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    Crispy Skillet Home Fries

    Published: Aug 17, 2020 · Modified: Aug 17, 2020 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 8 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    2 white plates of home fries on a white table
    home fries on a white plate topped with a fried egg
    cooking potatoes in a skillet
    skillet home fries on a white plate topped with a fried egg

    cooking potatoes in a skillet

    Use this easy, stovetop method to make Crispy Skillet Home Fries that are tender on the inside and golden on the outside. All you need is a few ingredients and a bit of (mostly hands-off) time at the stove. 

    One unexpected thing that has happened at our house as a result of COVID? More morning recipe testing. Mornings used to be hectic, trying to everyone out the door on time. Since March things have slowed waaaaaaaay down. There’s still work to do, but none of us have anywhere to go in the morning. And that means that some mornings find me tooling around the kitchen, testing breakfast-friendly recipes with an idea that they might make their way into your kitchen too!

    skillet home fries on a white plate topped with a fried egg

    I’ve never had a go-to recipe for home fries / hashbrowns until this method came into my life. There’s no pre-boiling the potatoes or oven needed, which means they really are something you could actually make in the morning. Just cube the potatoes, chop some onions, and cook it all up in a skillet. While the potatoes cook, you can fry an egg or two to put on top. It’s a diner-style breakfast in the coziness of your own kitchen. 

    Here’s all you need to make it happen!

    Ingredients

    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This gives the potatoes a savory flavor and helps them to crisp up in the pan. If you don’t have olive oil, any other oil you use for cooking will work. 
    • Unsalted Butter – Butter is essential for flavor and crispness. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt to about ¼ tsp and then taste the potatoes at the end and add more salt, if needed. 
    • Yukon Gold Potatoes – I have a slight preference for Yukon Gold potatoes here, but Russet potatoes will work (see below for the difference). You can also use baby or new potatoes that have been cubed or sliced into small wedges.
    • White Onion – A small amount of onion will cook down with the potatoes and gives them that authentic diner home fry feel. You can skip this or use diced yellow onion. Just be sure not to dice them too small or they will burn. You need some good-sized onion pieces like those shown below. 
    • Kosher Salt and Garlic Powder – For seasoning. Be sure you use garlic powder not garlic salt. 

    adding potatoes and onions to a cast iron skillet

    How to Make Crispy Skillet Home Fries

    The key to making crispy skillet home fries that are tender on the inside and crisp on the outside is to steam them while they sear. To do this, you leave the potatoes in the skillet for a full 10 minutes, without stirring, and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. The lid ensures that heat and moisture are trapped inside while the potatoes cook. Then flip the potatoes and repeat the process on the other side. A few final minutes of cooking the potatoes with the lid off lets you keep an eye on them so that they get that perfect browning on all sides and don’t overcook.

    home fries on a white plate topped with a fried egg

    Yukon Gold vs. Russet Potatoes for Home Fries

    When making home fries in a skillet, Yukon gold potatoes will hold their shape better while Russet potatoes will break down a bit more. Both varieties will work well for making home fries.

    See below for the difference in Yukon gold vs. Russet potatoes when cooked in the same size skillet for the same amount of time. (Yukon on top; Russet on bottom.)

    2 white plates of home fries on a white table

    More Breakfast / Brunch Favorites

    • Brioche Baked Egg in a Hole
    • Frittata with Asparagus, Bacon and Goat Cheese
    • Herbed Baked Eggs
    • Crispy Baked Cinnamon French Toast Sticks

    Favorite Tools

    • Lodge Cast Iron Skillet 
    • Splatter Screen for Cooking 13″ – Silicone Handle 
    • 6-inch Global Knife 
    cooking potatoes in a skillet
    Print Recipe
    4.84 from 12 votes

    Crispy Skillet Home Fries

    Use this easy, stovetop method to make Crispy Skillet Home Fries that are tender on the inside and golden on the outside. All you need is a few ingredients and less than 40 minutes. 
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Breakfast, Brunch
    Keyword: breakfast side dish, hash browns, skillet potatoes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 252kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $2.00

