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    Home » Main Dishes

    Bramboraky – Czech Potato Pancakes

    Published: Mar 12, 2020 · Modified: Nov 7, 2022 by Petra Kupská

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    Flavorful, loaded with plenty of garlic and marjoram, surprisingly easy. Talking about bramboráky, famous Czech potato pancakes! I don’t know a Czech who wouldn’t like them. And no one can eat just one! Find out why bramborak is one of the most popular Czech recipes around.

    Bramboraky, Czech potato pancakes served on a plate.
    Table of Contents hide
    ➜ What is Czech bramborak?
    ➜ Ingredients
    ➜ Detailed Instructions with Photos
    ➜ Serving
    ➜ What Should a Good Bramborak Look Like?
    ➜ Pronunciation
    ➜ Enhancement
    ➜ Useful Tips
    Authentic Czech Bramborák Recipe

    ➜ What is Czech bramborak?

    Bramborak is a Czech shredded potato pancake. It is made from raw shredded potatoes, with a lot of garlic and marjoram. An egg, flour, and hot milk ensure that the potato pancakes stick together when fried and have a nice texture.

    Bramboraky pancakes are pan-fried in pork lard or vegetable oil.

    MYT TIP: Want more typical Czech food? Try česnečka, a clear garlic soup oft used as hangover soup!

    ➜ Ingredients

    Indredients for Czech bramboraky potato pancakes with description.

    To make Czech bramboráky pancakes, you will need:

    • Potatoes; any all-purpose yellow potatoes like Yukon gold
    • Milk; hot, for pouring over shredded potatoes to prevent them from browning
    • All-purpose flour
    • Egg
    • Dried marjoram; a typical Czech herb!
    • Garlic; fresh, peeled and pressed or mashed
    • Salt
    • Pork lard; or vegetable oil such as Canola or sunflower (avoid olive oil, which can affect the authentic taste)

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    Quick Instructions

    1. Peel raw potatoes and shred them.
    2. Strain the excess liquid.
    3. Pour the hot milk over potatoes.
    4. Add flour, egg, salt, pressed garlic and majroram. Stir well.
    5. Fry bramboraky in a pan to a perfect golden-brown.

    ➜ Detailed Instructions with Photos

    STEP 1: Peel the raw potatoes and shred them finely with a box grater.

    Shredding potatoes with a box grater.

    TIP: Learn, how to shred potatoes

    STEP 2: Transfer the grated potatoes to a colander and squeeze out the excess liquid they released.

    Sqeezing excess liquid out of shredder potatoes.

    STEP 3: Put the squeezed potatoes in a bowl, pour hot milk over them. Add an egg, flour, pressed garlic, dried marjoram, and salt. Stir. The potato batter should have a semi-fluid consistency.

    Making potato batter for Czech bramboráky.

    STEP 4: Take a non-stick frying pan, put the lard or vegetable oil in it (1-2 Tablespoons pro pancake), and heat it up to medium heat. Always mix the potato batter evenly before frying, scoop one ladleful and carefully dump it into the middle of the preheated pan. Using a flat spoon, spread the dough into a ¼ inch (5-6 mm) thick pancake about 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter.

    STEP 5: Fry each bramborak for about 2-3 minutes on both sides. Flip with a flat spatula once the edges start to turn golden.

    Frying potato pancake on both sided in a pan.

    STEP 6: Stack up the finished bramboraky on a plate. If you want to save calories and make the pancakes healthier, line them with paper towels to soak up excess fat.

    ➜ Serving

    Serve the bramboraky pancakes immediately while still warm, when they are beautifully crispy around the edges. The colder the pancake, the chewier it will be.

    Serve on its own as a snack or dinner.

    TIP: Czechs sometimes fry potato pancakes as small patties about 3 (7-8 cm) inches in diameter. These are called "bramboráčky" and are oft served in Czech pubs as a side dish with meaty meals.

    You can also find a dish called "cmunda". It is a well-known South Bohemian version of the classic bramborák, served folded with cabbage and smoked meat inside.

    ➜ What Should a Good Bramborak Look Like?

    A typical Czech bramborak is about 6-8 inches wide (15-20 cm), with a fuzzy and crispy crust.

    It smells distinctly of garlic and marjoram. A properly fried bramborak is golden in color, not too brown, except for the crispy edges.

    Czech bramborak pancake.

    ➜ Pronunciation

    I recorded a short audio clip on pronouncing the Czech word bramborák. The first word in the audio is "bramborák," the second is "bramboráky," which means plural (2 and more bramborák).

    ➜ Enhancement

    Here I provide a basic traditional recipe for Czech bramboraky. Once you manage to make it, feel free to modify the potato batter to your liking.

    Add smoked meat cut into cubes, mushrooms, or replace a part of the mixture with grated cabbage or zucchini.

