Treat yourself and your family to this crispy diner-style home fries recipe for breakfast. This side dish of fried potatoes and caramelized onions pairs well with eggs and bacon. (Ding!) Order up!
Jessica’s Recipe Science
- Russet potatoes have a high starch content, creating fluffy centers while the flaky surface crisps into a golden crust during pan-frying.
- Adding baking soda to the boiling water breaks down pectin in the potato cell walls, releasing starch that forms a rough exterior for extra crunch and faster browning.
- After parboiling, drain and dry the potatoes, then let them sit undisturbed in a hot skillet until a crisp crust forms.
Featured Comment 7
“I just finished eating these home fries. Wow were they great. The ratio of onion to the sweet red pepper was perfect.”—William
Why It Works
This home fries recipe is a classic breakfast side dish served at diners and restaurants, and it’s easy to make at home. Starchy russet potatoes provide just the right contrast. Parboil the cubed pieces until they have light, fluffy centers, then sauté until the surface is crispy.
To enhance the golden home fries’ taste, I sauté chopped onions and bell peppers with the potatoes and a generous amount of savory seasonings. I serve these golden spuds with crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, or, as our kids love, French toast for a delicious brunch.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes are starchy potatoes that create a fluffy interior and crisp exterior. Their high starch content helps develop a crunchy crust after parboiling and pan-frying the cubed potatoes.
- Water: Used to parboil the potatoes, softening the interior before skillet cooking. This two-step process ensures tender centers without burning the outside.
- Baking soda: Raises the alkalinity of the cooking water, helping break down the potato surface. This creates a starchy coating that browns more efficiently and develops a crisp texture.
- Kosher salt: Seasons the potatoes from the inside out during parboiling and enhances flavor throughout the cooking process.
- Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor and milk solids that promote golden browning. Using unsalted butter allows better control of the overall seasoning.
- Oil: Olive oil (or vegetable oil, corn oil, or avocado oil) provides a higher smoke point and helps create an evenly crisp exterior. Combining oil with butter delivers both flavor and browning power.
- Onions: Yellow onions add sweetness and savory flavor as they caramelize in the pan. The softened onions complement the crispy potatoes.
- Red Bell Pepper: Provides color, freshness, and a subtle sweetness that balances the richness of the potatoes.
- Paprika: Adds earthy flavor and enhances the potatoes’ golden color. Use smoked paprika for a deeper, smoky taste.
- Garlic powder: Delivers savory garlic flavor without the risk of burning that comes with fresh garlic.
- Black Pepper: Adds mild heat and complexity to balance the richness of the potatoes.
- Herbs: Sprinkle fresh parsley on at the end for a pop of color and fresh herbal flavor.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric)
Ingredient Substitutions
This home fries recipe is easy to customize! Try these delicious variations:
- Potato Options: You can use other types of potatoes like waxy Yukon Gold potatoes or red potatoes. However, their lower starch and high sugar content will yield sturdy spuds that taste creamy and dense rather than light and flaky.
- Onion Swaps: Use sweet onions, white onions, or shallots for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Bell Peppers: Green, orange, or yellow bell peppers work equally well and add vibrant color. Add hot peppers for a spicy twist!
- Olive oil: Swap with avocado oil, vegetable oil, or corn oil for similar crisping results.
- Butter Alternatives: Use additional oil for a dairy-free option like margarine or coconut oil.
- Seasoning: Try smoked paprika, chili powder, Cajun seasoning, or Italian seasoning for a bold herbaceous note.
- Herbs: Try adding chives, green onions, thyme, or rosemary for a different herbal finish.
- Meat: Try diced ham, crispy bacon, chicken apple sausage, chorizo, or crumbled breakfast sausage.
How to Make Home Fries
Step 1: Prepare Potatoes
I use russet potatoes because they have a mealy texture when cooked—the flesh flakes easily, which is precisely what we want to create a crisp exterior. Once the crust forms on the surface, the centers become fluffy, just like a baked potato.
No need to peel the spuds. I prefer to keep the skin on to give more structure and a crispier texture. Cut them into ¾-inch-sized pieces to provide a good ratio of crust to centers. The potatoes break down slightly during cooking, so the larger cut accounts for that loss.
Pro Tip: If you’re not using the potatoes immediately, cover them with cool water, as air oxidizes the exposed areas and turns the flesh greyish brown.
Step 2: Parboil Potatoes
Raw potatoes are hard; if you throw them into a hot pan, you risk not cooking them through. To speed up the softening process, bring water to a boil, add the potatoes, baking soda, and salt to season. The chemical leavening agent quickly breaks down the exterior, giving a flaky surface for extra crispiness.
Don’t cook the potatoes all the way through; otherwise, they will break apart in the pan. You should be able to poke through the surface with the center still firm. This process takes about 5 minutes.
Drain the parboiled potatoes into a colander to remove the cooking liquid. To dry the surface for faster browning, shake off the excess water, then warm them up for a few minutes in the same pot. This process evaporates surface moisture, so they don’t steam instead of fry, for better browning.
