Skip the freezer aisle and DIY your way to a restaurant-worthy recipe for The Best Crispy Hash Browns.
There are two types of potato people: mashed potato people and crispy potato people. Can you guess which camp I’m in?
I’m going to allow the photo above (and OK, perhaps the name of this recipe) to joyfully shout from the rooftops that, “I am a crispy potato person!”
So crispy in fact, that any time I’m at my favorite local breakfast restaurant, I ask the classic question, “Can I please have the hash browns extra crispy?” Oh, yes. Extra crispy.
This recipe for crispy hash browns delivers big on both the texture and flavor fronts. Because there’s nothing worse than a soggy, half-steamed pile of shredded taters.
So how are we going to guarantee your hash browns have a shattering crunch? You are going to follow two very important tips…
Tip 1: Prior to cooking, your shredded potatoes must be incredibly dry… as in dried-with-paper-towels dry. Whether you’re shredding the potatoes yourself or using a bag of pre-shredded potatoes, lay them on paper towels then place another paper towel on top and press, press, press… and then press again.
Tip 2: While cooking, do not touch the potatoes. The key here is we want them to sit in the pan to form a crust. It’s that crust that kickstarts the crispy party. So while tempting to stir and press and flip and futz, I will repeat: Hands off the taters!
Ready for Crispy Hash Browns domination? Read on for the recipe and don’t miss my go-to breakfast and brunch recipes to accompany your golden brown starchy side.
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Fill a large bowl with ice water. Line a large plate or baking sheet with paper towels.
Peel the potatoes then grate them on the large hole of a box grater. Immediately transfer the shredded potatoes to the ice water.
Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. Drain the potatoes then place them in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Scatter the potatoes on the baking sheet, patting them as dry as possible.
Transfer the shredded potatoes to a large bowl then add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, tossing to combine.
Add the vegetable oil to a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat.
Add the potato mixture to the pan, spreading it out into an even layer.
Cook the hash browns, undisturbed, until they begin to turn dark golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, break the mixture up into pieces, add the butter and continue cooking, stirring intermittently until crisped all over, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the hash browns to a paper towel-lined plate, immediately season with salt and pepper and serve.
Kelly’s Note:
The potatoes will cook down dramatically, so if you prefer a larger portion, this recipe can be easily doubled.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you’d like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
