Crispy Skillet home fries are a delicious way to to serve crispy breakfast potatoes on Sunday morning! They are the perfect side dish to eggs and bacon for a hearty breakfast the whole family will love.
A hot skillet with salted butter and little stirring is the best way to cook this classic brunch side dish. This is one of my favorite great potato recipes from mom to make with leftover baked or boiled potatoes.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
✔️ It is a quick side dish that is ready in just 15 minutes.
✔️ This is an easy home fries recipe that requires simple ingredients you already have on hand.
✔️ The home fries have a crispy exterior and are perfect for dipping in a little bit of ketchup!
🥘 Ingredients
Leftover baked russet potatoes, diced. These can have the skins on or they can be peeled of before dicing.
Sweet onions
Red bell peppers, add color and sweetness.
Jalapeno pepper, or green bell pepper if you prefer no heat.
Garlic cloves
Salted butter
Salt and black pepper to season the potatoes.
🔪 Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Warm until butter is melted and starts to bubble.
- Stir in the onion, garlic, red pepper, and jalapeno pepper (if using). Cook for 3 minutes, until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent. Remove the onion mixture from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining butter to the hot pan and melt until bubbly. Add the diced potatoes to the hot skillet in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Lower to medium heat and cook the potatoes without stirring for 2 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp. Stir potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add more butter if needed, then add the bread pieces to the potato mixture. Stir to toss the bread with the potatoes and then cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Return the cooked onion mixture to the skillet with the potatoes and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
🥄 Equipment
Non-stick pan, if you have a cast iron skillet, that will work well also.
Chef knife
Cutting board
Spatula
🥫Storage
Store leftover home fries in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium low heat until potatoes are warmed through.
📖 Variations
- Substitute ½ teaspoon garlic powder for the garlic clove.
- Olive oil can be used in place of butter to reduce saturated fats.
- Opt to use your favorite herbs and spices instead of just salt and pepper.
💭 Tips
- Make extra baked potatoes when cooking dinner to have leftover potatoes on hand to make this home fries recipe.
🙋 FAQ's
The best potato is any cooked leftover boiled yukon golds or baked russet potatoes. Since they are precooked, they will crisp up in a different and better way than they would if they were raw.
Fresh cut potato home fries can be made but they take longer to cook and will have a different texture. They also will not crisp as nicely as precooked potatoes will.
📚 Related Recipes
Bacon is the star in these Cheesy Bacon Home Fries.
Mom's Potato Rolls make a great side dish and leftovers work great as a bread replacement in the home fries recipe!
Sweeten things up a little with these Oven Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Fries!
🍽 Serve with...
Serve home fries with a side of eggs and bacon, or sausage. I love to drizzle mine with a small amount of ketchup or hot sauce.
🏫 The last word
I grew up with my mom making these skillet home fries, also known as breakfast potatoes on a regular basis. She would make them for breakfast or dinner as a side to whatever she was serving.
My mom would always put bread in the home fries as a way to bulk up the dish when there weren't enough potatoes to serve everyone. I think that the crispy fried bread pieces were favorite part of the dish for me!
Mom usually just fried the potatoes with some onion, butter, and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Over the years, I changed the method of making these delicious home fries by sauteing the onions with some bell pepper and fresh garlic before cooking the potatoes. Then I stir the onion mixture back into the crispy potatoes just before serving.
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When you make this skillet home fries recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
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📖 Recipe
Mom's Skillet Home Fries
Equipment
- Large non-stick skillet
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Ingredients
- 2 medium baked potatoes , diced
- 1 cup hearty bread pieces
- ½ cup diced onions
- ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno , optional
- 1 large garlic clove , minced
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- salt , to taste
- black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Warm until butter is melted and starts to bubble.
- Stir in the onion, garlic, red pepper, and jalapeno pepper (if using). Cook for 3 minutes, until vegetables have softened and onions are translucent. Remove the onion mixture from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining butter to the hot pan and melt until bubbly. Add the diced potatoes to the hot skillet in a single layer and season with salt and pepper. Lower to medium heat and cook the potatoes without stirring for 2 minutes to allow the potatoes to brown and crisp. Stir potatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add more butter if needed, then add the bread pieces to the potato mixture. Stir to toss the bread with the potatoes and then cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Return the cooked onion mixture to the skillet with the potatoes and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Leslie Thesier says
Did I miss something? What bread pieces do we add ??
Shelby Law Ruttan says
Hi Leslie, it is 1 cup fresh bread pieces, either homemade or store bought, it is in the instructions where the bread is added to the recipe. Thanks!