Delicious Crispy Hash Browns
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.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
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 browns cooked 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
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.
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.
Nutrition
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.
Did not come out as desired
I’m sorry to hear that, Kelly! What seemed to be the issue?
Awsome!! Never would have thought of using olive oil!!
Thank you. Finally made crispy hash browns for the first time.
These turned out soooo good! My husband and I swear by your recipes.. infact he’s the one who found your blog, and it’s become our go-to blog for when we want to cook new things. Thank you, and lots of love from India! ❤️
Just like the picture and so tasty!!! Best hashbrowns my husband and I have ever had! They made brunch very special. I used one large russet potato for two of us just as directed in the recipe and we had a feast. I will be making these again.
My first attempt to make homemade the potatoes browned before I could cook em I will try to keep in water then rinse and dry well and see if that stops the browning along with your garlic n onion powder Sounds Great!
Try a little vinegar in the final rinse It gets rid of excess starch better than just a water bath. Also works great on homemade potato chips. You will avoid buying commercial bagged potato chips again.
These hash browns were so crispy and tasty! The addition of garlic and onion powders kicks it up a notch! Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Gwen!
I made it with my mother; she grated and I cooked them. It was delicious! I actually just used oil and salt because I wasn’t sure about seasonings (I’m just starting to cook recently) but your instructions on cooking times was extremely helpful.
These were SOOOOO good! I could have eaten double :) YUM!!
Turned out great, even though I forgot to dry them with a paper towel before cooking. Tasted great, thanks for the instructions!
You’re welcome, Kerry!
I always believed that soaking, draining, and patting dry the potatoes was sufficient. but I followed your method and got the best results ever! Thanks! love all of your recipes :)
Thank you, Christi! I’m happy to hear that.
Huge fan from Lawrence, KS! Every time I google a recipe or idea, I end up on your website. I made these today, added a little smoked paprika because that’s what I had. Thank you for the tips. They came out perfect, so I made more!
Yummy potatoes!! I love Potatoes anyway. So this is kind of special to have hashbrowns. I can’t do garlic or onions. But I use garlic oil and I like to add a little bit of cumin and paprika salt and pepper perfect!
Holy Moly .. delicious :)
Stumbled across this whilst looking for another recipe – the video in the corner caught my eye!
Instead of spreading mine around the pan I made them a little thicker in egg rings – not as crispy and slightly longer to cook, but full of potato-y goodness inside. This was a trial run on my own to prep making it for the hubby on the weekend (he’s the usual cook). I think I’ve found another signature dish!
I tried this recipe with store bought hash potatoes, since we were close to our brunch time, and I didn’t have the time to grate a fresh potato. I did not add onion powder as I did not have any. Instead I used a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped red onion (that is what I had at hand), which added a lovely flavor. Also, I used less oil – close to 1.5 – 2 tbsp. To compensate I covered the pan with a lid to allow for some steaming to help with the cooking. I also followed your advice to cook on medium heat.
The result was delicious. Next time I plan to use a fresh potato. And, curious how it might taste with a sweet potato or yam too :-)
It came out crispy and the potatoes were thoroughly cooked. Directions were very detailed. I added 1 tsp of cajun spice and reduced the salt to 1/4 tsp. Will definitely make again. Thanks again!
YUM! Thank you so much. This is the first method of making hash browns that has been successful for me. The seasoning is perfect, the crispiness is perfect, and I’m happy that they use olive oil. Definite winner. These will be on rotation at my house.
Thank you for reporting back, Mariah! I’m glad this will become a regular in your house.
These are great! I use a potato ricer to squeeze out the excess moisture (works great for grated zucchini also). It really gets out the water without a lot of effort, and you don’t have to wash a tea towel!
Thank you! They turned out great! I used vegetable oil and medium heat and spices worked out great! I think in the past I tried to use sautéed onions and garlic and made them soggy.
Soooo good. Simple. The onion and garlic powders were a good addition. Just need the patience to wait till they get nice and crispy! Thanks!
You’re welcome Jeff! Thank you for your review.
Hi Kate. When you say you see them as classic dinner fare, I’m surprised! What do you eat them with at dinner? I always eat them with eggs in the morning. Craving them today and I am excited!
Hi Stacey! Eggs are a delicious way to have these too. :)
Great! Thanks a lot for the recipe. I I didn’t turn at intervals, but just once and they were fine and crispy1
I made this for Christmas brunch, but my husband and I ate these 4 servings all by ourselves. So delicious! I will be making these on a regular basis. No more frozen hash browns for us!
Sounds perfect for brunch, Anita! Thank you for your review.
I made some for myself and my family ended up eating all of it! I had to make another batch so I could actually have some and these are by far the best hash browns I’ve ever had!
I made these to go with the breakfast burritos. They tasted great.
Even though I only used two potatoes, I think I need to fry this up in batches, to achieve something similar to the pictures.
Thank you for sharing! I’m delighted you enjoyed another one, Anita.
