The Best Hash Browns Ever Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to crispy hash browns? ›

Immediately put the potatoes into the bowl of water. Soaking the potatoes in the water removes some of the starch and keeps the potatoes from turning an unappetizing color. Once the potatoes have soaked for a few minutes, squeeze them out and put them on a clean dish towel.

Drain and Dry

Quickly rinse to get any residual starch off, then pat the potatoes down with a towel. You'll want to remove as much moisture as possible because this will prevent your hash browns from getting as crisp as possible.

Tips for the Crispiest Hash Browns

Squeeze out moisture: Use a potato ricer, orange or lemon press, or a tea towel to wring out excess moisture from the shredded raw potato. Some people find a salad spinner can work well too.

The most common method is to wrap the shredded potatoes in a kitchen towel, then squeeze to release as much liquid as you can. But that's just one way to get it done. Max had a lot of luck bundling the shredded potatoes in cheesecloth, then threading in a wooden spoon to create a sort of vise to help squeeze.

Olive Oil is the best for great hash browns. If you're using a non-stick skillet you might be able to get away with butter, but especially when using a cast iron pan, you want olive oil to avoid sticking and to help easily flip them.

What is the difference between hash browns and Southern hash browns? Hash browns are shredded potatoes that are fried until crispy and brown with no soft interior. Southern-style hash browns are diced potatoes that are fried until the exterior is crisp and the interior is soft, essentially home fries.

To ensure ultimate crispness, be sure to rinse the grated potatoes with cold water until the water runs nearly clear and to use a very hot, well-seasoned pan. As with all potato dishes, remember to season well.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Place the rinsed potatoes on paper towels or a clean tea towel and pat them dry. Next, working in batches, squeeze out as much moisture as you can in the towel. Once they are well squeezed, sprinkle them with a little salt. I recommend cooking the hash browns in a seasoned cast iron skillet.

Why can't I make good hash browns? ›

The biggest culprit that's making your hash browns come apart is moisture. You need to make sure the potatoes are dry before adding them to the flour and egg mixture. Whether you squeeze them out in a dish towel or use a salad spinner, get the potatoes as dry as they can be.

When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

If you don't eliminate enough liquid (from the potatoes that you, again, just soaked in water), they will get soggy instead of crispy, a.k.a. a total bummer.

If you're reheating frozen hash browns, I suggest preheating your oven to 350 and covering the tray with foil. Pop this into your oven for about 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and let them cook uncovered for another 5-7 minutes depending on how much crispiness you want.

Because they are already cooked, they don't take much oil or time in oil to crisp up. If frying hash browns on a griddle, put the oil on first and allow it to heat up, then add the potatoes. Pouring cool or room temp oil over the potatoes is a sure fire way to end up with soggy spuds.

Using a drier, starchier potato such as Idaho, and rinsing away the excess starch is a sure-fire way to crispy, golden hash browns. Butter helps both browning and flavor, while oil lowers the smoke point, allowing your pan to do the steady, even cooking needed for perfectly crisped potatoes.

Ingredients: Potatoes, Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying amounts), Salt, Maize Flour, Dehydrated Potato, Dextrose, Stabiliser (Diphosphates), Black Pepper Extract. Prepared in the restaurant using non-hydrogenated vegetable oil.