    ➜ Useful Tips

    • I highly recommend you fry one small test bramborak patty first, taste it, and if necessary, season the batter to your liking.
    • The bramborak pancake should be about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) in diameter. If you manage to make it bigger, the bramborak will be less easy to flip and the hot fat may splatter you.

    More Czech recipes:

    • Karbanátek – beef and pork ground meat patties
    • Svíčková – iconic Czech cream sauce
    • Beef Goulash – hovězí guláš
    • Cmunda po kaplicku – potato pancakes filled with smoked meat and sauerkraut

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me any question about Czech cuisine to my e-mail. I love hearing your feedback!

    czech bramborák recipe

    Authentic Czech Bramborák Recipe

    Flavorful, loaded with plenty of garlic and marjoram, surprisingly easy. Talking about bramboraky, famous Czech potato pancakes! I don’t know a Czech who wouldn’t like them. And no one can eat just one! Find out why bramborak is one of the most popular Czech recipes around.
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 6 minutes
    Total Time: 36 minutes
    Servings: 5 pancakes
    Calories: 525kcal
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: czech bramboráky, potato pancakes

    Ingredients

    • 6 potatoes medium, raw, yellow, e.g. Yukon gold
    • ⅔ cup milk (160 ml) hot
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour (65 g)
    • 1 egg
    • 5 cloves garlic fresh, pressed
    • 1 Tablespoon marjoram dried
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • pork lard for frying; or Canola/sunflower oil

    Instructions

    • Peel the raw potatoes and shred them finely with a box grater.
    • Transfer the grated potatoes to a colander and squeeze out the excess water they have released.
    • Put the squeezed potatoes in a bowl, pour hot milk over them. Add an egg, flour, pressed garlic, dried marjoram, and salt. Stir. The potato batter should have a semi-fluid consistency.
    • Take a non-stick frying pan, put the lard or vegetable oil in it (1-2 Tablespoons pro pancake), and heat it up to medium heat. Always mix the potato batter evenly before frying, scoop one ladleful and carefully dump it into the middle of the preheated pan. Using a flat spoon, spread the dough into a ¼ inch (5-6 mm) thick pancake about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) in diameter.
    • Fry each potato pancake for about 2-3 minutes on both sides. Once the edges start to turn golden, flip the pancake with a flat spatula.
    • Arrange the finished potato pancakes on a plate. If you want to save calories and make the potato pancakes healthier, line them with paper towels to soak up excess fat.

    Notes

    • SERVING: Serve the bramboraky pancakes immediately while still warm, when they are beautifully crispy around the edges. The colder the potato pancake, the chewier it will be. Serve on its own as a snack or dinner.
    • Makes about 5 bramboraky pancakes in 8 inches size.
    • I highly recommend you fry one small test bramborak patty first, taste it, and if necessary, season the batter to your liking.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart

    Nutritional Estimate pro portion

    Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 521mg | Potassium: 1953mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 148IU | Vitamin C: 88mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 5mg
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    More Czech Main Dishes

    • Pork Liver with Gravy (Onion and Bacon Included)
    • Mushroom Bread Pudding (Czech Hubník)
    • Ham, Sauerkraut and Potato Dumplings (Czech Strapacky)
    • Crispy Pork Knuckle (Czech Veprove Koleno)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Giulia

      November 20, 2020 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      Hi Petra!

      My boyfriend is Czech and I'm Italian, and before meeting him I knew nothing about Czech cuisine (and he knows all about the eating part, and nothing about the cooking part). Your website has been a godsend! The recipes are clear and easy to follow, the tips and tibdits are useful and interesting and the photography is lovely. These potato pancakes were excellent. Trying the Fruit Dumplings next.

      Greetings from Italy 🙂

      Reply
      • Petra | Cook Like Czechs

        December 02, 2020 at 11:15 am

        Ahoj Giulia,

        thank you so much for you comment and compliments 🙂 Yep, Czech boys are usualy not very good at cooking, but they love to get served a good meal (and eat it in a company of their loved ones 😉

        Enjoy the time together before Christmas!

        Many greetings from the Czech Republic, Petra

        Reply
    2. pz

      May 30, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      5 stars
      Very nice and garlicky!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        May 30, 2021 at 2:56 pm

        Oh yes, potato pancake bramborák includes lots of garlic and dried marjoram! 🙂

        Reply
        • carin cihlar

          January 30, 2022 at 6:42 pm

          5 stars
          my Great Aunt used to make these i can not wait to have them again only thing better would be if i could have them with her. another keeper thank you again Dekuji

          Reply
    3. Gary Prebyl

      June 01, 2021 at 10:53 am

      5 stars
      Ahoj Petra, Thank you for the recipe.
      am learning to cook for myself.
      Pribyl family is from the Kralovice area.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        June 01, 2021 at 4:30 pm

        Ahoj Gary, thank you for your kind comment, I hope you enjoy the bramboráky potato pancakes! Přibyl is a beautiful, typical Czech name. In the past, Czechs could call someone who had newly arrived or moved in by this name.

