Flavorful, loaded with plenty of garlic and marjoram, and 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 Bramborák is one of the most popular Czech recipes around.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is how Carin commented on the recipe: "My Great Aunt used to make these. I can't wait to have them again. The only thing better would be enjoying Bramborky pancakes with her. Another keeper! Thank you again, Dekuji."
In this post: What is Czech Bramborák · Pronunciation · Ingredients you need · Instructions with photos · How to serve · What should a Bramborák look like · Useful tips
➜ What is Czech Bramborák?
Bramborák (singular) is a Czech potato pancake, made from raw, shredded potatoes with lots of pressed garlic and dried marjoram. An egg, flour, and hot milk ensure that the pancakes stick together when fried and have a nice texture: thin with crispy edges.
Bramborák pancakes are pan-fried in pork lard or vegetable oil.
MYT TIP: Want more typical Czech food? Try Česnečka, a clear garlic soup often used as a hangover cure!
➜ Pronunciation
I recorded a short audio clip on pronouncing the Czech word 'bramborák.' The first word in the audio is "Bramborák," and the second is "Bramboráky," which is the plural form (2 or more Bramborák pancakes).
Other regional names for Bramborák are: zmrazky, cmunda, bandorník, strouhanec, frncábník, kramfleky, křapáč
➜ Ingredients
To make Czech Bramboráky pancakes, you will need:
- Potatoes; any all-purpose or starchy yellow potatoes like Yukon gold, Russets
- Milk; hot, for pouring over shredded potatoes to prevent them from browning
- All-purpose flour; read more about types of Czech wheat 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 will find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, which you can also print out.
Quick Instructions
- Peel raw potatoes and shred them.
- Squeeze out the potato water.
- Pour the hot milk over potatoes.
- Add flour, egg, salt, pressed garlic and majroram. Stir well.
- Pan-fry Bramboráky in fat to a perfect golden brown.
➜ Detailed instructions with photos
STEP 1: Peel the raw potatoes and finely shred them using a box grater.
TIP: Learn, how to shred potatoes
STEP 2: Transfer the grated potatoes to a strainer and squeeze out the excess liquid they released.
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.
STEP 4: Take a non-stick frying pan, add the lard or vegetable oil (1-2 tablespoons per pancake), and heat it over medium heat. Always mix the potato batter thoroughly before frying. Scoop one ladleful and carefully pour it into the center of the preheated pan. Using a flat spoon, spread the batter into a pancake about ¼ inch (5-6 mm) thick and 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter.
STEP 5: Fry each Bramborák for about 2-3 minutes on both sides or until golden brown. Flip the pancake with a flat spatula once the edges start to turn golden.
STEP 6: Stack the finished Bramboráky on a plate. If you want to save calories and make the pancakes healthier, you can line them with paper towels to absorb excess fat.
➜ Serving
Serve the bramborak 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: In Czech cuisine, potato pancakes are sometimes fried as small patties, approximately 3 inches (7-8 cm) in diameter. These are known as "Bramboráčky" and are commonly served in Prague and other Czech pubs as a side dish with hearty meals like goulash.
You might also encounter a dish called "Cmunda po Kaplicku". It is a well-known South Bohemian version of the classic Bramborák, served folded with sauerkraut and smoked meat inside.
➜ What should a good Bramborak look like?
A typical Czech Brambovák is about 6-8 inches wide (15-20 cm), with a fuzzy and crispy edges.
It smells distinctly of garlic and marjoram. A properly fried Bramborák is golden in color, not too brown, except for the edges.
➜ Enhancement
Here, I provide a basic traditional recipe for Czech Bramboráky. Once you've mastered it, feel free to customize the potato batter to your taste. You can add smoked meat cut into cubes, mushrooms, or replace a portion of the mixture with grated cabbage or zucchini.
➜ Useful Tips
- I highly recommend you fry one small sample Bramborak patty first, taste it, and if necessary, season the batter to your liking.
- The ideal size for a Bramborák pancake should be about 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) in diameter. If you make it larger, flipping the Bramborák will be more difficult and the hot fat may splatter.
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! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Authentic Czech Bramborák Recipe
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 6 raw potatoes medium, yellow, e.g. Yukon gold
- ⅔ cup hot milk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 5 cloves pressed garlic
- 1 Tablespoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pork lard for frying; or Canola/sunflower oil
Instructions
- Peel 6 raw potatoes and shred them finely with a box grater.
- Transfer the shredded potatoes to a colander and squeeze out excess water they have released.
- Put the squeezed potatoes in a bowl and pour ⅔ cup hot milk over them. Add 1 egg, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 5 cloves pressed garlic, 1 Tablespoon dried marjoram, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir until combined. The potato batter should have a semi-fluid consistency.
- Heat the fat in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat (about 2 tablespoons per pancake). Quickly stir the potato batter before frying, scoop up a ladleful, and carefully pour it into the center of the pan. Using the flat side of the spoon, spread the batter 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 Bramboráky pancakes on a plate. If you want to save calories and make the 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.
