I’ve tested many methods for making homemade Hash Browns, and this is the best way to make crispy shredded potatoes that aren’t gummy or mushy. The secret is to rinse away and remove excess starch from the potatoes and dry them thoroughly before cooking.

Hash Browns On a Plate With Egg and Oven Bacon

There’s a reason hash browns are one of the most popular American breakfast dishes, and there is no better pairing for eggs and bacon. Whether it’s on the side of a classic Omelette, healthy Salmon and Eggs, or alongside perfectly Poached Eggs, this is the kind of staple recipe that I make on a weekly basis. 

Why Make Your Own Hash Browns?

While the bagged hash brown products in the freezer section may be slightly more convenient, I’ve always been a stickler for making them from scratch.

I have tried many brands of frozen or refrigerated hash browns, and none of them taste as good as homemade hash browns. Even diner hash browns aren’t nearly as good as making them yourself, since they often use low quality oils in their cooking.

When you make your own hash browns, you know the potatoes you’re using are fresh, you can control the type and quality of the oil used, and you can make them as crisp as you like.

I promise it’s not as hard as you might be thinking! I’m going to walk you through all of my best tips and tricks for making the perfect crispy hash browns at home.

Tricks We’ll Use for Crispy but Tender Hash Browns

Remove excess starch – Rinsing away excess starch and soaking the potatoes gives us a crispier end result. This is the biggest secret for how to make hash browns with the perfect texture. (It’s the same technique we use for Homemade French Fries!)

Dry the shredded potatoes before cooking – In order for any food to brown, the moisture must cook off first. By drying the potatoes with a kitchen towel, you give yourself a better starting point for a crispier end result.

Use hot fat in a nonstick skillet – I like to cook in butter in a nonstick skillet, which produces a crispy but tender end result. You may also use other kinds of fats, like bacon grease, ghee or olive oil.

Don’t stir too often – Once the shredded potatoes are in the pan, let them cook undisturbed for at least 4-5 minutes. It’s hard to not stir, but this really gives the potatoes a chance to get a deep browning and robust crunch.

Hash Brown Recipe Plated on Gray Dish with Fried Egg and Bacon

The Best Potatoes To Use

For the best texture, use starchy potatoes like the russet variety, which have a dry and starchy structure that’s perfect for crisping up. There’s a reason that russets are also the default choice for french fries. Waxy potatoes like Yukon gold, red, and boiler should be avoided.

How to Make Perfect Hash Browns (Step-by-Step Overview):

Hash browns are made by peeling and shredding russet potatoes, soaking and rinsing them, then cooking in a skillet. It takes about 30 minutes total; I’ll usually put some bacon or a sausage breakfast casserole in the oven while I’m working on them.

Shred the potatoes

While I do own some handheld box graters, nothing is easier or faster than using the shredding disk on a food processor (affiliate). If you don’t have a food processor, get one!

You can also use a handheld tool like a box grater (affiliate), but it will take much longer.

Peel 3 russet potatoes and shred them:

Shredded Russet Potatoes In Food Processor Bowl

Place the shredded potatoes in water to prevent browning

Immediately move the potatoes to a big bowl of cold water to prevent browning from oxidization. The water will turn a bit murky and foamy from all the starch; don’t worry, that’s normal:

Soaked Shredded Russet Potatoes In Bowl

Rinse the excess starch

Drain and rinse the shredded potatoes thoroughly with cold running water:

Rinsing Shredded Potatoes to Get Rid of Excess Starch

Soak for 10 minutes to pull out more startch

Put the potatoes back into a large bowl of fresh cold water, and soak for 10 minutes to allow more starch to come out. These steps are important for getting the perfect crisp exterior on our final hash browns.

Soaking Shredded Potatoes in a Bowl to remove excess starch

Do you really need to soak the potatoes for 10 minutes?

YES!! I tested simply rinsing the starch off, and the hash browns turned out much more gummy. So plan ahead to have that 10 minute soak. It makes a big difference.

Drain and rinse the grated potatoes again, and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands.

Dry the potatoes for superior crispiness

Transfer the shredded potatoes to a clean kitchen towel. Wring out any water you can, and press down well, drying them as much as possible. Make sure you use an actual towel here, as paper towel will not be strong enough to wring the excess water out.

Drying Shredded Potatoes with a Towel

The potatoes will not brown until the excess moisture has cooked off, so that’s why it’s really important to get rid of as much water as possible before cooking. This is absolutely essential for crispy potatoes.

