The recipe that turned me into a hash brown person: Sweet Potato Hash Browns. Made of just shredded sweet potatoes and spices, they’re golden and crisp on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside.
5 Star Review
“I love this recipe! Use it weekly!”
— Michelle —
My newest wish (one that I didn’t know that I had but now pine for desperately) is that sweet potato hash browns replace white potatoes as the standard diner-issue side. They’re decidedly more interesting, delicious, and nutritious than white potatoes.
And before you ask—yes, I’ve had what I would consider “good” hash browns and no, I’m still not a hash brown person.
While I ordinarily jump behind anything with a crispy exterior and starchy interior (especially if it’s of the tater tots and baked fries variety), regular hash browns never did it for me.
The soft interior to crispy exterior ratio is usually off or even worse, the crispy exterior is missing all together. Hash browns are usually too greasy (and not in a “yum!” way like bacon). They’re usually under seasoned and the flavor is, at best, meh. Too often, hash browns feel like a bland afterthought hogging valuable stomach real estate from the rest of my brunch.
These sweet potato hash browns, however? GIMME THAT SKILLET. I’ll burn my fingers picking bites straight from the pan, because I can’t wait another moment to eat them.
In addition to being divine straight from the skillet, sweet potato hash browns with eggs (and/or avocado) are fantastic. A few slices of crispy baked bacon would not be remiss.
As written, this recipe is gluten free and can easily be dairy free, vegan, Paleo, and Whole30. These hash browns would be a stellar choice for brunch this weekend, and they make a surprisingly excellent vegetable side dish at dinner too.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Sweet Potatoes. SO much oomph than regular potatoes! Plus, sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, plus fiber, which will help keep you full.
- Olive Oil + Butter. This simple combination was ideal for creating that delicious, crispy exterior for the hash browns. (See below for notes on how to make this recipe vegan, Whole30, and paleo.)
- Seasoning. I used a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder. The combo is lightly smoky and completely addictive. For a more purist approach, you can make these hash browns with just S & P.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Combine the shredded potato, oil, and spices. (See below for tips on how to shred sweet potatoes.)
- Add oil and butter to your preheated pan, then drop scoops of the sweet potato mixture onto the pan. Flatten each into a patty. Cook on both sides until browned. Repeat steps with the remaining mixture. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- To Make Vegan/Paleo/Whole30. Swap coconut oil, Ghee, or another non-dairy butter for the regular butter in this recipe. I prefer this to cooking the patties in regular olive oil, as the coconut oil or butter-flavored options have a richer, more classic flavor. (If you’re looking for other Whole30 breakfast recipes, try this Whole30 Breakfast Casserole.)
Other Favorite Breakfast-Inspired Sides
- Zucchini Fritters
- Potato Pancakes
- Crockpot Breakfast Potatoes
- Savory Scones with Bacon Cheddar and Chives
I’ll be crossing my fingers for sweet potato hash browns to go mainstream. While I wait, I’m happy they’re quick and easy enough for me to make myself, anytime I am craving them, which happens once a week these days. I can’t wait for you to try them too!
Sweet Potato Hash Browns
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Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and shredded (about 4 1/2 cups) – see blog post for tips
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder optional but delicious
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- To keep the patties warm between batches, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine sweet potato, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder.
- Heat a large cast iron or similar heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. You want the pan to be preheated before you add anything to it. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once the oil is hot and the butter melted, scoop a slightly heaping 1/2 cupful of the sweet potato mixture and drop it onto the skillet in a tight mound. With the back of a spatula, flatten the sweet potato mound into a hash brown patty (it doesn’t need to be a perfect circle! Any bits that poke out will be delightfully crispy). Repeat twice more, so that you have 3 hash brown patties in the skillet.
- Cook the patties on both sides, flipping them halfway through (again, don’t stress if they are not perfect; if they flip in pieces, no big deal. Scoot them back together and keep cooking). Cook the patties until they are nicely browned on both sides and hot and tender in the center, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer the cooked hash browns to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and the remaining sweet potato mixture. Enjoy hot.
Notes
- TO MAKE VEGAN, WHOLE30, OR PALEO: Cook the hash browns in coconut oil (or ghee if it fits your diet) instead of butter.
- TO STORE: Place cooked hash browns in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: If you want to freeze your hash browns, prepare as directed and let cool completely. Then, lay your hash browns in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Store them in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Remove and reheat from frozen as desired.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat your hash browns in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, adding a little oil or butter to keep them from sticking. You can also rewarm your hash browns in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot. In a pinch, these hash browns can also be reheated in the microwave.
Didn’t stick at all and ended up with a pan of crispy grated shredded sweet potato which tasted nice but wasn’t what was aiming for… so I added egg to the second batch and was much more what I was expecting
I love this recipe! Use it weekly! Suggested spices are perfect!
So easy and very delicious! I added some herbs too
A lot of comments noted that the hash browns were challenging to get to stick together and needed a binder. But personally, I didn’t find that to be an issue. The recipe said that might happen. But I was able to form some delicious crispy hash browns with no trouble. I did opt to add the chipotle and then to finish them off after they were done we added some honey. Which reminded me of hot honey. Will make again!
Taste is okay but they don’t stick together. Pan was preheated. I think it needs a binder. Ended up adding a little onion and making it into a hash, made scrambled eggs, and put it all inside a tortilla for a breakfast burrito.
This didn’t work well
This is divine. It takes a little practice and some patience, so that the patties do not fall apart, but so worth it.
Love love love! Even my 18 month old will eat them!!! I left out the chili powder but they were still delicious and easy to make. Thanks so much for the recipe!
To die for! Love this recipe with ghee and olive oil, cayenne pepper (instead of chipotle) and black truffle salt. It will be a regular side dish in our home.
The seasoning combo is nice, but there’s no binder here. I added eggs and was able to keep them together pretty well. Not sure why the blogger hasn’t provided a substantive response to other comments as to what she does to keep them together? Seem to be cookie cutter responses. A bit disappointed.
Don’t think I’ve ever commented on a recipe before but kinda blown away by this??? We had a (white) sweet potato to use up and I wanted a breakfast recipe. Found this and thought no way it would stick together. Halved the quantities and it made the most amazing thin, crispy hash browns! Even in our regular lightweight frying pan. Thanks!!! :D
First half of the batch didn’t stick together at all. To salvage, I mixed in an egg and a tablespoon of flour, and the rest turned out perfectly.
Yummy! This recipe was a hit! My husband really enjoyed with his eggs. I did not make patties and it turned out great! Will make over and over again! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Delicious! I was too lazy to make patties and just dumped it all in a skillet. It turned out perfect. It’s so easy even a child could make it! ;)
Best recipe ever! My husband hates hashbrowns but wants these instead of bread with his eggs now. Thank you!
I’m sorry to hear you had problems with the recipe, JD. It has worked well for myself (and others) and I wished it would have been a hit for you too. Anything in particular you had trouble with?