Harper West
Breakfast skillet potatoes are a quick, easy, and delicious meal to whip up. With a buttery, tender inside and a crispy, golden-brown outside, they are a perfect side dish for a hearty breakfast or brunch. The key to achieving the perfect texture and taste is to parboil the potatoes before frying them in a skillet, which gives them a soft inside and a crispy exterior. You can also add various spices and herbs such as paprika, garlic powder, and parsley to enhance the flavor. This dish is a great alternative to crispy hash browns and can be served with eggs, bacon, or sausage. With a little preparation, you can enjoy these delicious skillet breakfast potatoes any day of the week!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Potato | Yukon Gold, Russet |
| Potato Preparation | Wash, Peel, Poke Holes, Microwave, Cube, Boil, Parboil, Drain, Dry, Rough up Edges |
| Oil | Olive Oil, Butter, Sesame Oil, Ghee, Rendered Bacon Fat |
| Spices | Paprika, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Creole Seasoning Blend |
| Other Ingredients | Onion, Scallions, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary |
| Pan | Heavy Bottomed, Cast Iron, Nonstick |
| Temperature | Medium-High Heat |
| Storage | Refrigerate in an Airtight Container or Zip-Top Bag for up to 4 Days |
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What You'll Learn
Use a large skillet and ensure each potato touches the pan's surface
When making skillet breakfast potatoes, it's important to use a large skillet so that the potatoes have enough room to move around and crisp up. A 12-inch skillet is generally recommended. This ensures that the potatoes can be arranged in a single layer, allowing for even cooking and browning.
Using a large skillet also helps to prevent overcrowding, which can lead to uneven cooking and steaming instead of browning. By giving each potato piece enough space to touch the pan's surface, you promote even crisping and browning. This is essential for achieving the desired golden-brown colour and crunchy texture that defines a well-made skillet breakfast potato.
Additionally, using a large skillet can help speed up the cooking process. When the potatoes are spread out, they cook more efficiently and evenly, reducing the overall cooking time. This is especially beneficial when preparing a large batch of potatoes or when cooking for a crowd.
To ensure each potato touches the pan's surface, it is advisable to cook the potatoes in batches if necessary. This way, you can maintain the single layer and proper spacing needed for optimal crisping. Cooking in batches also helps regulate the temperature of the skillet, preventing it from cooling down too much when a large amount of potatoes are added at once.
By following these guidelines and using a large skillet, you can achieve the ideal balance of crispness and tenderness that defines the perfect skillet breakfast potato.
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Parboil potatoes to achieve the perfect texture
Parboiling is a great way to achieve the perfect texture for skillet breakfast potatoes—soft and buttery on the inside, with a crispy, golden-brown exterior.
To parboil potatoes, first, wash the potatoes and peel them if you want a fancier presentation. Then, place them in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and cook the potatoes for 10–15 minutes, or until tender. You can check if they're done by sticking a sharp knife into the centre of the potato—if the knife pulls out easily, they're ready.
Once they're parboiled, drain the water and set the potatoes aside to cool. When they're cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to peel away the skins, which should slide off quite easily. Then, dice the potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. For extra crispy edges, you can rough up the edges of the potato cubes a bit.
After dicing, spread the potatoes in a single layer on a cutting board or baking sheet to allow excess moisture to evaporate. The potatoes should be as dry as possible before frying. You can also place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to a week.
When you're ready to fry, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add the potatoes to the hot skillet, spreading them out in a single layer so they don't crowd the pan. Fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes without disturbing them to get that golden-brown crust.
By parboiling the potatoes first, you'll achieve a soft and tender interior, while the subsequent frying step will give you that desirable crispy exterior—the perfect combination for delicious skillet breakfast potatoes.
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Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika
To make quick skillet breakfast potatoes, you'll need to season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. This seasoning mix will give your potatoes a delicious, crispy crust.
First, prepare your potatoes by peeling and dicing them into 1/2-inch to 1 1/2-inch pieces. You can parboil the potatoes before frying, which involves boiling them for about 10 minutes until they are slightly tender, then draining the water and allowing them to cool before dicing. Alternatively, you can steam the potatoes for 6-10 minutes as a quicker method.
Now, it's time to season. In a bowl, mix kosher salt, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, and a generous sprinkle of smoked paprika. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat if you like your potatoes spicy.
Drizzle some olive oil over the potatoes, ensuring each piece is coated. Then, sprinkle your seasoning mix over the potatoes, tossing them to ensure an even coating. You can also add some fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme at this stage for extra flavour.
Finally, heat some butter and olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned potatoes and cook for about 8-10 minutes, flipping and tossing them every few minutes to ensure even browning. Your potatoes are now ready to be served!
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Add extra vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli
To make skillet breakfast potatoes with extra vegetables, you can follow this recipe. First, prep your potatoes by boiling them in a large saucepan for 10-15 minutes or until tender. You can check if they are done by sticking a sharp knife into the centre of the potato—if the knife pulls out easily, they are ready. Drain the water, set them aside to cool, and then peel away the skins. Dice the potatoes into 0.5-inch pieces and spread them out to allow any excess moisture to evaporate.
Next, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. You can also add butter and a smashed clove of garlic to the oil for extra flavour. Once the oil is hot, add the potatoes and spread them out in a single layer in the pan so they are not crowded. Fry the potatoes until they are golden brown and crispy, which should take around 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are frying, you can chop your vegetables. Red and green bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms are great additions to breakfast potatoes. You can also add broccoli, spinach, or zucchini if you like. Heat some olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat and add the vegetables. Saute the vegetables until they are tender, which should take around 5-10 minutes. You can also add some seasoning to the vegetables at this stage, such as salt and pepper.
Once the potatoes and vegetables are cooked, combine them in the skillet and toss to mix. Serve the skillet breakfast potatoes immediately, or allow them to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can also add some protein to the dish, such as sausage, bacon, or eggs to make it a more substantial meal.
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Use butter or olive oil to pan-fry the potatoes
To make skillet breakfast potatoes, you can use either butter or olive oil to pan-fry the potatoes. If you want to use butter, be aware that it will burn eventually, so you may want to consider ghee instead, although it is a bit more expensive. If you want a butter flavor, you can also add sesame oil at the end, as it is a finishing oil that will add a nice flavor to the potatoes.
If you are using olive oil, heat two teaspoons of it in a large 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the potato dice and spread them out in the pan so they are not crowded and in a single layer. This will ensure that they cook evenly and get crispy.
If you are using butter, melt it in the skillet before adding the potatoes. You can also add other ingredients to the butter as it melts, such as garlic, thyme, and rosemary, to infuse the oil and add extra flavor to your potatoes.
Whether you use butter or olive oil, be sure to heat the skillet and cooking fat first before adding the potatoes. This will help ensure that your potatoes get crispy and golden brown.
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Frequently asked questions
A cast iron skillet is best as it retains heat more efficiently and will make the potatoes crispy. However, you can use any skillet or frying pan you have available. If you don't have a skillet with a large enough surface area, use multiple pans to ensure that each potato touches the bottom of the pan.
To get the perfect texture, parboil the potatoes before frying them. This will ensure that the inside is soft and the outside is crispy. You can also steam the potatoes, let them cool, dice them, and place them in the fridge overnight.
Salt and black pepper are a must. You can also add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, parsley, and chives.