Cook the hash browns

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and melt 2 tablespoons of butter:

Melted Butter in a Nonstick Skillet

Butter gives you that classic, rich flavor.

Don’t want to use butter?

You can use other types of fat here, like bacon grease, ghee, olive oil, or duck fat. Bacon grease is my second favorite after butter. Like butter, it has so much flavor. Try to avoid flavorless oils like vegetable oil.

Add the towel-dried potato shreds to the non-stick skillet in a single layer, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan:

Hash Browns In a Nonstick Skillet with Butter

Depending on how many people you want to feed, you may need to have two skillets going at the same time or work in batches. 

Now is the time to add any seasonings that you wish. I usually do just kosher salt and black pepper, but you can also add garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, or whatever you’d like. Smoky chipotle powder is also a delicious addition. I recommend up to 1 teaspoon of added spices.

Let them brown (resist the urge to stir)

Let the potatoes cook for 4-5 minutes without stirring or flipping, until the bottom has turned golden brown:

Shredded Potatoes in a Skillet Partially Browned

Then you can stir and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the potatoes are tender, and crisped and browned on most sides:

Homemade Hash Browns In a Skillet Made from Scratch with Fresh Potatoes

Serving

Serve your homemade hash browns promptly, as potatoes tend to become less tender when they’re cold, and you want to keep them crisp as well. For this reason, it is advantageous to serve your golden hash browns in a hot skillet right at the table. A cast iron skillet (affiliate) will hold heat the longest.

If you need to hold them while you’re cooking something else, keep in a 250°F oven for up to 15 minutes. After that, you risk the hash browns drying out.

Enjoy your crispy hash browns alongside basted eggs or a stack of buttermilk waffles. Or add them to a breakfast burrito for a heavenly way to start the day!

For more of my favorite hearty breakfasts, try Potato Cheddar Frittata, Bacon Cheddar Waffles, and Overnight Steel Cut Oats. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQ and Tips:

How do you store leftover hash browns?

Place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze hash browns?

Absolutely! You can freeze for up to 2 months. Store in an airtight container so the potatoes don’t dry out. To thaw, leave in the fridge overnight, or add an extra couple minutes to reheating cook time.

How do you reheat hash browns?

You can reheat in the microwave, but they won’t be crispy like when you made them. If you want to re-crisp them, cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5-8 minutes.

Tried this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below — I’d love to hear how it turned out! Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!

Hash Browns Made from Scratch on Plate

Homemade Hash Browns

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Soak Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Make perfectly crispy homemade hash browns to serve alongside eggs and bacon, tuck into breakfast burritos, and more.
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled (about 3 large potatoes)
  • 1/2 cup butter divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Using the shredding disk of a food processor or the large holes on a box grater, shred the potatoes. Immediately place the shredded potatoes in a large bowl of cold water to prevent browning.
    2 pounds russet potatoes
  • Once all of the potatoes are shredded, drain them in a colander and rinse. Place the potatoes in a bowl of fresh cold water; soak for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, drain the potatoes and rinse once more.
  • Using your hands, squeeze as much water as possible from the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to a clean kitchen towel and wring out the potatoes even more, getting out as much moisture as you can.
  • Place a very large skillet over medium heat. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the pan.
    0.25 cup butter
  • Place the potatoes in the pan in a single layer. Season with the salt and pepper.
    1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Let the potatoes sit in the pan for 4-5 minutes, without stirring, until the bottom has browned. Stir and flip the potatoes to cook the other side.
  • Add the remaining butter to the pan. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, to continue cooking and browning the potatoes.
    0.25 cup butter
  • When the potatoes have reached your desired crispness, taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper as desired. Serve promptly while the potatoes are warm. Enjoy!

Notes

If you do not have a very large (14-inch) skillet, I recommend dividing the potatoes between two smaller (10-inch) skillets or working in batches, serving each batch as it is done cooking. This will prevent overcrowding the pan, which can in turn prevent the hash browns from cooking properly.
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave in the fridge overnight or add an extra couple minutes to reheating cook time.
Reheating: While you can microwave leftovers, they won’t be crispy. To re-crisp, reheat them in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5-8 minutes.
For a hands-off way to have bacon ready to go while you’re tending to the potatoes, here’s How to Cook Bacon in the Oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 485mg, Potassium: 954mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 712IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas