TikTok's Viral Bubble Potato Pillows Might Be Better Than Tots: Here's How to Make Them

Golden, puffy, and irresistible, bubble potato pillows are all over TikTok. They were developed by Ms. Shi, a professional TikTok-er and food blogger, whose original video has racked up millions of views. A cross between gnocchi and tater tots, with a not-so-secret ingredient of glutinous rice flour, bubble potato pillows are fluffy, chewy, and crispy all at once. Plus, who can resist the words “bubble” and “pillow” in the title of a recipe? Here, we share the steps to make your own bubble potato pillows, as well as some advice for tweaking them to suit your tastes.

Bubble Potato Pillows Recipe

Follow the steps below to make Bubble Potato Pillows all on your own.

1. Wash two Russet potatoes, and make a shallow cut around their circumferences to make it easier to peel them later on.
2. Boil the potatoes until a skewer goes through them with no resistance. 
3. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl of iced water, then peel the skins with your hands.
4. Mash the potatoes with whatever utensil you prefer (fork, masher, garlic press, potato ricer, etc.).
5. Mix the mashed potatoes with 2 tbsp. glutinous rice flour, 1 tbsp. cornstarch or potato starch, ⅓ tsp. salt, and ⅓ tsp. pepper.
6. Knead the mashed potato mixture into a dough.
7. Separate the dough into two sections, and roll each of them into a log.
8. Cut each log into evenly sized shapes, or “pillows,” and indent them with the back of a fork. 
9. Heat up four cups of neutral cooking oil over medium heat.
10. Deep-fry the pillows until lightly golden (about 5 minutes), then remove them from the pot.
11. Turn the heat up to high, and deep-fry them again for about 30 seconds, or until they turn a deeper golden brown. 
12. Remove and drain the pillows, then serve!
    

Bubble Potato Pillow Upgrades 

Relatively neutral-tasting, bubble potato pillows work well with a whole range of flavors. We recommend adding flavorings to your original mashed potato base; whatever works well with regular mashed potatoes will work well here. We’re fans of chives, miso, Cheddar, roasted garlic, bacon, brown butter, and so on. Serve with any kind of dipping sauce, like ketchup, an aioli or honey mustard.