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Crispy diner-style home fries from your kitchen are easier than you think with my recipe!
Are you a diner fan? There’s just something amazing about a classic diner and the meals you get there. It’s honest, homemade type meals that, when you’re traveling, make you miss home.
I’d have to say 99.9% of the time when I’d stop at a diner, I’d always get a huge breakfast.
There’s just something comforting when they set a huge plate of sunnyside-up eggs, crispy bacon, sausage, toast (always cut diagonally), and a heaping pile of crispy home fries.
All that was missing was me in my pajamas and some random tv show on in the background. Well now that I don’t travel as much, I still crave those crispy home fries so I had to recreate my Mom’s recipe. Let’s get started!
Grab Your Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients:
- Oil
- Butter
- Yellow Onion
- Bell pepper
- Large red potatoes
- Seasonings
- Water
Let’s Make Home Fries!
- First, you need to saute up your onions and peppers. Now you don’t have to use them if you aren’t a fan. I add them as they are kind of a staple in diner home fries. Plus I love the flavor they impart into the potatoes.
- While the veggies are sauteing, you need to par-boil the potatoes for a bit.
Why boil the potatoes?
By doing this, you’re removing some of the starch from the potatoes. It also does 2 things:
- Helps them cook evenly
- By pulling some of the starch out, you’re forming almost a gelatinous layer on the potato. So when it cooks, it helps to dehydrate the potato thus giving you a crispy potato!
- Once the potatoes are par-boiled, add the butter to the pan with the sauteed veggies, add in the potatoes in a single layer.
- WITHOUT stirring, allow them to cook for 4-5 minutes. You want to move the potatoes during this time as you want it to brown up.
- Then, carefully flip and continue cooking.
- Once all sides are brownd, add the seasonings and enjoy!
Home Fries Suggestions
- Plated with sunnyside up eggs over top
- Covered in chili, cheese, and onions
- On a breakfast pizza with bacon, egg and sausage
- In a wrap or breakfast burrito
- In a bowl with chicken or ground beef, cheese and veggies
Ultimate Crispy Home Fries
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: potatoes
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: breakfast, side dishes
Crispy diner-style home fries from your kitchen are easier than you think with my recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 cup red pepper, seeded and chopped into small pieces
- 4 medium-large red potatoes, skin on and cubed
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2–3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Do not let it smoke. Add the onion & pepper and cook until browned about 8-10 minutes. Do not let this burn. Stir frequently. When done, remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
- While the onions and peppers are cooking add the potatoes into a large saucepan. Add just enough cool water just until the tops of the potatoes are covered and they float slightly. Place the pan over high heat. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove from the heat and drain the potatoes in a colander. ~5 minutes.
- In the pan, the onions and peppers were sautéed in, place it back on the burner to medium-high and add the butter and remaining oil. When the butter foams, add the potatoes in a single layer, making sure each potato is touching the surface of the skillet. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes WITHOUT stirring. You want the sides to brown. Once browned on one side, carefully flip and brown the other sides. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
- Once all the sides are crispy brown, add the onions and peppers back in and gently stir. Next add in the salt, black, pepper, and paprika. Stir gently and remove from heat.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you’re a fan of smoked paprika, this is really good with garlic powder or hot sauce. Maybe some cumin or just plain salt and pepper.
Keywords: home fries, crispy potatoes, breakfast potatoes
Do you think there’s a way to par-bake the potatoes instead of the boiling? I feel like whenever I par-boil, I can never get the potatoes dry enough afterwards to really crisp up in the oil.
Absolutely! I’ve even used whole baked potatoes as well! I chill then after them after they are baked until cold. I’ll cube then make my home fries.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
I love home fries but could never get them crispy enough. This recipe was on the spot! I hated sharing them with my family🥰!
Tee hee! I’m with you! I actually make a huge pan up weekly to use in various meal prep recipes. So happy you loved them!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Excellent recipe. I changed it out of necessity. I was making breakfast for a crowd and stovetop was busy, so, after boiling, I baked in the oven at 400 F for 15 mins, increased the temp to 475 F, flipped and baked for another 10 -15 mins. Added the peppers and onions and served. Delicious.
I have always made home fries using white potatoes and they tasted fine, but somewhat mushy. Using red potatoes and giving them a quick boil made a huge difference. Thanks!
★★★★★
I wasn’t crazy about the seasoning blend and for this reason would not make this recipe again. My smoked paprika did not indicate on the label if it was sweet, hot or in between, and I found the flavour a bit hot and strong. The use of coarse salt resulted in some sections being very salty and others less so. A finer grind would have distributed the salt more evenly.
★★★
So you’re saying Zanna, you didn’t know how to use your own spices. Irrelevant to recipe.
Yum! I just made this recipe for dinner. I need to track my calories, protein, fat, sugar, and carb content. By any chance has anyone already calculated this? Gotta go get seconds…. 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Margo!
I’m having my website completely redesigned right now including a new recipe card. I *believe* the new cards will have that in it. However it doesn’t, there are a ton of free foodie calculators on line. I’m so happy that you loved it!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Hi Margo, I was just about to ask the same thing did you calculate this yet?
I made these for an office breakfast and they were a hit! I substituted the salt, pepper and paprika for Emeril’s Essence. It has a little bit of a kick to it. Everyone complemented the dish. Thanks!
★★★★★
Can I use Idaho potatoes instead?
Thank you!!
Hi Lucy!
If you mean Idaho Russet potatoes, yes but you’ll have to peel them. Plus they have more starch so watch how long you cook them as they can get super soft and creamy if over cooked.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
I have Russet potatoes that I don’t want to go to waste. Can you advise me on how to adjust your recipe?
Hi Nicole!
You can use russet but you’ll have to peel them. Plus they have more starch so watch how long you cook them as they can get super soft and creamy if over cooked.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
I found this recipe about 3am, was at the store’s doors at 6am to buy red potatoes. And they were just as good as advertised, best breakfast potatoes I’ve ever had, much less made. I made 3 portions, and only half of one is left, lol. The only reason I didn’t scarf that up too is I want to see how well they hold as left overs.
★★★★★
Haha I beyond LOVE your comments!!! Thank you so much! I’ve done the same thing as you – saw a recipe and within a few hours had already gone to the store and made it! Thank you so much!
As leftovers they rock! I’ll just pop them in the oven or toaster oven to heat up.
Best Kitchen Wishes’
I cooked them in my cast iron skillet to begin with, so to heat the leftovers I used it again. Here in Texas it’s too hot to use the oven if you can help it. They still came out nicely crisp the next day. Thanks again for such a great recipe.
★★★★★
Oh yeah! That’s great news! You are most welcome for the recipe!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
The best recipe!! Loved it. Only thing I added differently was some sazon.
★★★★★
Oh great addition! So happy you loved them!
Best Kitchen Wishes!