Breakfast Potatoes in 20 Minutes

I love Breakfast Potatoes! This is a simple meal that delivers rich, complex flavor.  This recipe is a healthy, tasty, and super quick option for a filling breakfast. It requires very simple ingredients and delivers delicious results.

The Breakfast Side Dish That Never Gets Old

There are some recipes that just belong in your weekly rotation permanently, and these breakfast potatoes are one of them. They are inexpensive, filling, and easy to make. They are a healthy and delicious dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

This super easy recipe requires just a few ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time. They are made with everyday pantry ingredients, like potatoes and olive oil, but they taste far from ordinary.

One reason I like this recipe is that it's very filling; at the same time, it won't weigh you down during the day. It's also inexpensive, nourishing, and flavorful. So, What's there not to like about this quick-to-throw-together skillet recipe?

You may also want to try making these breakfast potatoes in the air fryer!

What Are Breakfast Potatoes?

Breakfast potatoes are simply diced or cubed potatoes cooked in a skillet with oil and seasoning. They are golden on the outside and tender all the way through.

Breakfast potatoes are a staple in American breakfast culture and appear on diner menus everywhere for good reason. They are satisfying, versatile, and effortless to make at home.

This version uses russet potatoes seasoned with paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper, then finished with diced bell peppers and onions for color, flavor, and a slight sweetness that rounds everything out beautifully.

If you’re looking for a simple vegetarian or non-vegetarian breakfast recipe, this recipe is easily adaptable! Eat it as it is for a vegetarian option or pair it with your favorite meat or seafood for a well-rounded dish.

This tasty breakfast recipe makes a perfect side dish for any breakfast or brunch, and it's easy enough to prepare for a weekday meal.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Russet potatoes: The best choice for this recipe because of their high starch content, which gives you that crispy exterior and fluffy interior combination. Almost any potato will work, but I reach for russet every time.
• Paprika: Adds warm, smoky depth and a beautiful reddish color as the potatoes cook. Smoked paprika works especially well here if you have it.
• Chili powder: Brings a gentle heat and an earthy flavor that makes the seasoning more complex. Leave it out if you prefer no heat at all, or increase it if you like things spicy.
• Garlic powder: Adds a savory, aromatic backbone to the seasoning blend without the risk of burning that comes with fresh garlic in a hot skillet.
• Salt and black pepper: Essential for bringing all the flavors together and seasoning the potatoes properly from the start.
• Olive oil: Used to cook the potatoes and helps develop that golden, crispy crust on the outside.
• Red and green bell pepper: Diced and added towards the end of cooking so they stay crisp and vibrant rather than becoming soft and mushy.
• Onion: Adds sweetness and depth. It cooks alongside the peppers and softens just enough to mellow out its sharpness without disappearing into the dish.
• Cilantro or parsley: Scattered over the finished potatoes for a fresh, bright finish right before serving.

How To Make Breakfast Potatoes

You can put this amazing skillet recipe in three easy steps:

Step 1: Prep the potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small, evenly sized cubes. This is important; uneven cuts mean some pieces will be overcooked and mushy while others are still raw in the center. Rinse the cubed potatoes in cold water to remove excess starch, then drain and pat them as dry as possible with a kitchen towel.

If you prefer to leave the skin on, simply scrub the potatoes thoroughly before cutting. The skin crisps up beautifully and adds a rustic texture to the finished dish.

Step 2: Season the potatoes

Add the drained, dried potato cubes to a bowl and toss with the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until every piece is evenly coated.

Step 3: Cook the potatoes

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned potatoes in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan; Cook in batches if needed.

Cover the skillet and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then gently stir and flip the potatoes to expose the other sides. Repeat this process about four times, stirring and flipping every 3 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy on the outside. This takes about 12 to 15 minutes total.

Add the diced bell peppers and onions to the skillet. Stir everything together, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the peppers are crisp-tender and the onions have softened slightly. You want the vegetables to retain some texture; do not cook them until they are completely soft.

