Home Fries Recipe
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This tasty Home Fries recipe of golden brown pan-roasted potatoes with onions, peppers, and garlic is a fantastic breakfast side dish that is ready in 20 minutes. My daughter is obsessed with these and constantly asks me to make them. They’re that good.
I love how these home fries get their crispy edges from letting them sit undisturbed in the pan before flipping. Potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes, and the best part is there are so many ways to make them, like my twice-baked potatoes or this easy roasted red potatoes.
Home Fries
Home fries are a southern staple breakfast side dish of pan-fried potatoes, usually with caramelized onions and occasionally with other ingredients such as peppers and herbs. There are many variations to this dish, which were likely created based on the availability of ingredients.
They’re said to have been created to counter French fries sometime in the early 20th century. For the record, these are different from hashbrowns in that they are usually cubed or sliced rather than shredded. However, the cooking method of pan-frying is the same.
Lastly, if you have any leftover cooked cubed or sliced potatoes, this recipe is a great way to utilize them. You can even cube a leftover cooked baked potato and use it in this recipe. Of course, the cooking times would scale back since the potatoes are already cooked.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Potatoes – I use Yukon golds for this recipe but you can use russets, or red potatoes, both work great too.
- Peppers – I used a combination of red bell and poblano peppers. However, you can use any sweet pepper of any color will work, and any spicy pepper.
- Fat – Any neutral-flavored oil, like avocado, will work. Lard or clarified butter is also good for frying the potatoes. I also used unsalted butter to finish them.
- Onions – Yellow, white, red, or sweet, are all options. In addition, I added fresh garlic cloves to the potatoes.
- Seasonings – Coarse salt, freshly cracked pepper, and regular paprika are what I use to season the potatoes.
How to Make Easy Home Fries
Prep the vegetables: First thing I do is cut the potatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic so everything is ready to cook.
Heat the pan: I add the oil to a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and let it warm until it starts to smoke lightly.
Start cooking: I pour in the potatoes and onions, then spread them out in a single layer across the pan so they cook evenly.
Let them brown: I leave the potatoes and onions undisturbed for 7 to 8 minutes so they develop a nice golden crust.
Sauté the potatoes: Next, I cook them for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring so they brown evenly on all sides.
Add the flavor: I mix in the peppers, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper, then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and tender.
Finish the potatoes: I stir in the butter and, if I have them, sprinkle sliced green onions on top for a fresh garnish.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten within an hour of you making them. However, you can keep them warm uncovered in the oven at low temperatures (<200°) for up to 30 minutes.
How to Store: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. These do not freeze well, so I advise against freezing them. If you do freeze them, they may turn mushy after thawing, in which case you can fry them and make hash browns or potato pan cakes.
How to Reheat: Place the fried potatoes in a pan or on a metal tray and bake in the oven at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until warm and crispy.
Chef Tip + Notes
I highly recommend for making my Home Fries recipe to let the potatoes sit in the pan without moving them so they get a nice golden crust. Waiting just a few minutes makes all the difference for those crispy edges everyone loves.
- Fresh herbs: I sometimes finish the potatoes with rosemary, thyme, chives, or sage for extra flavor.
- Vinegar: I like tossing the potatoes with a teaspoon of white vinegar right before serving for a tangy touch.
- Drying: If I soak the potatoes in water after peeling, I make sure to dry them well before frying.
- Peeling: I peel the potatoes if I want a smoother texture, but it’s totally optional.
- Paprika: I switch between sweet or spicy paprika depending on the flavor I want.
- Bacon fat: I render bacon in the pan and fry the potatoes in the fat, then serve them with the crispy bacon lardons.
Serving Suggestions
The other day I served these home fries with my comforting Turkish eggs, and it has quickly become our new favorite breakfast at home. They are just as good with a classic egg benedict, which is my wife and daughter’s top choice alongside these crispy home fries.
I also love serving these potatoes with my steak and eggs recipe for a breakfast that really satisfies. They are also great with fried eggs and crispy bacon, which is always a winning combo in my book.
More Potato Recipes
Home Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 peeled small diced medium-sized yellow onion
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 seeded small-diced red bell pepper
- 1 seeded small-diced poblano pepper
- 5 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cutting the potatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic.
- Add the oil to a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Pour in the potatoes and onions and spread them out across the pan so that they are in a single layer.
- Let them stand for 7 to 8 minutes to get a good brown crust on them.
- Next, sauté them for 3 to 4 minutes getting them browned on all sides.
- Add in the peppers, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper, and continue cooking them for a further 3 to 4 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy and tender.
- Finish the potatoes with butter and an optional garnish of sliced green onions.
- Try serving the potatoes with my steak and eggs recipe.
Do you cover your pan?
no
Much easier than what I have attempted before which always included stirring way to early.
Always learn new tips/tricks from Chef Billy Parisi. These potatoes taste (and look) great!
Excellent!