You know those people who say they’re not big breakfast eaters? Or worse…they don’t like breakfast foods (gasp!)? Yeah, I’m not one of those people. I love breakfast and breakfast food. If I could pick one meal to eat out with friends, it would be breakfast/brunch. And my favorite, favorite breakfast food? Breakfast Potatoes. Hash browns. Whatever you want to call them, I will go out of my way to make sure I have them when I’m ordering breakfast or for special breakfasts at home (like, say, Christmas morning?).
I know this is pretty basic, but this is one of those things like scrambled eggs where it seems like it should be easy, but the potatoes just never come out quite right, you know? The key here is to not overwork the potatoes–you want to touch them as little as possible. Also, don’t be afraid of letting the potatoes get a little brown and crispy (if that’s your thing; if you prefer them cooked but not crispy, that’s cool, too).
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Potatoes – You’ll need about 4 medium baking potatoes (russet potatoes), but Yukon Gold or red potatoes can work, too.
- Onion – Yellow or white, just a small one.
- Salted butter – Always use real butter if you can! If you must substitute, swap it out for something with similar fat content, like a cooking oil of your choice. Lots of butter spreads/substitutes contain large amounts of water and will leave your potatoes stuck to the pan.
- Smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper – This is the mix of seasonings I like. You can always use regular paprika. If you decide you’d like to add garlic, sprinkle it on at the end, as dried garlic powder is prone to burning before the potatoes are cooked.
- Tabasco sauce – I love the little kick of flavor and touch of spice that Tabasco sauce provides. You can adjust how much you use or leave it out completely if you are not a fan.
How to Make Breakfast Potatoes
- First you’ll chop your potatoes and give them a short boil to start the cooking process. They are then drained and rinsed in cold water.
- Chopped onion gets a quick saute in butter, and then those potatoes are added and cooked in a single layer.
- After a few minutes, you’ll add your seasonings and then flip as many potatoes as you can all at once. The trick here is not handling them, too much!
- They will cook on the other side, until nice and golden, and then you can add additional seasonings to taste and enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- These potatoes are best enjoyed freshly made. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within a few days for best results.
- Reheat in the air fryer if possible to restore crispiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not unless you want to! These are delicious either way.
You can, you’ll just want to reheat them in a skillet, oven, or air fryer to restore the crispiness, rather than in the microwave.
Yep. Omit them if you’d like, or replace them with shallots if you prefer a milder onion flavor.
Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 medium baking potatoes
- 1 small white or yellow onion minced
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- 10-20 shakes of Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, cut the potatoes into ¼″-½″ cubes. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are slightly softened but not fully cooked. Drain and rinse in cool water.
- Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add the butter and heat until melted and bubbly. Add the diced onion and cook for about 1 minute or until the onions are softened. Add the potatoes in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes (don’t even touch them) and then sprinkle with paprika, 10 dashes of Tabasco, and a little salt and pepper. Using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan and flip as many potatoes as you can at once. You just want to handle the potatoes as little as possible while getting every surface of the potato a little crispy.
- When the potatoes have cooked for another 3-4 minutes, test them for doneness and seasoning; add more Tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until desired doneness is reached, flipping them the same way as before. It’s hard to overcook these potatoes–they should be a little crispy on the outside, but not burned. Serves 4-6.
Questions & Reviews
These sound great! Do you think it would work to do everything up through the par boiling and then throw them in the fridge and finish in the morning?
They’ll taste good, but the problem is that they’ll discolor. One thing you can do is chop them and keep them covered in ice water and then boil them in the morning.
Thanks! Didn’t think about the discoloration. 😉
I par-boiled way too many potatoes for the “funeral potatoes” I made last week. And since I shredded all of them rather than measuring as I went, I just slid the extra shreds in a bag in the fridge. They were fine when I cooked them as hashbrowns two days later.
I am dairy free for my no longer cranky nursing baby, what are your thoughts on skipping the butter and using maybe canola oil? Or just bacon grease 🙂
Go for it! 🙂
I make my kids hash browns for breakfast every Saturday… that’s my bribe to get them out of bed to get their chores done. I make them almost this exact same way but I substitute a sweet potato for one of the russets. Mmmmmm!!
Can’t wait to try these. Almost anything potato is okay in my book. I agree about cast iron skillets. I like to reheat mashed potatoes in one so that they get little crusties in them. Yum!!
If you’re feeling particularly wild, the addition of a couple jalapenos and onions really make these pop!
I am also from western NY- “home fries” are my favorite and you are totally expected to eat them with ketchup!
Yum! And, no, ketchup isn’t wrong…it’s so right…esp with tabasco. BTW: love the Williams-Sonoma towels! I have the same ones and have had them for nearly 10 years. Thanks, Kate!
Shhh, we know you aren’t REALLY a foodie, Kate, so it’s okay if you confess ketchup on your potatoes. After all, everyone accepts ketchup with french fries, so what’s the problem?
I’ve been making fried potatoes forever. In fact, when my older daughter was pregnant, it was about the only thing she could eat. What an amazing idea to speed up the cooking process by par-boiling! You little genius, you!
Where I grew up in western NY, we called these “home fries”. Hash browns were always the grated fried potatoes. I love these waaaay more than those grated things! Never thought to preboil them, but it makes total sense! Thanks.
great recipe! when we make these we crack a few eggs over the top at the last minute (usually with bacon crumbled in) to make for an awesome scramble. Thanks for the pre-boil tip!