Although they’re a staple at diners, Home Fries are easy to make at home—hence the name! No deep fryer needed and faster than the oven, these crispy seasoned potatoes cooked in a skillet are a side dish with universal appeal. Serve them with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
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Why You’ll Love This Crispy Home Fries Recipe
- Potatoes: The Ultimate Comfort Food. Potatoes are a key ingredient in many of our favorite comfort foods (Mashed Potatoes! Hashbrown Casserole!), but if you want your potato fix without having to buy a bunch of other ingredients, home fries are ideal. This is a stripped down way to enjoy potatoes in their finest form: crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly seasoned.
- Easy to Make Potatoes. While there is some prep work involved, once that’s over, you’re mere minutes away from fried potato bliss. Truly, the hardest part is being patient enough to resist the urge to stir the potatoes so they get crispy.
- Fail-Proof Method. If you’ve tried making home fries (or hash browns) in the past and struggled with them sticking to the pan, ending up mushy, or not cooking all the way through, this recipe will become your go-to. It really works! (Be sure to try these Sweet Potato Hash Browns too.)
How to Make Crispy Home Fries
The Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes. I think Yukon gold are the best potatoes for home fries because they have a fabulous buttery flavor and a texture that’s not too starchy, nor too waxy.
- Unsalted Butter. Using unsalted butter puts you in control of the flavor. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use that, but dial back the added kosher salt.
- Seasonings. Paprika for color (either sweet or smoked will work here), freshly ground pepper if you’d like, and optional fresh chives, green onions, parsley, or cilantro.
The Directions
- Soak. Let the potatoes sit in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes. This is MANDATORY or the potatoes will stick to the skillet.
- Drain. Pour the potatoes into a colander and rinse them with warm water.
- Dry. Spread the potatoes onto a kitchen towel and pat them dry.
- Prepare. Whisk the water, oil, and salt in a skillet.
- Add the Potatoes. Make sure they’re in an even layer, then cover the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the Butter. Just a tablespoon for now! Once it melts, cover the pan and cook 2 minutes more.
- Crisp Them. Uncover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes without disturbing. Stir in the rest of the butter and paprika, then cook in an even layer for 3 more minutes. Keep cooking, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until the home fries are crispy. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs if you’re using them. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Home Fries With Onions. For diner-style breakfast potatoes, dice a small onion and cook it in the skillet with oil before starting the potatoes; add them back in at the end of the cooking time.
- Spicy Home Fries. Add cayenne pepper with the paprika.
- Home Fries With Peppers. Add a half cup of diced bell peppers (any color you like) to the potatoes.
What to Serve with Home Fries
- Eggs. If savory breakfasts are your jam, serve these home fries with Egg Muffins or Eggs in Purgatory.
- Other Breakfast Foods. For that sweet and savory contrast, pair potatoes with Fluffy Pancakes or Overnight French Toast.
- Burgers. Instead of Potato Wedges, sometimes I make a batch of crispy home fries in a skillet for pairing with Salmon Burgers.
- Meat. Anything you’d pair with roasted potatoes will go with home fries too! Air Fryer Steak, Baked BBQ Chicken—you get the idea.
- Ketchup. Or hot sauce if you’re feelin’ spicy.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don’t Skip the Soaking and Drying. Mushy potatoes that stick to the pan and break your potato-loving heart will be a thing of the past!
- Skip the Boiling! Steam, then Fry. This recipe’s process of cooking the potatoes in a little water in the pan, then letting the water cook off and frying is key to perfect home fries. The first part ensures that the potatoes are tender, while the second part gives them that crispy exterior, all without the fuss of boiling the potatoes first.
- Be Patient. At three points in this recipe, you’ll need to cook the potatoes without disturbing them. This might make you antsy, but trust the process! If you stir the potatoes before they’re nicely browned, they’ll end up mushy and soft.
- Cook Bigger Batches Separately. If you want to make home fries for a crowd, you’ll have to do it in separate batches rather than cooking all the potatoes at once. Crowding the pan will steam them, which isn’t what we want here.
- Don’t Hold Back on the Oil and Butter. This, too, helps get the potatoes crispy and keeps them from sticking to the pan. (It also makes them delectable!)
Home Fries
Crispy home fries are great for breakfast but you can make this easy side any time of day! My simple skillet method ensures they're perfect.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 medium; leave the peels on)
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus a few big pinches
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Freshly ground pepper optional
- Sprinkle fresh chives, green onion, parsley, or cilantro optional
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit 5 minutes, then drain in a colander; rinse further under running warm water, then drain, spread onto a clean kitchen towel, and pat dry (this step is annoying but will prevent your potatoes from sticking to the pan and making a hot mess).
- In a 12-inch cast iron or similar heavy bottomed skillet, whisk together the water, oil, and salt. Add the potatoes in an even layer. Turn the stove heat to medium, cover the skillet (if your skillet does not have a cover, you can lay a sheet pan on top of it), and cook without disturbing for 5 minutes . Uncover, stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter until it melts, recover, and cook 2 minutes more.
- Time to crisp! Uncover the skillet and let cook for 5 minutes without disturbing; some of the water will evaporate and the potatoes will begin to crisp. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then the paprika. Spread the potatoes back into an even layer and let cook 3 more minutes undisturbed. Continue cooking until the water has evaporated and the potatoes are crisp all over, about 6 minutes more, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with a few big pinches of salt salt and serve hot with pepper and chives to taste.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover home fries in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing them; potatoes don’t freeze well.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat leftovers in a non-stick skillet set over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 15mgPotassium: 491mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 423IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
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Definitely a lifesaver for busy days. It is quick and easy to throw together, yet they taste like I spent ages prepping them. I served this today at lunch for my three boys. They couldn’t get enough of it. Thanks so much Erin.
So happy to hear, thank you Coleen!
This worked pretty well for me, I love the simplicity of this dish. They were crispy, but not burnt. I followed everything except I added some garlic powder and they were delicious. I loved it.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Chloe!
I really enjoyed making these home fries. These turned out really lovely and my kids enjoyed this dish. Simple and delicious! I serve it with sour cream and cheddar cheese.
Thank you Hazel!