In this post I’ll be sharing a recipe using a popular pantry staple for Fried Spam and Potatoes.

When I was a young child there were times where my mother would slice up Spam and fry it up for dinner. I hated it too! Like many of you, I grew up in a house where it was “you’ll eat it or starve”.

Of course there was no chance that I’d starve to death. I could make a meal out of a buttered piece of cornbread and bypass my share of sliced Spam.

Fast forward to back in March of 2020 when the store shelves were being emptied as folks were preparing to hunker down for a while and I grabbed a can of Spam from the store shelf.

Why did I do that knowing that I didn’t care for it, or so I thought, and haven’t had it in at least forty three years? Because it is shelf stable, that is why. Plus there wasn’t a lot of stuff left on the shelves to choose from.

There was another reason too. Lots of folks love the stuff. I thought to appeal to my wide range of readers (and we all have different tastes in food) that I should do a recipe with Spam for the blog.

People were eager to find shelf stable meal options in the past year and still are. I was seeing post after post on social media where a lot of people didn’t know how to cook. They never really had to in our world of convenience.

That can of Spam sat on my pantry shelf for almost a year. I was afraid of it. I felt sure that if I didn’t like it as a child then nothing would be different now. Well, you know what? I was wrong.

Spam Fried Potatoes

A decision was made that I’d fry up a skillet of potatoes with Spam for our supper.

Did you know that Spam is made with just six ingredients? It’s not preservative packed like you might assume. It’s shelf stable for years too. I could have put off this recipe until almost 2024 if I wanted to.

My husband suggested serving it with melted cheese and slices of pickled jalapenos (which he eats on almost everything). I thought that was a great idea!

You know what else? We really liked our meal.

Would I buy Spam again to keep on hand? You can betcha bootie I will.

Now in all honesty I’m not gonna claim to love the stuff. I probably wouldn’t even enjoy it just sliced and cooked as mother made it. But in a potato skillet, it was quite good.

Spam and Potatoes

Probably the only unpleasant part of preparing the recipe was the initial smell when you open the can. I have that same reaction though when I open one of those cans of Chunky soup that hubs loves to eat occasionally.

After that it was smooth sailing. I sliced it up into cubes and into a hot cast iron skillet it goes. 

Pan Fried Spam Potatoes with Onions

After allowing the Spam to cook a few minutes then I added the cubed potatoes and some diced onion.

I love the combination of onion with fried potatoes.

Then it’s just a matter of frying and turning until the potatoes are softened and everything is browned as you’d like it.

Family Friendly Spam Recipes

After I seasoned everything then I added a couple of slices of American cheese on top of the Spam and potatoes to melt then plated it up.

It was good! It really was! I’m still a little bit surprised myself. I’d tell you if I didn’t like it.

So if you’re on the fence with Spam then maybe you should try it fried with potatoes.

This dish would also work fine for breakfast or dinner. A versatile recipe, budget friendly product and shelf stable…you can’t go wrong.

4.28 from 22 votes

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Fried Spam and Potatoes

A delicious budget friend meal using the popular pantry staple, Spam. The combination of pan fried Spam and potatoes is a delicious family meal.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Servings: 1 Family Skillet Meal

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Julia Jordan | Julia’s Simply Southern

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil for frying
• 12 oz. Can of Spam diced
• 4 Russet Potatoes medium/large in size peeled and diced
• 1 Small Onion diced
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Optional

• Sliced Cheese and Pickled Jalapeno Slices

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium.
• Add the diced Spam, potatoes and onion; fry turning occasionally until potatoes are tender and golden brown.
• Optional: Add cheese slices on top to melt before serving.

Recommended Products

Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet (12-Inch) with Handle Cover Oven Safe Cookware – Heat-Resistant Holder – Indoor and Outdoor Use – Grill, Stovetop, Induction Safe

Kraft Cheese American Singles Yellow 8 OZ Pack of 3

Spam Classic, 12 Ounce Can (Pack of 12)

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 711mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g

See All of Julia’s Dinner Recipes

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Meet Julia

Author of Julia's Simply Southern

About Julia

Hey Y'all! I'm Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia's Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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