Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: So much more flavorful than any home fries I’ve had out to breakfast at a restaurant. These babies are savory, slightly spicy, and slightly sweet.
Texture: The potatoes have that rich golden brown, buttery crust and fluffy inside. What’s better than that?
Ease: Not exactly an on-the-go breakfast recipe but perfect for Sunday breakfasts or brunches.
Appearance: The potatoes with their golden crusts and the red bell peppers just look like comfort food.
Pros: Your family will ask you to make these potatoes every weekend.
Cons: Requires some times at the cutting board and at the stove.
Would I make this again? Yes.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read ourdisclosure policy.
Waiting in long lines for brunch at a restaurant or diner < making delicious, easy, crispy Home Fries right at home to enjoy with family.
These breakfast potatoes make the absolute best breakfast side dish.
But they’re so delicious, you could really eat them any time of day!
These potatoes are ultra crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, just like the ones from the diner.
They also taste AMAZING, thanks to the seasonings we sprinkle over the potatoes.
Fry up with some bacon and eggs for the most delicious breakfast.
How to Make Home Fries
What are Home Fries?
Home fries are a breakfast dish or side dish of potatoes that have been parboiled, and then seasoned and pan-fried to crispy potato perfection. They’re often cooked with other veggies and served alongside eggs, bacon, or sausage.
What is the difference between Home Fries and fried potatoes?
Home fries are diced potatoes that are boiled then pan-fried. They’re not deep fried like ‘fries’, and they’re not shredded like hash browns.
Ingredients for Home Fries
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Red and green bell pepper
- Baking soda (see below)
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Unsalted butter
- Seasonings: salt, black pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes
- Green onions
Instructions for how to make Home Fries
- Prep your ingredients.Chop the potatoes into half-inch cubes for best results. No need to peel the potatoes. Dice onion and bell peppers. Measure out the seasonings. Set aside.
- Cook the onion and pepper. Sauté the onion and pepper in 2 tablespoons of oil, stirring frequently, until translucent and lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Boil the potatoes in water with baking soda. Place the diced potatoes in the boiling water and cook the potatoes until just fork tender, about 6-7 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and cook in a dry pan. Cook the potatoes for 2 minutes in the pot, carefully stirring them, to cook off all their remaining moisture.
- Cook the potatoes in remaining oil and butter.Add the potatoes in a single layer, making sure each potato is touching the surface of the skillet. Cook, without stirring, until one side of the potatoes is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Carefully turn the potatoes. Spread the potatoes in a single layer and repeat the process again until the potatoes are tender and browned on most sides, turning 3 to 4 more times, in 4 to 5 minute intervals.
- Mix everything together! Add the onion & pepper mixture and seasonings. Toss to evenly combine and coat the potatoes. Top with sliced scallions and serve.
Why use baking soda in breakfast potatoes?
Adding baking soda to the boiling water to cook these potatoes makes the water more alkaline. This helps to break down and rough up the surface area of the cubed potatoes with a kind of starchy paste. Once that starchy paste hits the heat of the frying oil, it helps the potatoes to develop an ultra crisp exterior while maintaining a fluffy interior.
If you’re curious about how baking soda works, check out my Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder article for more of the science of these two leaveners.
What is the best potato for Home Fries?
I suggest using Yukon Gold potatoes for home fries. These starchy potatoes fry up nice and crispy in the cast iron skillet.
Russet potatoes are another good option. I haven’t tried using red potatoes.
Should you boil potatoes before frying them?
Yes, don’t skip the boiling. This is essential for the potatoes to develop an ultra deeply golden crispy crust with a fluffy interior.
How to make CRISPY Home Fries:
Cook in boiling water with a little bit of baking soda before frying in a hot oil. Use a heavy bottomed pan, like a cast iron skillet, to help develop that golden crispy crust. Avoid using a nonstick pan for this recipe. The most important part is to have PATIENCE! Don’t stir the potatoes around too much, otherwise they won’t get crispy. You know the potatoes are ready to stir when you can easily pick one up with your spatula or tongs and it doesn’t stick to the pan. If it’s still sticking, it likely hasn’t developed enough of a crust to release naturally.
How to store breakfast potatoes:
Breakfast potatoes are definitely best served hot off the pan. You can cube, boil, cool, cover, and refrigerate a batch of them in advance as well as chop up all the other ingredients and refrigerate them. This is helpful if you’re hosting company for breakfast or brunch.
If you have leftovers, cover and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. Reheat either in a pan or large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove top until warmed and crispy again, or on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven until warmed and crispy again.
More breakfast recipes:
- Blueberry Scones
- Quiche Lorraine Recipe
- Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
- French Toast
- Classic Scones
- Bakery Style Banana Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Scones
Home Fries
5 from 10 votes
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 35 minutes mins
Your family will love this Home Fries recipe! These breakfast potatoes are easy to make, loaded with flavor, and have that perfect crispy yet fluffy texture. Serve with eggs and bacon for a crowd-pleasing breakfast!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, skin on, diced into 1/2” pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and peppers and sauté, stirring frequently, until translucent and lightly browned, about 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add baking soda to the water, and stir to dissolve. Place the diced potatoes in the boiling water, cooking the potatoes until just fork tender, about 6-7 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them back to the dry pot over medium heat. Cook the potatoes for 2 minutes in the pot, carefully stirring them, to cook off all their remaining moisture.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in the previous 12” skillet over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Add the potatoes in a single layer, making sure each potato is touching the surface of the skillet. Cook, without stirring, until the bottom of the potatoes is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Carefully turn the potatoes with a thin spatula. Spread the potatoes in a single layer and repeat the process again until the potatoes are tender and browned on most sides, turning 3 to 4 more times, in 4 to 5 minute intervals. About 12 to 15 minutes total cooking time. Remove from heat.
Add the onion & pepper mixture, salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir until evenly combined, coating the potatoes. Top with sliced scallions and serve.
Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!
This post was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2022 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.
