Looking for the perfect skillet breakfast potatoes recipe? Just a few seasonings are needed for these skillet fried potatoes. No need for a cast iron to make your own crispy home fries.
These have to be the best pan fried potatoes. They’re seasoned to perfection and only take about 15 minutes to cook through which is perfect for being able to get your eggs and bacon cooked during that time.
If you’ve ever wondered how diners make those crispy breakfast potatoes that go perfectly with bacon and eggs, you’re in the right place. These skillet potatoes use pantry spices like paprika, chili powder, and garlic for bold flavor without much effort.
They’re versatile, easy to adapt, and come together in one pan. You can even customize them with onions, peppers, or other vegetables to turn them into a breakfast hash.
Pair them with a Breakfast Veggie Bowl for a lighter start, tuck them inside Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Muffins for a grab-and-go option, or serve alongside 3 Ingredient Turkey Sausage Gravy for a hearty Southern-style brunch.
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Step by Step Instructions
Check out the recipe card below for more in-depth instructions.
- Dice the potatoes evenly. Use small red potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, or russet potatoes for the best texture. Keeping them uniform ensures they cook evenly in the skillet.
- Preheat your skillet with olive oil. Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. A cast iron pan will give the crispiest results, but a non-stick skillet works too.
- Add the potatoes in a single layer. Avoid overcrowding. This helps each piece get golden edges. Don’t stir too often; let the crust form before flipping.
- Season with spices. Sprinkle on paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic, kosher salt, and pepper. Toss to coat so every piece gets a burst of spice.
Recipe Testing Notes and Tips
As a recipe developer with a degree in food science, I create approachable recipes you can trust. Here are a few takeaways:
- Red potatoes and Yukon Golds hold their texture best in the skillet.
- Soaking diced potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes before cooking helps reduce starch and boosts crispiness.
- A cast iron skillet gives you diner-style crust, but a non-stick pan still works in a pinch.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Crisp edges happen when the potatoes have space.
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Recipe FAQs
The difference between home fries and hash browns is definitely how they are cut. Home fries are diced while hash browns are grated. That makes skillet fried potatoes more closely related to home fries than hash browns. You’ll even hear them be called country fried potatoes if you’re in the south.
I like to use a large skillet which is about 12 inches. This gives the diced potatoes more room to spread out so each has the opportunity to get crispy edges and become the perfect golden brown.
A cast iron skillet can also be used since cast iron skillet potatoes are notoriously crispy, but no worries if you don’t have one! I found that a regular non stick skillet works well.
I love using small red potatoes! I find those skins the most palatable and I don’t know about you, but I rarely feel like peeling potatoes in the morning.
Really, any potato works though! As long as you cut them into relatively the same sizes, you can cook the potatoes evenly in a skillet.
You’ll want to use a large pan over medium high heat. Heat up the olive oil first so it sizzles when you add in the potatoes.
If you have a lot of potatoes, you may want to do it in batches to avoid crowding the pan. I like to aim for one layer of potatoes so they aren’t sitting on each other and each has an opportunity to sit on the pan.
Avoid covering the pan if you can! That traps in moisture and steams the potatoes which makes the outside lose any crispiness it may have.
I’ll use olive oil to cook and add in the minced garlic to the skillet to get it nice and aromatic. I usually mix the spices in a small bowl first so when I sprinkle it over the potatoes, it coats evenly with each. Here’s the spices I use: paprika, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
If you don’t have any minced garlic, garlic powder works great as an option here too.
You bet! If I have onions and green bell peppers on hand, I will always add those to make a breakfast hash.
You can start cooking them at the same time as the potatoes, but they will definitely cook faster. If you’re ok with fork tender peppers and caramelized onions, that’s no problem though! If you still want a little crunch in both, you’ll want to add them in about half way through the sweet potatoes cooking time.
This would be perfect with a side of bacon and egg on top! A fried egg with a gooey yolk and some salt and pepper makes a perfect pairing with these potatoes any day of the week.
Try making this Air fryer Sausage to really round out your breakfast, or this Potato and Eggs Skillet for a full breakfast option in one dish!
Skillet Breakfast Potatoes Recipe
Looking for the perfect skillet breakfast potatoes recipe? Just a few seasonings are needed for these skillet fried potatoes. No need for a cast iron to make your own crispy home fries.
Ingredients
- 1 lb small red potatoes, diced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
Instructions
Notes
- Don't overcrowd the pan to ensure cripsy edges.
- Add in onions and peppers for a quick hash.
- Add in smoked paprika or cayenne for deeper and more spicy flavor.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 605mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
Nutrition provided is only an estimate.