        Reply
    4. stania machacek

      June 19, 2021 at 12:10 am

      3 stars
      My Dad is from Prague. Born 1942. Bramborak was a weekend treat he would spend all.afternoon making with 3 pans on the stove. He never added milk or any liquid. Just eggs, onion, garlic, and marjoram. It was always a big deal cause he made them maybe once a month, if that. I watched him make them for almost 30 years and I still can't make them as good. We went to Prague in 1997 and my Bubichka made them...OMG. To die for.
      Must have with sour cream. Some people like apple sauce, but to me, that's just weird.

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        June 19, 2021 at 6:46 am

        Ahoj Stania, thank you for your comment. I think the recipe for Czech bramboráky potato pancakes has many variations, but the base is a lot of garlic and marjoram. The classic recipe for potato pancakes does indeed contain milk. Potato pancakes without liquid are very common in our neighbors in Germany, where they call them Kartoffelpuffer - they are crispier than Czech ones, less soft. In Germany, their potato pancakes are also typically served with Apfelmuss (apple sauce). Either way, bramboráky are usually associated with memories of our loved ones who fondly prepared them for us. P. S. My dad was also born in 1942, in Jilemnice, a small town below the Krkonoše Mountains (the largest Czech mountains). With friendly greetings, Petra

        Reply
    5. Milena Bartik

      June 28, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      5 stars
      Jak prochazim tvoje recepty, tak vylozene kulim oci, jeste nikdy jsem nedala mliko do bramboraku, ale to zkusim, vypadaji moc chutne. Dekuj...

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        July 01, 2021 at 7:54 am

        Myslím, že recept na bramboráky se region od regionu trochu liší. U nás doma přeléváme nastrouhané brambory mlékem, aby "nezmodraly". Někdo zde psal, že také bramboráky ničím nezalévají. Takhle nasucho je dělají třeba vedle u sousedů v Německu - bramboráky jsou pak spíše křupavé a méně vláčné. Asi záleží na chuti, schválně vyzkoušej s tím mlékem a dej pak vědět, jak to dopadlo! Posílám pozdrav ze severu Čech, Petra

        Reply
    6. Rose

      August 10, 2021 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      My mom, who escaped from Czechoslovakia in 1968 always used to make these paired with cottage cheese! This recipe brought me back to the good old days when we had the bramboráky for dinner!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        August 10, 2021 at 4:54 pm

        We also spread bramboráky potato pancakes with fresh cheese! Most often it is Czech cheese Lučina 🙂

        Reply
    7. Kevin

      October 27, 2021 at 5:41 pm

      Absolutely fabulous. We made these with some good sausage and salad and they were excellent. Held their shape extremely well and came out perfectly crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. My kids were visiting and loved them too. Thank you again for another delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • Kevin

        October 27, 2021 at 5:42 pm

        5 stars
        I forgot to add stars on my previous review so adding here 🙂

        Reply
        • Petra Kupská

          October 30, 2021 at 10:11 am

          Thank you very much, Kevin!

          Reply
    8. Petra N

      January 31, 2022 at 3:23 am

      5 stars
      Totally agree with all the comments above saying how wonderfully tasty these are! Have been looking for a recipe for a long time and this one was perfect - thanks to this website, my children are slowly being introduced to the foods my mum (who was Czech) used to cook for me when I was little, and they loved these - thank you Petra!!!!

      Reply
    9. Anashta Celovich

      February 02, 2022 at 10:15 am

      This is going to sound ridiculous, but I am allergic to gluten, eggs and milk.
      Would I be able to sub gluten-free flour, flax eggs and almond milk? Or would that be a terrible disaster? I am a very unfortunate Czech. LOL

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        February 06, 2022 at 5:02 am

        Hi Anashta, thank you for your comment! Hmm, since I myself don't have an allergy to the foods you mentioned, I don't dare to guess how these potato pancakes with substitutes would taste. On the other hand: the Czech potato pancake is characterized by the addition of large amounts of garlic and marjoram, so much of the identical flavor could be retained. Eggs serve as a binder when frying; if you replace it with flax eggs, be sure to pan-fry smaller potato pancakes than the recipe recommends.

        Reply
    10. Ben Pribyl

      November 11, 2022 at 3:23 pm

      Can I buy these potato pancakes already made? I am Bohemian and my grandmother made absolutely excellent potato pancakes in a cast iron skillet on a wood burning stove- Your recipe seems to mimic close to what my grandmother did

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        November 16, 2022 at 9:46 am

        Hello Ben, in traditional Czech potato pancakes, you'll find lots of garlic and dried marjoram. Since I live in the Czech Republic, I'm not sure if and where to buy bramboraky in your country. But their making is straightforward; give it a try and see what success you will have!

        Reply

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

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