One of my favorite breakfast meals is hash browns with a sunny side up egg on top. I have tried couple of different recipes before, but it never tasted restaurant quality, until now. Made them exactly as stated in recipe and they were delicious! My cast iron skillet is not well seasoned so mine didn’t get crispy just stuck to pan, but that’s ok over time that will change. I kept flipping top layer every two minutes and tasting after 8 minutes to check if they cooked through. Took 12 minutes to cook through. The onion and garlic powder make all the difference, they married well with the potatoes. Also I’m not a fan of tasting the flavor of olive oil in cooked food, but I couldn’t taste it here at all. Well now I can look forward to eating these whenever I want, how exciting :) Thanks Kate!!!
Thank you for sharing how you serve your hash browns and review, Anush.
Absolutely delicious homemade hash brown recipe!! I looooove hash browns and have attempted many times to make my own, but NONE have given me the satisfaction like this recipe! Thank you, C&K!! <3
Thank you, Nicole! I appreciate your review.
These hash browns turned out so crispy and not burned anywhere. They were delicious! Thank you for this recipe and technique. (I do think I’d use less oil next time since I’m not a fan of using any oil at any time, but I was making these for my husband so made an exception. I think I’ll try 2.5 tbsp instead of the 4 that the recipe calls for.)
Wow!! Made these hash brown’s today for Father’s Day for my husband..they were amazing!I absolutely love so many of your recipes, and love your cookbook!!
Thank you! What a great recipe for Father’s Day. I’m glad it was hit.
Made this for dinner because we had A LOT of potatoes. Delicious and would absolutely make again. Thank you
You’re welcome, Rachel! Thank you for your review.
I make these potatoes exactly like this except for two things, I fry them on medium heat with my cast iron skillet and I only use clarified butter…. You don’t get greasy potatoes that you have to drain on paper towels, all you get is crispy buttery potatoes.
So good. Came out perfect
That’s great, Anne! Thank you for your review.
When making Hash Browns I always rinse the grated potato with a kettle full of boiling water and let stand in the colander for 4 minutes before wringing out in a tea towel – this gets a lot of starch out and starts the cooking process off nicely. I then use egg rings to create nice circular pucks of hash brown goodness, just begging for some smashed avacado (with hot chilli of course!), and a soft poached egg on top too. Hell, I’ll even throw a couple of rashers of Bacon on there too if I know it’s going to be a long and busy day!
I’m very happy. I used your recipe as a guide to use up some potatoes I had as well as well as I incorporated a couple of sweet potatoes. I followed your instruction and they turned out very well. For me this worked so well. Though I had 4 small white potatoes and 2 sweet potatoes, I had enough to portion into 3 vacuum seal bags for 3 additional meals. ( I live alone. ) Your seasoning recommendations and rinsing were great. I almost felt like you were helping me in my kitchen. Great breakfast
Thank you for sharing, Wendy! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Your recipes are amazing! Thank you so much for another fantastic recipe! These hashbrowns turned out great! We even got a little crazy and topped them with some cheddar cheese. Delicious
You’re welcome, Christy! Thank you for your review.
Made this as a quick breakfast and I wish I made more!!
Thank you for sharing, Lia! I’m glad you enjoyed these hash browns.
I made these hash browns by the recipe except instead of extra virgin
I used pure olive oil because it has a higher smoke point. They were great! Very crispy and tasty! Thanks for the recipe!
I put it into a waffle machine works very well but I added one egg to hold it all together.. haven’t tried without egg
I I don’t know why this is such a mystery the big question we have is what temperature should the frying pan be ?
Hi Barry! You will want it at medium heat on the stove top. See step 4.
Thank you for the hash browns recipe, the best ever!
I’ve been following your recipes for years now and have always had a tasty healthy meal as a result. Especially love your banana bread recipe, very good and healthy. Your recipes are easy to follow, including alternatives and organic ingredients.
These are super addictive!
I followed the recipe exactly (shredded the potatoes in my food processor) and they were delicious–especially the second time I made them and I got the hang of it.
I needed to cook them a LOT longer than the recipe implies, but that’s true in many cases. And I had to cook in multiple batches and make occasional adjustments to the heat and timing, as you’d expect.
This may be just a matter of personal taste, but I found that rinsing the potatoes AND trying to squeeze every drop of moisture out of them made the hashbrowns too dry–they ended up more like a pile of tiny, distinct French fries. I got the crispy-outside-tender-inside, more patty-like hashbrowns when I rinsed the potatoes and only squeezed *most* of the moisture out, leaving a little bit behind to help them stick together during frying.
I agree! They are really good. I appreciate your feedback, Emily.
Simply put, I will memorize this and never make hash browns any other way. They were perfect.
Thank you for your review, Paul! I’m glad you enjoy these hash browns.
Amazing! The taste of these is 10/10! I used cheesecloth instead of tea towels and it works almost exactly the same. Thank you for this great recipe Kate!
Made these today and they were sooooo good! I used my salad spinner to rinse and dry shredded taters and it worked just as well as paper towels- lost a few stragglers but worth it. Make sure that oil is HOT before you add the potatoes or they will be mushy. Thanks for all of your amazing recipes. They ALL have been 5 stars so far!!!
Great to hear, Regina!
Can you use sunflower oil? And how long do they keep?
Thanks