- The basic recipe makes about 5 Bramboráky pancakes in an 8-inch size.
- I highly recommend you fry one small sample of Bramborák first, taste it, and, if necessary, season the batter to your liking.
Giulia says
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 🙂
Petra | Cook Like Czechs says
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
pz says
Very nice and garlicky!
Petra Kupská says
Oh yes, potato pancake bramborák includes lots of garlic and dried marjoram! 🙂
carin cihlar says
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
Gary Prebyl says
Ahoj Petra, Thank you for the recipe.
am learning to cook for myself.
Pribyl family is from the Kralovice area.
Petra Kupská says
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.
stania machacek says
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.
Petra Kupská says
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
Milena Bartik says
Jak prochazim tvoje recepty, tak vylozene kulim oci, jeste nikdy jsem nedala mliko do bramboraku, ale to zkusim, vypadaji moc chutne. Dekuj...
Petra Kupská says
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
Rose says
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!
Petra Kupská says
We also spread bramboráky potato pancakes with fresh cheese! Most often it is Czech cheese Lučina 🙂
Kevin says
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!
Kevin says
I forgot to add stars on my previous review so adding here 🙂
Petra Kupská says
Thank you very much, Kevin!
Petra N says
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!!!!
Anashta Celovich says
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
Petra Kupská says
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.
Ben Pribyl says
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
Petra Kupská says
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!
Dailin says
Hi! very excited to be making these tonight. I am wondering if it is possible to make the batter and then refrigerate it to be used for lunch tomorrow?
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Hello Dailin, I am happy you like the recipe and want to make bramboraky yourself!
Hmm, I would recommend making bramboraky right away. They can be refrigerated after - however, when you eat them fresh out of the pan, they are crispier. As they cool they become chewier.
Anne says
My question exactly! Did you try refrigerating the batter ahead of time?
Petra Kupská says
Honestly, I have no experience freezing Bramboráky potato pancake batter. I know that some Czech shops sell chilled potato pancakes, but these are already fried.
Jon Kadlec says
I had this dish in the Czech Republic last year. The version they served was stuffed with sauerkraut and smoked meat. I think it was called Bramborakova Apsa? I made this recipe a few weeks ago for my 86 year old Bohemian father (raised in the USA). They turned out great and we enjoyed it very much!
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for your comment, Jon - I am very happy to hear the recipe was a success!
Hope you enjoyed your stay! 🙂
Anita Hartgerink says
Ii haven’t made the pancakes yet but your recipes remind me of my Grandma and my Mom! We always had dumplings red cabbage, and the one thing I really want to try is the poppyseed sweet bread or whatever you all it! It all was so nummy! Lots of memories!
Petra Kupská says
I am so glad that it brings such memories. I am trying to think what could clasify as "sweet bread". Are you tnikning of "makovec" nebo "makový závin"?
https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/poppy-seed-cake-czech-makovec/#growSource=search&growReferrer=true
https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/czech-poppy-seed-roll/
Joseph says
hello y'all very nice recipe. Italian Lithuanian heritage. my mom and even ancient relatives never heard of CANOLA oil aint no Canola Tree Nut , or FRUIT ITS A GMO CREATED BY MONSANTO. WHAT DA HECK DID THE OLD FOLKS USE AND THOSE BEFORE THEM. surely a true veg. or grain oil.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for your comment! Rapeseed oil (řepkový olej), known as canola in North America, is a common choice in the Czech Republic when frying. As for what people used in the past, it really depends on how far back you want to go. During tough times like wartime, folks used whatever cheap fat substitutes were available. Go even further back, and it varied by location. People in cities had different options than those in the countryside. On farms, pork lard was often used, since families typically raised pigs and lard was readily available.
Nick Fox says
Hey Petra, we're just back from Kutnà Hora where I had venison haunch, wrapped in bacon, in plum sauce with bramboracky on the side.
I've just recreated that with local Scottish venison at home, and for a first attempt, the bramboracky were amazing. Really easy recipie to follow, and they turned out absolutely perfectly.
Thank you so much!
(any chance of a walnut brandy recipie? I can't get hold of it anywhere in the UK)
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Venison with bacon in plum sauce with bramboráčky? That sounds incredible! I am so glad the recipe worked out, and getting bramboráčky perfect on the first try? Nicely done! 👏 I don’t see myself making recipes for walnut brandy anytime soon... but hey, never say never!
Joseph says
I lived in Hradcany in Prague for 2 years and Palisady in Bratislava for 2 years and the things I still miss since returning to the UK are Pilsner Urquelle, bramboracky filled with ground beef and also the pancake which is deep fried in garlic oil and I think is called Langos. Your recipe looks delicious and really simple to make and I will try it very soon. I hope you post some recipes for Czech venison sausages which are also extremely tasty.