finished pancakes are still crisp at the edges after 10 minutes in the oven. No steam forms on the plate.
Before you continue:
Never cover the pancakes with foil or a lid. Steam makes them soggy in seconds and there is no way to bring the crisp back.
Phase 6: Serving – 3 min
Equipment: Small bowl, spoon
6. Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the pan or the warm oven. Put a generous spoonful of sour cream on top or on the side, and scatter freshly chopped chives over. Some people add a small spoonful of sauerkraut, a piece of smoked sausage or a sprinkle of grated cheese. Bramboráky are best eaten with your hands, folded in half like a small taco.
VKB: The pancakes are crisp at the edges, hot, and topped with cold sour cream. The chives are bright green. The first bite crackles at the edge and softens towards the middle.
Required equipment
| Equipment | Ideal size | Alternative | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box grater | Standard 4-sided | Food processor with coarse disc | Fine holes make gluey batter |
| Large frying pan | 28 cm, heavy bottom | Two smaller pans | Thin pans burn the oil |
| Fish slice | Wide, thin blade | Two spatulas | A spoon tears the pancake |
| Clean tea towel | 40 × 40 cm, cotton | Muslin cloth | Synthetic cloth does not absorb |
Shopping list
Nutritional profile
Values per serving (2 pancakes with sour cream). Calculated from average nutritional values of ingredients.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 6 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 119 kcal | 380 kcal | 2280 kcal |
| Fat | 5.6 g | 18 g | 108 g |
| of which saturated | 2.4 g | 8 g | 48 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14.4 g | 46 g | 276 g |
| of which sugars | 1.5 g | 5 g | 30 g |
| Protein | 2.8 g | 9 g | 54 g |
| Salt | 0.6 g | 2 g | 12 g |
Reference intake of an average adult (8400 kJ / 2000 kcal).
WAGUU Pro level
- Pro standard: Tested recipe with exact ratios and visual control points.
- Tip 1: Fry bramboráky in a mix of sunflower oil and pork lard (50/50). The lard gives a deeper flavour and helps the edges crisp faster.
- Tip 2: Add a tablespoon of the potato water back into the batter just before frying. It sounds odd, but it loosens the batter so the pancakes spread more thinly and crisp better.
- Tip 3: Add 50 g of finely chopped smoked bacon or smoked sausage to the batter for a richer, saltier version. This is the version you find in Czech pubs.
- Tip 4: If the pancakes are browning too quickly, the oil is too hot. Take the pan off the heat for 30 seconds, then continue.
Scientific background
Raw grated potato releases water and starch when the cells are broken. The starch (amylose and amylopectin) is what binds the pancake together during frying – the flour and egg reinforce this but are not the primary binder. If you squeeze all the water out, you lose the starch too, and the batter needs extra flour to hold together, which makes the pancake dense. Frying at 170 °C sets the outside of the pancake before water inside can migrate to the surface and turn to steam, which is what keeps the centre moist. The marjoram contains thymol and carvacrol, aromatic compounds that survive frying and give the pancake its characteristic savoury note. The garlic contains allicin, which forms when the cloves are crushed and breaks down above 60 °C – so its flavour becomes milder and sweeter during frying, which is why grated garlic and marjoram are added to the batter rather than served as a finishing spice.
Fine Dining – Professional techniques
- Plate composition: Stack two pancakes slightly off-centre on the plate, with a spoonful of sour cream and a scattering of chives on top.
- Texture contrasts: The crisp edges contrast with the soft middle and the cold sour cream.
- Temperature contrast: Serve the pancakes hot and the sour cream cold from the fridge – the contrast lifts the whole dish.
- Aromatic additions: A small pinch of smoked paprika over the sour cream, or a few drops of truffle oil if you want a modern twist.
Sensory radar
- Appearance: Deep golden brown with lacy edges, pale and slightly softer in the middle
- Aroma: Fried potato, garlic, marjoram, a hint of caraway
- Taste: Savoury, gently garlicky, herby from the marjoram, salty at the edges
- Texture: Crisp at the edges, tender in the middle, cool and creamy from the sour cream
Pairing
- BEER: Pilsner Urquell or a dark lager like Kozel Černý
- WINE: Dry white – Riesling or Grüner Veltliner
- SOFT DRINK: Dry cider or a glass of cold milk
Other preparation variations
- Bramboráky with bacon: Add 100 g of finely chopped smoked bacon to the batter. The bacon adds salt and smoke, and the fat helps the edges crisp.
- Bramboráky with cheese: Add 80 g of grated Eidam or smoked cheese to the batter. The cheese melts and stretches inside the pancake when you bite into it.
Allergens and dietary information
Contains: Gluten, dairy, eggs • Gluten: Yes (flour) • Not suitable for: Coeliac disease (without substitutions), lactose intolerance
Suitable for
Light dinners, pub food, snacks, meat-free days, autumn cooking
Substitution catalogue
- Waxy potatoes: Any yellow-fleshed variety; avoid floury potatoes
- Sunflower oil: Pork lard or rapeseed oil
- Plain flour: Gluten-free flour blend (add 1 extra egg to bind)
- Sour cream: Crème fraîche or full-fat Greek yogurt
FAQ
My pancakes fall apart. What went wrong?
The batter is too wet. Add one more tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of cornflour. If it is still too wet, squeeze the potatoes a little more next time – but only a little, you still want some starch in the batter.
My pancakes are greasy. What went wrong?
The oil was too cold. If the oil is below 160 °C, the pancakes absorb fat instead of sealing the outside. Test the oil with a small piece of potato before frying – it should sizzle gently and rise within 2 seconds.
My pancakes are doughy in the middle. What went wrong?
Two possible reasons: too much flour, or the pancakes are too thick. Spread them to about 1 cm thick, and use less flour – the batter should just hold together.
Can I make bramboráky ahead of time?
Yes. Fry them as normal, cool them on a rack, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a hot oven at 200 °C for 5 minutes – they will crisp back up. Do not reheat them in a microwave – they turn soft and rubbery.
WAGUU Petr advises: Cooking for 6 or more?
6–8 people: Use 1.3 kg of potatoes and fry in two pans at once to keep the process moving. Keep the finished pancakes in a low oven. 10+ people: Double the recipe. Grate the potatoes in batches and keep them in cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them browning. Squeeze each batch just before mixing.
Storage and reheating
Fridge: 2 days • Freezer: 1 month (freeze on a tray first, then transfer to a bag) • Reheating: Reheat on a baking tray in a 200 °C oven for 5–6 minutes, turning once. Do not microwave – they will lose their crisp.
Author: WAGUU Petr & Team • Published: 18 Sep 2026
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Most common mistakes
- Too much flour – the batter should barely hold together. If it looks like dough, the pancakes will be heavy and doughy.
- Oil too cold – below 160 °C the pancakes soak up fat and turn greasy. Test with a small piece of potato before frying.
- Crowding the pan – when the pancakes touch, the oil temperature drops and they steam instead of fry. Two or three at a time is the maximum.
- Squeezing all the potato water out – some of that water carries the starch that binds the pancake. Squeeze gently – you want the batter moist, not dry.