Skillet Breakfast Potatoes take your breakfast to a whole new level! Skip the restaurant and make your own, diner-style home fries right at home.
After these crispy breakfast potatoes you’ve gotta try my Best Potato Wedges, Homemade Sausage Breakfast Casserole, Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, Air Fryer Potatoes, and Breakfast Burritos.
Why This Recipe Works
Packed with Flavor: The way these breakfast potatoes are seasoned is seriously *chef’s kiss* amazing! Not to mention that once these are fried up in some butter and olive oil, they become perfectly crisp on the outside with a crunchy exterior that is so tasty. I added a shallot to these to give some extra flavor and they turned out so good!
Super Easy: Skillet potatoes are super easy to make at home, and so cost effective. You can have these crispy beauties on the table in just 30 minutes. While they are frying, cook up some eggs and you have a breakfast of champions!
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: I like using Yukon gold potatoes the best for this recipe, since they crisp up really well in the skillet. You can also use russet potatoes, but I would avoid red or small potatoes.
- Olive Oil & Butter: A combo of olive oil and a little bit of butter are used to sauté the potatoes to perfection!
- Shallot: Shallot has a really nice flavor and aroma that deepens the flavor of the skillet breakfast potatoes. If you don’t have a shallot on hand, you can use onion instead!
- Seasonings: Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika, Salt, and Pepper are used to season these up to perfection! Smoked paprika has a strong flavor that is slightly spicy. If you don’t want any heat or don’t want the smoky flavor, you can omit it.
- Fresh Herbs: Sprinkling these at the end with fresh parsley or chives (or a little of both) lifts them and brings some fresh flavors!
Here’s How to Make It
Step by Step Instructions
- Boil the Potatoes: Cook the diced potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside. (not pictured)
- Sauté Shallot: Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over a medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallot with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and just starting to brown. This should take about 5 minutes. Scrape the cooked shallots from the pan and set aside. (photo 1)
- Fry Potatoes: Return the skillet to the heat and turn it up to medium high. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and the butter. Once the butter is melted and frothy add the potatoes, garlic powder, smoked paprika (if using) and season generously with salt and pepper. Fry the potatoes, stirring them around in the pan to make sure all of the sides brown for about 10 minutes until crispy. (photos 2-4)
- Mix Everything: Stir in the cooked shallots and cook for a further minutes to heat through. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat. (photos 5-6)
- Sprinkle with Herbs: Stir in the fresh herbs and serve immediately! (photos 7-8)
Expert Tips
- Make sure each of the potatoes touches the skillet! Use a big enough skillet so that each piece of potato has contact with the bottom of the pan. This will ensure crispy potatoes!
- Add Extra Veggies! You can turn your skillet breakfast potatoes until hash with some healthy veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms and broccoli!
- Don’t be scared to salt! Salt helps draw out the moisture in order to get super crispy potatoes. Plus, potatoes need a little more salt than other things in order to balance the flavors.
- Serve these pan fried potatoes with eggs, bacon, and fruit for a well balance breakfast!
Frequently Asked Questions
In order to get the potatoes with a creamy interior and crunchy exterior, it is important to boil the potatoes first so they are partly cooked. If you throw the potatoes in without cooking them at all, they will not be fully tender in the middle and might burn on the outside before getting to that perfect texture!
To store leftover potatoes, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in the microwave or in a pan in order to keep them crispy.
To freeze, place the cooled potatoes in a ziplock bag or other freezer safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pan for about 5 minutes to get them crispy and hot.
You can still make amazing, crispy breakfast potatoes without a cast iron skillet. The cast iron skillet helps because it retains heat more efficiently and will get those potatoes nice and crispy. However, you can still use any skillet or pan you have to make delicious potatoes!
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Hash Brown and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Corned Beef Hash
- Breakfast Muffins
- Sheet Pan Eggs Benedict with Crispy Potatoes
- Biscuits & Gravy Casserole
Did you try this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo of your CDLC creation – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Skillet Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes - diced but not peeled
- salt - to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil - divided
- 1 large banana shallot - finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- cracked black pepper - to taste
- 1 ½ tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley or chives - or a mixture of both
Instructions
- Cook the diced potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over a medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallot with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and just starting to brown. This should take around 5 minutes. Scrape the cooked shallots from the pan and set aside.
- Return the skillet to the heat and turn it up to medium high heat. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and the butter. Once the butter is melted and frothy, add the potatoes, garlic powder, smoked paprika (if using) and season generously with more salt and pepper. Fry the potatoes, stiring them around in the pan to make sure all of the sides brown for about 10 minutes until crispy.
- Stir in the cooked shallots and cook for a further minute until heated through. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat.
- Stir in fresh herbs and serve immediately.
I learned to make something very similar to this from a neighbor. She use leftover beans with chile powder and tomatoes. I love the way the cornbread soaked up the chili flavoring. Thanks for sharing
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
I like spicy staff!
Both of these recipes look amazing – I love skillet recipes! That cornbread chili looks like the best comfort food!
Do you think a 12 inch skillet is too large for these recipes?
I think it would work!
Thanks for your answer. Think I will try the cookie first. Sunday football treat.
I love the recipe. Just a little hint, a large pizza pan work’s great for a splatted guard underneath.