Breakfast potatoes are the perfect savory side dish for pairing with all your morning favorites! Frozen hash browns are pan-fried with onions and spices until perfectly browned and crispy.
Anyone else need to pair pancakes, waffles, and French toast with something savory? Just to balance some of that sweetness? If you always order a side of hash browns with your stack of blueberry pancakes, then you’re going to love these breakfast potatoes!
And hey, even if you just want a side to pair with fried eggs and bacon, you’ll love this breakfast potato recipe too!
They’re just like diner-style potatoes—crispy, nicely browned, and packed with flavor thanks to a blend of seasonings. Use plenty of oil and a hot pan and you can’t go wrong.
Crispy Breakfast Potatoes Recipe
The best thing about these breakfast potatoes is that, from start to finish, they’re done in under 10 minutes. The secret is using frozen hash brown potatoes rather than cutting your own. This will save you a lot of prep time, without sacrificing quality! (In fact, most restaurants use frozen potatoes!)
I love serving breakfast potatoes with ketchup or hot sauce, but they’re so well-seasoned, you can enjoy them as-is, alongside all your favorite breakfast foods.
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Frozen diced hash browns – Thaw the potatoes before you start the recipe. Be sure to buy the diced potatoes, not the shredded kind!
- Olive oil
- Onion – A yellow onion is fine here.
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Parsley – You can leave this out if you don’t have parsley on hand, or try chives, green onions, or other fresh herbs instead.
- Salt & black pepper
Variations
There are countless ways to change up this recipe. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Add some diced red bell pepper, green bell pepper, or jalapeño pepper for a little spice.
- Heat things up with cayenne pepper or chili powder.
- Use smoked paprika in place of regular paprika for a smoky flavor.
- Add crumbled bacon for extra protein (and because, bacon!).
- Top your breakfast potatoes with shredded cheddar cheese.
How to Make Breakfast Potatoes
1. Prepare
Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed sauté pan until it’s smoking.
2. Brown the Potatoes
Add the potatoes to the pan in a single layer. Let them brown, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the Remaining Ingredients
Once the potatoes are browned and crispy on the bottom, add the onion, garlic powder, and paprika and stir to coat. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and golden brown on all sides, then season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley for garnish.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Breakfast Potatoes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, reheat them in a skillet set over medium heat until warmed through or pop them in the microwave.
FAQs
Some people call breakfast potatoes home fries, but home fries are usually made with larger chunks of raw potatoes that are parboiled before being pan-fried.
This is usually due to not using enough oil or not letting the potatoes cook long enough. Make sure to use plenty of oil and let them cook until they’re nice and crispy. Don’t flip or turn the potatoes until they’re browned and crisp!
You can substitute fresh Russet potatoes for frozen hash browns, but it will add quite a bit of prep time to the recipe. I would recommend parboiling the potatoes before adding them to the pan so they cook through evenly.
These breakfast potatoes are pan-fried, not deep-fried. This means instead of cooking them in a big pot of oil like French fries, they’re cooked in a skillet with just enough oil to coat it. You can also bake other breakfast potato recipes in the oven on a baking sheet.
More Recipes for Potato Lovers
- Sausage Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
- Cheesy Potatoes
- The Best Potato Salad
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 2lb bag of frozen diced hash browns thawed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium onion diced
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the olive oil until smoking. Add the potatoes to the pan in a single layer and let brown for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the onion, garlic powder, and paprika and stir. Continue cooking until potatoes are browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.
I was really excited about making these, then all of the potatoes stuck to the bottom of the skillet. I fear I’ve ruined them. Boo!!!
We’re sorry to hear this, Kellye! Did you coat the bottom with oil?
Great recipe! Whole family loved them!