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Slow Cooker Lyonnaise Potatoes: A Detailed Step-by-Step Recipe

Slow Cooker Lyonnaise Potatoes are a rich, savory potato dish made with thinly sliced potatoes, sweet onions, butter, garlic, herbs, and a golden tender finish. Traditional Lyonnaise potatoes are usually cooked in a skillet or oven, but this slow cooker version makes the process easier and more hands-off. The potatoes cook gently until soft, buttery, and full of onion flavor.

This recipe is perfect as a side dish for roasted chicken, steak, ham, grilled fish, sausages, or holiday meals. It is simple, comforting, and made with affordable ingredients, but the flavor feels classic and elegant.

What Are Lyonnaise Potatoes?

Lyonnaise potatoes are a French-style potato dish from Lyon, France. The classic version is made with sliced potatoes and onions cooked in butter until golden and tender. The flavor is simple but deeply satisfying: buttery potatoes, caramelized onions, garlic, parsley, and black pepper.

In the slow cooker version, the potatoes become soft and flavorful as they cook slowly with onions and butter. To get a more golden top, you can finish them under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking, but this step is optional.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

3 pounds potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried thyme, optional
½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Optional Ingredients

½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Crispy bacon pieces
Fresh rosemary

Step 1: Choose the Right Potatoes

For the best Lyonnaise potatoes, use Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, or russet potatoes.

Yukon gold potatoes are the best choice if you want a creamy texture and buttery flavor. Red potatoes hold their shape well and are great if you want firmer slices. Russet potatoes become softer and more delicate, so they work well if you like a tender, almost melt-in-the-mouth result.

Wash the potatoes well. You can peel them if you want a smoother dish, or leave the skins on for extra texture.

Step 2: Slice the Potatoes

Slice the potatoes into thin, even rounds, about ¼ inch thick.

Try to keep the slices the same thickness so they cook evenly. If some slices are too thick, they may stay firm while the thinner slices become very soft.

A sharp knife works fine, but a mandoline slicer can make the job faster and more even.

After slicing, place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. This removes some surface starch and helps prevent the potatoes from sticking together too much.

Drain and dry the potatoes well before cooking.

Step 3: Prepare the Onions

Peel the onions and slice them thinly.

The onions are a very important part of Lyonnaise potatoes. As they cook, they become sweet, soft, and flavorful. They give the potatoes their classic savory taste.

For deeper flavor, you can sauté the onions in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. This step is optional, but it gives the dish a richer, more caramelized flavor.