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Breakfast · American

Crispy Hash Browns

One big golden potato cake: shatter-crisp outside, tender inside, made from a single pound of russets.

Hands-on
30 min
Total
30 min
Makes
4 wedges
Serves
4

All hands-on: about 15 minutes to peel, grate and wring out the potatoes, then about 15 minutes in the pan (7-8 minutes, flip, 5-6 minutes, 1 more minute folded).

  • medium
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • brunch
  • potatoes
  • side

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Crispy Hash Browns
Amount
Units

Ingredients

You need: vegetable peeler · box grater (coarse holes) or food processor with a shredding disk · clean kitchen towel · medium bowl · 25 cm (10 in) skillet · wide spatula · 2 large plates

Contains: milk

Method

  1. Peel and grate

    Peel, wash and dry the 454 g (1 lb) potatoes. Grate them on the coarse holes of a box grater just before cooking, because grated potato turns grey as it sits.

  2. Wring them dry

    Pile the shreds in the middle of a clean kitchen towel, gather it up and twist hard over the sink until no more liquid drips out. You should have about 1 1/2 cups, loosely packed. Toss the dry shreds in a bowl with 1/4 tsp salt and some pepper.

    Otto tried this firstOtto skips the towel and drops the wet shreds straight into the pan. They hiss, steam and turn into soggy grey mush. Squeeze out every drop you can: dry shreds are what make them crisp.

  3. Heat the butter

    Heat half the butter (1/2 tbsp) in the 25 cm (10 in) skillet over medium-high heat.

    Ready when: The foam has died down and the butter is just starting to turn light brown.

  4. Press and cook the first side

    Spread the potatoes evenly over the bottom of the pan and press them down firmly with a wide spatula. Turn the heat down to medium and cook, without stirring, for 7 to 8 minutes.

    Ready when: Lift an edge: the underside is dark golden brown and crisp, and the cake slides as one piece when you shake the pan.

  5. Turn it over

    Slide the potato cake out onto a large plate, browned side down. Cover with a second plate, turn both plates over together so the browned side faces up, and lift off the top plate. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp butter to the pan; once it melts, slide the cake back in, browned side up.

  6. Cook the second side

    Cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Then fold the cake in half with the spatula and cook about 1 minute more.

    Ready when: The second side is dark golden brown and crisp, and the shreds inside are tender, not raw or crunchy-white.

  7. Serve

    Slide it onto a board, cut into 4 wedges and serve right away.

Swaps

  • Instead of 1 tbsp butter: vegetable oil, same amount Makes them dairy-free; heat the oil until it shimmers before adding the potatoes.
  • Instead of one big cake: 4 small cakes from the same potatoes Divide the shreds into 4 equal portions and cook about 5 minutes per side.

Don’t swap

  • waxy potatoes (red or new potatoes) for russets: high-starch potatoes hold together and brown best

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Best eaten as soon as they come out of the pan; don't grate the potatoes ahead, since the shreds turn grey.

If something goes wrong

  • Soggy, pale hash browns Why: Shreds weren't squeezed dry, or the pan was crowded.
    Wring the shreds hard in a towel and cook one 454 g (1 lb) batch per 25 cm (10 in) pan.
  • Falls apart when you flip it Why: The first side wasn't fully browned, or it wasn't pressed down.
    Press firmly at the start and wait until it slides as one piece before turning it.

Good to know

  • Stir 2 tbsp grated onion, 1-2 tbsp chopped herbs or some roasted garlic into the raw shreds for extra flavour.
  • Sprinkle snipped chives or scallion greens over the top just before serving.

Safety

  • Box graters catch knuckles. Stop when the potato gets small and keep fingertips flat; kids can wring out the towel instead.
  • Turning the cake with two plates keeps hot fat in the pan; don't try to flip the whole skillet over a plate.
  • Hot butter can spit when the potatoes go in. Lay them in gently and keep faces back.