Home Fried Potatoes

These easy Home Fried Potatoes are a Southern breakfast favorite, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They’re a classic side dish served alongside eggs, bacon, and sausage for breakfast or brunch, but they’re just as delicious with lunch or supper. Made with simple pantry staples, these budget-friendly potatoes are hearty, satisfying, and always a hit with family and friends.

Easy Home Fried Potatoes Recipe

Home fried potatoes are the kind of down home side dishes you’ll find at diners. One of the things I love most about home fried potatoes is how easy they are to customize for your family’s tastes. You can keep them simple with just potatoes and onions, or dress them up with extra ingredients to make them even more flavorful. Try adding diced bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, or sweet onions while they cook. For a heartier version, toss in diced ham, crumbled bacon, or even cooked sausage. A sprinkle of shredded cheese and fresh herbs right before serving is delicious, too.

Whether you’re serving them alongside eggs and bacon for breakfast, pairing them with burgers or grilled chicken for supper, or adding them to a weekend brunch spread, home fried potatoes are always a welcome addition to the table. Crispy, golden, and packed with flavor, they’re the kind of comforting side dish that never goes out of style and keeps everyone coming back for seconds.

Key ingredients to make simple Home Fried Potatoes Recipe: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and quantities.)

Potatoes – Russet potatoes starchy potatoes and have a dense texture making them perfect for frying.
Oil – Vegetable oil (OR bacon grease) for richness.
Butter – Salted butter or unsalted butter adds flavor.
Spices – Salt, black pepper, granulated garlic or garlic powder, onion
Onion – Diced onions and green onions add color and a hint of onion flavor.

How to Make the BEST Home Fried Potatoes Recipe

Wash and Cube the Potatoes – Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. You can peel the potatoes or leave the peel intact.
Prepare Skillet – Heat oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a large, deep stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat.
Onions – Add the onions. Cook just until translucent then remove from the pan.
Potatoes – Add the remaining oil and the butter to the skillet. Add the cubed potatoes, turning to coat.
Cook Potatoes – Cover and cook over medium-low perthe recipe. Check and gently stir every 5 minutes. This eliminates the need to boil the potatoes first.
Season – Uncover and add the seasoned salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and onions tossing together until combined.
Cook Uncovered – Cook uncovered per the cooking time in the recipe until fork tender and golden brown, flipping potatoes every 5 minutes. Cook until the potatoes are tender on the inside and are browned on the outside.
Serve immediately garnished with green onions or parsley.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Home Fried Potatoes

Large skillet. I use a large cast iron skillet but you can use a similar size stainless steel skillet on nonstick frying pan for home fries.
Sharp knife and cutting board.
Measuring spoons.
Large spoon for stirring.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

Potatoes – You can use just about any variety of potato to make home fried potatoes, including Russet, Yukon Gold, red potatoes, or new potatoes. Since each type contains a different amount of starch, cooking times may vary slightly. Be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed, checking for tenderness with a fork or the tip of a knife. When the potatoes are done, the utensil should glide through easily with little resistance. This simple test ensures your potatoes are perfectly tender on the inside while developing a delicious golden-brown crust on the outside.
Use a Large Skillet – Cook in batches, if necessary. You can also pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture prior to frying.
Don’t Stir Excessively – The key to charing potatoes is not to stir them too often. If you allow the potatoes to sit in the skillet in a single layer without being disturbed, they’ll form that crust that makes them so crisp and delicious. Don’t be tempted to stir, opting rather to use a large spoon or spatula to flip the potatoes.
Veggies – You can add mushrooms, onions, red bell pepper or green bell peppers, diced jalapeno pepper or poblano pepper for spice.
Spices – You could use garlic salt, seasoned salt, cajun seasoning or add smoked paprika or cayenne for a little heat.
Protein – You could add diced ham or cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage to the mix for a main dish option.
Oil – You can use bacon drippings in place of oil or butter. You could also use olive oil.
Green Onions – You can use fresh herbs like parsley, chives or rosemary to garnish fried potatoes.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftovers – Store leftover Home Fried Potatoes chilled in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating – Reheat in an oiled skillet until heated through or on a sheet pan in a 375°F oven to crisp and toast. You can also reheat fried potatoes in an air fryer.
Freezer – You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge then crisp and reheat just before serving.

More Easy Potato Recipes to Make

These Loaded Potato Cakes are a fan favorite.
Potato Skins are a game day must-make.
Make ahead Twice Baked Potatoes.
Sweet and tangy German Potato Salad.
These Sweet Potato Fries are made in the oven.
Garlic Chive Mashed Potato Puffins are made in a cupcake pan.
Taco Potatoes turns a baked potato into a complete meal.
Grilled Potato Kabobs from McCormick.

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