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I’ve always associated hash browns with classic diner fare, and left them there. However, I’ve been working on a breakfast burrito recipe on the request of several readers, and everyone has suggested including potatoes. Hash browns seemed like the easiest way to incorporate crispy potatoes.
Soggy hash browns have no business on my plate. Crispy hash browns or bust!
Hash browns are easy to make. Basically, all you have to do is grate up some potato, rinse off the starch, squeeze it dry, and cook the potato in a skillet with oil until crispy.
I found some areas of nuance, of course. To enhance the flavor, I tossed grated potato with salt, garlic powder and onion powder before cooking. The garlic and onion powder flavors are subtle, but they make these golden hash browns absolutely irresistible. I’ve used this trick with my roasted breakfast potatoes, potato wedges and mashed potatoes, too.
How to Make Crispy Hash Browns
My other trick to making these hash browns remarkably delicious is to cook them in extra-virgin olive oil. Yep! Extra-virgin olive oil actually has a pretty high smoke point (around 400 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, contrary to what you might have heard over the years).
I cook these hash browns over medium heat just to be safe. Cooking over high heat is tricky no matter what kind of oil you’re using. Depending on your pan and your stove, it’s just too easy to burn your food over medium-high or high heat.
If you follow my recipe, you’ll stir the potatoes and press them back down against the skillet every two minutes. That’s just long enough for the potatoes to get crispy; stirring ensures that some of the potatoes don’t burn while the rest are left uncooked.
Lastly, you’ll transfer the hash browns to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb some of the excess oil. I assume the nutrition facts offered under the recipe are a little inflated in fat content, but I can’t account for how much oil is left in the pan and on the paper towel.
Regardless, these hash browns are a more nutritious option than diner hash brownscooked in highly refined vegetable oil. They offer more complex flavor than standard hash browns, too, since they’re cooked in olive oil with garlic and onion powder until golden and crispy.
What makes these hash browns the best?
In summary:
- Rinsing the grated potatoes and drying them well removes excess starch and helps the potato cook to irresistible, crispy perfection.
- Cooking the potatoes with garlic, powder onion powder and olive oil makes them far more flavorful than diner hash browns.
- Cooking over moderate heat and stirring the potatoes every couple of minutes ensures that you don’t burn your hash browns.
Homemade hash browns go great with eggs, cooked any which way (here are all of my egg recipes). I think they would be especially great with this broccoli cheddar frittata.
Cook up these hash browns for a casual weekend breakfast or serve them to friends for brunch!
Watch How to Make Hash Browns
Please leave a comment to let me know how these turn out for you. Your star ratings with your comment is much appreciated, too (those help convince other visitors that the recipe is worth making!). Have a great weekend!
Delicious Crispy Hash Browns
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- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
★★★★★
4.8 from 74 reviews
Learn how to make the best crispy hash browns at home! These delicious hash browns are lighter and healthier than greasy diner hash browns, since they’re made with olive oil. Recipe yields 4 servings; you can double or triple this recipe but cook in batches as written below.
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 pound Russet potatoes (2 small-to-medium), peeled if desired
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes clean and grate them on a large-holed cheese grater (I left the skin on, but you can peel it first if you’d like). In a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the grated potato well until the water runs clear.
- Drain the potatoes, and then place them potato on a clean tea towel or several paper towels. Twist the towel to remove as much moisture from the potatoes as possible (you might need to do this in two batches).
- Transfer the grated potato to a bowl and toss it with the salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
- In a large skillet (preferably cast iron, but non-stick works, too), warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering and a piece of grated potato sizzles on contact. Spread the potatoes over the skillet in an even layer and press them down with a spatula. Let them cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes.
- Stir again, press them down again, and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat in 2-minute intervals, flipping in sections once they’re crispy enough to do so, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy, about 4 to 8 more minutes. Meanwhile, line a plate with a couple of layers of paper towels to absorb excess oil, and set it near the stove.
- Transfer the hash browns to the lined plate and let them drain for a minute. (If you’re making multiply batches of hash browns, repeat these steps as necessary—keep in mind that your skillet will be really hot so your next batch may cook faster.)
- Season to taste with additional salt, if necessary, and serve hot.
Notes
Why buy organic? Potatoes are number 12 on the dirty dozen list, meaning that conventionally grown potatoes are high in pesticide residues.
▸ Nutrition Information
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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pPinfSharetTweeteEmailAs an enthusiast and expert in culinary arts with a particular focus on cooking techniques, recipe development, and nutrition, I have extensive experience in creating various dishes, experimenting with ingredients, and optimizing cooking methods to achieve desired flavors and textures.
In the provided article on making crispy hash browns, several key culinary concepts are touched upon:
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Hash Browns: These are made by grating potatoes, rinsing off excess starch, squeezing out moisture, and then cooking them in a skillet until they turn crispy. The article emphasizes the importance of achieving a crispy texture in hash browns.
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Potato Preparation: The process involves grating Russet potatoes and rinsing them until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Squeezing out moisture using a tea towel or paper towels is crucial for achieving crispy hash browns.
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Flavor Enhancement: The recipe incorporates seasoning by adding salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to the grated potatoes before cooking. This technique amplifies the flavor profile of the hash browns.
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Cooking Technique: Cooking the hash browns in extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat is recommended, as it has a higher smoke point (around 400 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit) than commonly believed. This allows for crispiness without burning.
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Cooking Process: The article emphasizes the importance of periodically stirring the potatoes in the skillet to ensure even cooking and prevent burning. Pressing down on the potatoes helps in achieving a crispy texture.
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Oil Absorption: After cooking, transferring the hash browns to a paper towel-lined plate helps absorb excess oil, making the dish lighter and healthier.
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Nutritional Considerations: The article suggests that these homemade hash browns cooked in olive oil with added seasonings offer more nutrition compared to diner hash browns made with highly refined vegetable oil.
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Recipe Yield: The recipe provided yields four servings and can be adjusted based on the desired quantity.
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Potato Selection: The article briefly touches on the benefits of using organic potatoes due to the higher pesticide residue content in conventionally grown potatoes, emphasizing the importance of choosing organic produce.
In summary, this recipe emphasizes the importance of proper potato preparation, cooking techniques, seasoning, and oil selection to create crispy and flavorful hash browns, providing a healthier alternative to diner-style hash browns.
