Southern Fried Potatoes

Whether you call them Southern fried potatoes, breakfast potatoes, home fries, hash brown potatoes, or something else, this delicious breakfast side is one of our favorite ways to enjoy potatoes! Pan-fried in butter with onions and a little salt & pepper to taste, this simple recipe gives you tasty fried potatoes that are delightfully crisp outside and soft & tender inside.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• Southern fried potatoes are one of the very best ways to enjoy potatoes if you ask me. I might be a little biased, living in the South and all, but there’s just nothing quite like them! Everyone has their own version, but the general result is reliably the same. The crisp outsides, the fluffy and tender insides, the rich & buttery flavor, the sauteed onions. They’re JUST. SO. GOOD.
• This is such a simple recipe, but you can easily make it a little different every time. I’ve included some flavor variations in the Chef’s Tips section below. You can also change up how you serve them! They go great with eggs, bacon, and ham, of course. You could cover them in gravy, hollandaise, or shredded cheese. Mix in browned sausage crumbles or bits of crispy bacon. Southern fried potatoes can be a simple side or the base of a tasty breakfast bowl. The sky’s the limit!

Key Ingredients

Russet Potatoes – Southern fried potatoes need that crisp crust, and russet potatoes do it best. For a creamier, softer version, you could use red potatoes or Yukon gold, but know that they won’t get crispy like russets.

Onion – If you really don’t like onions, you could skip them, but I really recommend you don’t! They add a really nice flavor to the breakfast potatoes and in my opinion, the dish really lacks something without them.

Chef’s Tips

• Diced bell peppers are a GREAT add-in for Southern fried potatoes. They just go with all the other ingredients and flavors so well! Just dice them to a similar size as the onions and toss them in the skillet when you add the onions and potatoes. Diced jalapeños would work, too!
• You want the potatoes to develop a light crust, so it’s key that you don’t move them too much. If you do, they won’t have enough time to crisp up!
• For a different flavor, mix up the spices. Smoked paprika, sweet paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and garlic would all be wonderful here. You can also add in fresh or ground herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley, or chives. Another easy way to add in some extra Southern flavor is to fry the potatoes in a little bacon or sausage grease.

More Potato Recipes You’ll Love

• Southern Smothered Potatoes
• How to Thicken Mashed Potatoes (5 Ways!)
• Sous Vide Potatoes
• Garlic Butter Parsley Potatoes
• Fondant Potatoes