Ingredient Chemistry: Add a small amount of alkaline baking soda to the boiling water when parboiling the diced potatoes. When cooked in this solution, the tough pectin in the cell walls breaks down, releasing starch to the exterior. This technique softens the surface, creating a flaky texture that can be stirred to form a paste on the outside. This starchy paste increases the browning rate, and as the surface dries, it becomes crispier.
Step 3: Add Seasonings
To season, stir in butter and kosher salt. The agitation and coarse granules create a starchy paste on the exterior that crisps up. It’s delicious!
Step 4: Sauté the Vegetables
Add a pop of color to the potatoes and enhance the flavor with onions and bell peppers. Dice the onions, then sauté in oil, and season with salt. The salt draws out moisture, helping caramelize the natural sugars and add a pleasant sweetness to the dish. Dice the red bell peppers, then sauté until crisp-tender. Remove the vegetables so there’s room to fry the potatoes.
Step 5: Pan-Fry the Potatoes
The trick to a crisp surface is to let the parboiled potatoes stay in contact with the hot pan and fat. I use olive oil and butter as the milk solids turn golden brown and add a nutty flavor. Use a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan to prevent sticking.
Heat the large skillet over medium heat to gently brown the sides. Once coated in the fat, spread the pieces out in a single layer, and you’ll see a gorgeous golden crust develop. Stir and repeat the pan-frying process until most of the surface is crispy. This will take about 20 minutes. During this time, the centers will finish cooking.
Step 6: Combine Ingredients
Add the dry seasonings to the home fries at the end of cooking. I use a combination of paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Turn off the heat, as paprika is prone to burning if the pan is too hot.
The seasonings add a wonderful aroma even before you bite in. Add the onions and peppers and stir to warm them up. Then, the home fries are ready to serve. Freshly chopped parsley adds a pleasant fresh taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Home fries are a type of breakfast potato. They’re cut into cubes, cooked in a skillet, and sautéed with onions and bell peppers for extra flavor. Hash browns are another popular breakfast potato that’s shredded instead of diced. They are fried in a pan until golden brown and crispy.
Home fries are a type of fried potatoes. The smaller pieces, in cubes, wedges, or thin slices, are fried in fat like butter or oil. Fried potatoes can also be deep-fried.
Home fries are made with simple ingredients using fresh produce and pantry staples. When cooked in a skillet with a small amount of fat, home fries are a healthier side dish than deep-fried potatoes. They’re cooked with extra vegetables like onions and peppers for added nutrition.
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If you tried this Home Fries Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Home Fries
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup yellow onion, ¼" dice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup red bell pepper, ¼" dice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable, corn or avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Potatoes – Wash and scrub the potatoes, then dry well. Cut them into ¾-inch cubes.
- Parboil the Potatoes – In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring 5 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the baking soda and stir to dissolve. Add the potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook until the surface softens but is not cooked all the way through, 5 to 6 minutes.Drain into a colander, gently shake off the excess moisture, then add back to the pot. Cook over low heat until the moisture evaporates, about 2 minutes.
- Add the Seasonings – Turn off the heat and add 1 tablespoon butter and ¾ teaspoon salt. Stir until a starchy paste coats the surface, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables – In a large 12-inch skillet or cast iron pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Sauté until lightly browned and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add bell peppers and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.
- Pan-Fry the Vegetables – Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once the butter melts, add the potatoes. Stir and spread them in a single layer. Let it sit without stirring until the bottoms are golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.Turn the potatoes with a spatula. Repeat, spreading in a single layer, and let them sit and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until most sides are lightly browned and crisp, about 11 to 15 minutes. Individual pieces may need to be flipped over to ensure browning.
- Combine the Ingredients – Turn off the heat and evenly sprinkle the potatoes with paprika, onion powder, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the sautéed onions and bell peppers, and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve while hot.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 3 cups
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Storing: Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Microwave on high power in 15-second intervals until warmed through. Alternatively, heat a pan over medium heat, add a few teaspoons of olive oil, then fry until lightly crisp and warm.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Ann Porterfield says
Jessica, my mom would make these. Instead of sweet peppers, she would add Sauerkraut and German Sausage. Oh yum!
Ann
Jessica Gavin says
Oh my goodness, I need to try you mom’s home fries recipe!
Susan Mercurio says
Adding baking soda to the cooking water destroys the B vitamins in the potatoes.
Also, I don’t throw away the cooking water because it has all of the water-soluble vitamins in it. I save it for soups later or I use it to start homemade bread or rolls.
William Boynton says
I just finished eating these home fries. Wow were they great. As I was making them, I was thinking they better be good because it was a bit of work. But it was well worth it. I fancy myself as an aficionado of potatoes, and these are clearly the best home fries I have had. The ratio of onion to the sweet red pepper was perfect. Thank you so much for posting the recipe.
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, what a complement! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the home fries recipe. You’re welcome, William!
Jennifer says
Well worth the effort! I rarely have success with fried foods but this recipe worked. Everyone was impressed.
Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo-hoo! I’m so glad to hear that you rocked the home fries recipe, Jennifier!