Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Savory, slightly spicy, and slightly sweet – SO much more flavorful than any home fries I’ve had at a restaurant!
Texture: The potatoes have that rich golden brown, buttery crust and fluffy interior. Heaven!
Ease: Super simple to make – the hardest part is chopping everything.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Breakfast comfort food.
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These crispy home fries are golden and crunchy outside with tender, fluffy centers, all ready in about 35 minutes.
This fast skillet method skips unnecessary steps and focuses on what actually creates browning and flavor, so you get diner-style breakfast potatoes without standing at the stove forever.
And thanks to the perfect combination of seasonings, they taste amazing too!
Add some bacon and eggs and enjoy the most delicious breakfast ever.
Sprinkle of Science
Ingredient Notes
Only a few ingredients matter here — but the details make the difference between crispy home fries and pale, soft potatoes.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: These are ideal for home fries. In my testing, Russets browned faster but dried out in the center. They will work in a pinch. Red potatoes stayed waxy and didn’t crisp as well.
- Yellow Onion: I like the sweetness this adds, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Bell Peppers: I like a mix of red and green, but again, use what you have on hand.
- Olive Oil & Butter: I like to cook the onion + peppers in olive oil then add butter before cooking the potatoes. You get the flavor of butter without burning it.
- Kosher Salt: Salt the potato boiling water generously. This seasons the potatoes internally!
- Spices: This is where we build flavor that rivals the diner. You can skip the red pepper flakes if you’re sensitive to spice, but don’t skip the others.
- Green onions: An optional garnish for fresh color and flavor.
How to Make CRISPY Home Fries
- Baking soda boil. Boiling the potatoes in a baking soda solution increases the alkalinity, breaking the potatoes down for more rough edges which will brown better in the skillet. Don’t skip boiling first!
- The pan. 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.
- Be patient. Don’t stir the potatoes too much, or 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.
Storage & Make Ahead
Breakfast potatoes are best served hot off the pan.
Prep: Parboil the potatoes and chop all the vegetables and refrigerate the night before. This is helpful if you’re hosting breakfast or brunch.
Reheat: 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 re-crisped.
FAQs
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 and bacon or sausage.
What is the difference between home fries and fried potatoes?
Home Fries are diced potatoes that are boiled and then pan-fried. They’re not deep-fried like ‘fries’, nor shredded like hash browns.
What potatoes are best for home fries?
I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes. They have enough starch to brown well but stay soft inside. Russets can dry out, and red potatoes don’t get as crispy.
Do you have to boil potatoes before making home fries?
Yes. This ensures the inside becomes tender before the outside burns. It shortens skillet time and improves texture.
Why use baking soda to boil potatoes?
Adding baking soda to boiling water 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 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 leavening agents.
Why are my home fries soggy?
This is usually caused by excess moisture or overcrowding the pan. Use a large skillet. If you don’t have one large enough, use two pans at once.
Home Fries
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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 same 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.
Recipe Notes
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes You’ll Love:
This post was originally published in 2012 and updated in 2022 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.
I love home fries! They’re so simple and easy to make, and they always taste great. I always make a big batch and keep them in the fridge so I can easily cook them up whenever I need them.
We like the way you think, Aman!!
I love your science behind all you baking and cooking. Why the baking soda in the water for boiling potatoes?
Thanks!
Hi Giselle! Baking soda helps create an ultra crispy exterior, while keeping the middle of the potatoes super fluffy! Tessa explains the science behind this in the pink tip box above the recipe! Let us know if you try these out – I’m sure you’ll love them!! 🙂
These home fries are so good ! They take a bit of time, but totally worth it. The spices that are used give these the best flavor. Will definitely make again and again.
Hi Mary! So happy you enjoyed these home fries!! Thank you for taking the time to let us know 🙂
They are a bit of work but so good! Boiling makes the potatoes creamy while frying them gives them that crunch on the outside. Love the flavorful spices too If you wanna impress your morning breakfast crew, this is the recipe!
Hi Janet! We are SO excited you loved these home fries!! Thank you so much for letting us know! 🙂
Your directions for cooking aren’t posted.
The directions for the home fries wont show
Can i use green onions instead of normal onions?
You could but I’d definitely recommend sticking with the regular onions.
You can also microwave the potatoes for 2-3 minutes instead of having to boil them. Looks yummy!
This sounds so good! My fiance and I love to go out to breakfast whenever we have a free weekend morning together, and it’s so hard to find tasty home fries. I’ll be trying this soon!
Don’t you know, we can ship to you from The Container Store?
Those could not look more amazing!! I’ve never made home fries, but we have eggs every weekend, and man would these be a fantastic addition!
Home fres are the best!!! These look awesome.