Hash Browns or as my dad calls them ‘mi hijas famous las Crispy Hash Browns‘. Some places don’t have hash brown on the menu, but when you do spot it listed you order it. With my 4-ingredient recipe you’ll be able to make them at home now too.
Learn to make this favorite, with my steps for the best well-done papas. You’ll love the savory-crispy edges, and it’s all naturally gluten-free too.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
It’s probably the love I put into it, because forreal, I love what I do.
But truly, I know you can do it too. Try my recipe and let me know how it goes and comment below. I use olive oil, because I’m serving up the best hash browns o papa rallada yet.
I got a McDoña HashBrown pa’ la casa recipe too. Be sure to join my LatinasQueComen newsletter to be notified first when this homemade nostalgia drops. 🙂
Crispy Hash Brown FAQs
I most often get told that they don’t turn out as crispy, and are often soggy or soft. My response to this would be 4 possible things happening:
- is the oil hot enough when you begin to cook the potato shreds?
- are you flipping them too soon? Patience is key for a crispy papa!
- are you using russet potato or another one?
- are you over cooking them, or leaving them in the pan once cooked? This will soften them and they’ll turn to hash scoops.
We’re gonna get into more of this below. Because I know how much a good hash brown makes you happy.
Ingredients
Grocery Quick List: russet potato (simple and accessible), sea salt, oil, and butter (unsalted or salted both ok).
Potato Scale and Yield Approximation
- Small russet = 1.5 hash browns.
- Medium russet = 2 hash browns.
- Large russet = 3 or up to 4 regular crispy hash browns.
Ingredient Notes / Variations
- Russet potato – It’s a brown skin, low moisture potato and easy to find. The shreds cook nice and soft in the center and crispy on the outside.
- large potato is normally sold individually, by weight.
- farmers market and buy as many loose potatoes as you want [make potato tacos with extras].
- can be purchased in bulk of 5 or 10 lbs bag in markets.
- Other potatoes may take longer to cook because higher water content.
- Yes, store bought frozen potato can be used but I prefer fresh potato for the best hash browns.
- Olive oil is preferred but I used vegetable in the ingredient round up photo – when I was little, the oil used was regular grade olive oil. Now that I’m older, I use extra virgin olive oil and it’s the best for making crispy hash browns that are eaten right away.
- Vegetable and canola oil can also be used as substitute.
- Avocado oil is also a healthy option to use for cooking hash browns, plus it has an even higher smoke point.
- Butter – Used only on one side of the potato. Very little, it’s a good indicator of when it’s time to flip the hash brown.
- Sea salt – sprinkle sea salt over one side or if using salted butter you won’t need any.
Pro Tip: A large frying pan and pan safe spatula are helpful kitchen essentials for all the papas, chiles and egg dishes.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make the hash browns
- Prep the papas: Potato peeler and shred potatoes. Leave shredded potato on same surface until ready to use. No extra touching potato shreds is necessary.
- Heat oil on pan for 2-3 minutes until hot. No therms used, patience is key for the best papas.
- Add a few potato shreds to the oil. If it begins to sizzle immediately, the oil is hot enough. Let’s go!
Some Like It Hot, Pro Tip By Erika:
Setting your potato shreds in the hot pan should be quick to avoid any hot oil splatter. Please protect your hands and have a towel nearby incase you should need it.
- Eyeball your half cup hand full of potato shreds to the pan, (or use a measuring tool or good grip tongs). Not a packed cup though, no packing or smushing of papas please.
- Flip after 4-5 minutes. The bottoms edges will be browning and top centers will be translucent when it’s time to flip them.
- Cook the uncooked side for about 3 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack once done.
A printer-friendly recipe card with instructions is available at the bottom of this post.
See, patience for good hash browns is golden.
Pro Tip: If you use less oil than recommended you will need to lower heat and watch them closely to ensure they don’t burn. Not using enough oil often causes burning and possibly undercooked hash browns and I don’t want that for you. I want you to eat as its meant, golden crispy fried. This is your heads up.
PRO TIP: For extra-extra well done doradita papita rallada. Repeat flip steps once more for 2 minutes on each side.
Important Cooling Rack Tip: If you don’t have a small cooling rack, use the rack that comes with your countertop toaster oven and line a surface with a plate or aluminum foil to catch any excess oil.
Ways To Spice It Up
Looking for ideas on how to spice up crispy papas? Here’s a few of my go-to for homestyle hash brown toppings aside from homemade salsa macha.
- Grilled onions with peppers (bell or spicy types are really good additions on hash browns as a meal).
- Classic Salsa Ranchera or Tomatillo Sauce are favorites with hashbrown. There’s a reason why salsa is popular and still is.
- Chorizo and grilled veggies (shortcut by using a spoon of pico de gallo into the cooked chorizo crispies).
Foods To Eat With Potatoes a la Hash
Breakfast that gets mega love with hash browns on the side.
- Leftover Ham and Eggs Scramble
- Red Chilaquiles
- Chorizo and Eggs
Any of these and half of a crispy hash brown rolled up in a flour tortillas makes a brag worthy breakfast burrito. Treat yourself to good flavor!
Reheating
Hash Browns just like french fries, always taste best when freshly made. When reheating, a comal [skillet], toaster oven, or air fryer are all options for crisping the papas back up.
It won’t be as perfect as the fresh fried ones, but it’ll still be good. This is your heads up.
Pro Tips / Receta Notes
Recipe yield: about 4 hash brown servings.
Storage: Once hash browns are cooled down. Enjoy them with your favorite salsas, eggs, or guisados. Place extras in food safe storage and eat within 3 days of cooking.
The potatoes centers may likely oxidize in color by day 2-3 but they are definitely still safe to eat.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing crispy hash browns. Why? Because bringing them back to life won’t be as tasty and many equally take as much time to pre-heat and reheat than making the fresh hashbrown recipe all over again.
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Best Crispy Hash Browns Recipe
DESCRIPTION
Equipment
- veggie peeler
- potato grater
- large spatula
- Large frying pan
- small rack for cooling once cooked
Ingredients
- 1 lb Russet potato 1 large potato, sold individually.
- .25 tsp Sea salt to taste.
- .25 cup Olive oil extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Butter I use salted butter.
Instructions
- Prep the papas: Potato peeler and shred potatoes. Leave shredded potato on same surface until ready to use. No extra touching of potato shreds is necessary.
- Heat oil on pan for 2-3 minutes until hot. No therms used, just be patient for the best results.
- Add a few shreds to the oil. If it begins to bubble and fry immediately, the oil is hot enough.
- Eyeball your hand full of potato shreds or use a measuring tool, or good grip tongs at half cup (not packed half cup). Place optional small piece of butter on top of each hash brown.
- Flip after 4-5 minutes. The bottoms edges will be browning and centers will be translucent when time for hash brown flip.
- Cook for 3 minutes. Once cooked, transfer hash browns carefully to cooling rack.
For extra-extra well done doradita papita.
- Repeat flip steps once more for 2 minutes additional cook time on each side.
Notes
- Recipe yield: about 4 hash browns.
- Storage: Enjoy with your favorite salsas, eggs, or guisados. Place extras in food safe storage and eat within 3 days of cooking.
- Don’t smash or press down on the potato while it’s cooking. That is not necessary.
- The recipes cook time considers prep time and active time spent watching the stove. The hash browns will be ready in under 20-minutes. Enjoy your hash brown papas ralladas.
For the full post with all the helpful details go to LatinasQueComen website and search for Crispy Hash Browns Recipe.
Nutrition
Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler
- Shredder
- Knife
- Frying pan
- Large Spatula
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