TikTok's Viral 15-Hour Potatoes Are Worth Every Second of the Wait

If you thought accordion potatoes were the crispiest form of potato next to an actual potato chip, this recipe for 15-hour potatoes will certainly change your mind. In a series of videos posted that have since gone viral, cookbook author Poppy O'Toole, who goes by @PoppyCooks on TikTok, shared the secret to achieving the crispiest potatoes ever: 15 hours of slicing, marinating, layering, baking, then frying to perfection. O'Toole originally posted the recipe in 2021, but it's stayed relevant for years now, known as the "15-hour potato." Videos tagged with the hashtag #15hourpotato on TikTok have garnered 103 million views, and even Gwyneth Paltrow tried the recipe.

Considering O'Toole is a Michelin-trained chef, it comes as no surprise that her crispy potato recipe is a hit. But it's also an all-day affair. Luckily, as someone who actually put it to the test, I can confirm that the process is a lot more tedious than it is technically challenging, and the majority of the 15 hours are spent waiting. And trust me, it's worth the time.

O'Toole's 15-hour potatoes recipe calls for Maris Piper potatoes, but you can easily substitute russet potatoes instead. I ended up trying both russet and sweet potatoes, and both came out delicious. Sweet potatoes aren't really known for their crispness, but for this recipe, the potatoes are sliced very thinly, and each is coated in a serious amount of fat, so the sweet potato version still yielded great results. Based on my experience, this recipe can crisp up even the most reluctant potato.

The entire process involves slicing, baking, compressing, and frying the potatoes, and though it might seem complicated, the hardest part of the recipe is waiting 12 hours for the potatoes to set in the fridge. After the final frying stage, 15-hour potatoes are a textural masterpiece. They're flaky, crispy, and light, and in terms of flavor, they definitely check all the boxes. When I took my first bite, I could hardly believe there wasn't any other seasoning besides beef fat and salt, and honestly, it didn't need anything else — not even ketchup. Never would I have thought that I'd spend 15 hours on a single batch of potatoes, but for that first bite alone, I'd say it was time well spent.

Here's exactly how to make O'Toole's crispy 15-hour potatoes recipe, so you can try it and see for yourself.