    Equipment

    • Large Skillet

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
    • 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
    • 1.5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
    • 1/2 cup Chopped White Onion (see note)
    • 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
    • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder (not garlic salt)

    Instructions

    • Heat a large skillet (see note) over low-medium heat. (Note: on my electric range which heats from 1-10, I set the heat at 4 for these potatoes.)
    • Add oil and butter and stir gently until butter melts.
    • Add potatoes in a single layer and cover with a lid.
    • Cook potatoes, covered, without stirring them, for 10 minutes (resist the urge to lift the lid and check on them - keeping the lid closed helps them to steam and get started cooking).
    • Remove the lid and use a spatula to gently flip the potatoes. Add onions to the pan, scattering them over the potatoes. Cover again and continue to cook for 10 minutes more.
    • Remove the lid and season potatoes with salt and garlic powder.
    • Continue cooking potatoes, flipping them occasionally with a spatula, until potatoes are very tender, 5 to 10 minutes more (depending on the size of the potato cubes).
    • Serve immediately. (Great with a fried egg on top!)

    Notes

    Potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes will hold their shape a bit better while cooking, but Russet potatoes work great in this method as well. Russet potatoes just break down a bit and will have less well-defined edges / corners than Yukon gold.
    Onions - Be sure not to dice the onion too small or the pieces will burn. The onion pieces should be roughly a quarter the size of the potato pieces when you get started cooking. They will reduce in size as they cook. 
    Large Skillet - Cast iron pans works best for home fries because they allow the potatoes to crisp up without sticking. It is better to use a nonstick pan if you are concerned about the potatoes sticking. No matter what type of pan you use, it should be one that has a lid and is large enough to hold all of the potatoes in a single layer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 745mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Filed Under: Breakfast and Brunch, Family-Friendly, One-Pan, Recipes, Vegetarian

    About Jess

    Hi, I'm Jess, an amateur cook turned professional recipe developer, food stylist, and photographer specializing in quick and easy meals that make weeknights a bit more fun. I love sharing my kitchen and my journey as a chef with other home cooks on this blog. Learn more about me here.

    Previous Post: « Easy Cheddar Drop Biscuits
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. YtheWait

      September 05, 2020 at 3:53 am

      My all time favourite fries……….

      Reply
    2. carl

      November 28, 2020 at 9:49 am

      Thank You. I really like this recipe. Made them this morning and they came out great using russet. 20 minutes covered using 4 out of 10 on the stove. Uncovered and cooked 5 more minutes. Texture was great. My only question is to peel or not to peel. Will they be crispier if I don’t peel the next time?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        November 28, 2020 at 11:25 am

        I like them both ways, but I can’t say for sure if they are more crispy one way or the other. I always peel them when I make this recipe – https://inquiringchef.com/aloo-bhaji/ – which uses the exact same method but added spices. They do come out super crisp on all sides when peeled.

        Reply
    3. U B T

      January 30, 2021 at 9:47 am

      Thank you so much for this. I had the hardest time making homefries of all things lol. After following your recipe I see my error. Thank you for such a great detailed layout.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        February 04, 2021 at 8:35 am

        So glad it was helpful! I had the hardest time before this method too – seems like such a simple thing but turns out to have some quirks!

        Reply
    4. Valerie

      February 13, 2021 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      I followed the directions and they came out great! I had russets on hand and did not peal. Thank you.

      Reply
    5. Alma

      March 14, 2021 at 7:53 am

      Thank you so much for these! I was after some easy home fries that didn’t require boiling since I have a chronic illness and my energy levels are always a bit of a gamble when making long recipes — these came out absolutely perfect! I only had baby potatoes on hand and it still came out wonderful.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        March 14, 2021 at 5:55 pm

        Oh that’s great – I’m so glad it worked out for you!

        Reply

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    Hi there! We're Jess and Frank. We live in Kansas City with our three daughters. Our recipes are made with busy families in mind. We lived in Thailand which inspired us to cook flavorful, fun meals at home and we know you can too. We believe in your inner cook! More...

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