Skillet Home Fries Recipe

4.57 from 37 votes

Make the best crispy home fries that are tender on the inside and golden on the outside. All you need is a few ingredients, a skillet, and a bit of (mostly hands-off) time at the stove.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Keyword: breakfast side dish, hash browns, skillet potatoes

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $2.00

Equipment

Large Skillet

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup Chopped White Onion (see note)
3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon 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