Remove from heat, sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley, and serve immediately.

What to Serve with Breakfast Potatoes

These potatoes are one of the most versatile items you can have on a breakfast or brunch table. Here are some of my favorite pairings:

• Shakshuka: eggs poached in a rich tomato sauce alongside crispy skillet potatoes is one of the best breakfast combinations on this site.
• Spicy Scrambled Eggs: quick, bold, and a natural partner for these potatoes.
• Breakfast Potatoes and Egg Stew: if you want to take things further, this recipe combines the potatoes with a rich, spiced egg stew for a fully loaded one-pot breakfast.
• Plantain Pancakes: the sweetness of plantain pancakes against the smoky, savory potatoes is a combination worth trying.
• Fried Eggs: top with a fried egg or two for a complete, protein-forward meal that requires no additional cooking.

Variations and Substitutions

• Potatoes: Russet is my first choice, but Yukon Gold potatoes also work beautifully here and have a naturally buttery flavor. Red potatoes are another great option and hold their shape well during cooking.
• Oil: Avocado oil or vegetable oil can replace olive oil if that is what you have. Both have a high enough smoke point for skillet cooking.
• Spices: This recipe is very flexible with seasoning. Onion powder, cumin, dried thyme, or Italian seasoning all work well alongside or in place of the spices listed. Make it your own.
• Vegetables: Swap the bell peppers for mushrooms, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes. Any vegetable that cooks quickly and holds its texture will work here.
• Add protein: Toss in some cooked crumbled sausage, diced bacon, or even leftover Crispy Fried Chicken Drumsticks chopped into small pieces for a fully loaded skillet breakfast that requires nothing else on the side.
• Air fryer option: These potatoes work wonderfully in the air fryer too. Toss the seasoned cubes in oil, air fry at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until golden and crispy. Add the peppers and onions in the last 3 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need to boil the potatoes before frying them? No, and I would not recommend it for this recipe. Starting with raw, cubed potatoes in a hot, oiled skillet and cooking them low and slow gives you that combination of a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior. Boiling first makes them too soft, and they tend to fall apart in the pan.
• Can I make these in the air fryer? Yes. Toss the seasoned potato cubes in oil and air fry at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Add the diced peppers and onions in the last 3 minutes of cooking. Here's how to make air fryer potatoes.
• What is the best potato for breakfast potatoes? Russet potatoes are my top choice because their high starch content gives you the crispiest exterior. Yukon gold potatoes are a great second option with a naturally buttery flavor. Red potatoes hold their shape well and work beautifully too.
• Why are my breakfast potatoes not getting crispy? This comes down to one of three things. The potatoes were not dried properly before going into the pan, the pan was overcrowded, or the heat was too low. Fix all three and your potatoes will be perfectly crispy every time.
• Can I make these ahead of time? These are best eaten fresh from the skillet while they are still hot and crispy. If you need to make them ahead, cook them fully, let them cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet rather than the microwave to recover some of the crispiness.
• Can I leave the skin on? Yes. The skin crisps up beautifully and adds a rustic texture to the dish. Just make sure to scrub the potatoes thoroughly before cutting them.
• Can I add cheese? Absolutely. A sprinkle of shredded cheddar or crumbled feta over the finished potatoes, right before serving, adds wonderful richness. Cover the skillet for 30 seconds after adding the cheese to help it melt slightly.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT - Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVCtvSUYLrM

Notes

• Cut the potatoes into small, even cubes for the most consistent cooking. Larger uneven pieces will cook at different rates, and some will be done long before others.
• Rinsing the potatoes in cold water removes surface starch, which helps with crisping. Do not skip this step.
• If your skillet is not large enough to hold all the potatoes in a single layer, cook them in two separate batches rather than overcrowding the pan.
• These potatoes are best served immediately straight from the skillet while they are still hot and crispy. They do soften as they sit.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet for 3 to 4 minutes to bring back some of the crispiness. The microwave will make them soft.

Other Potato Recipes you might want to try:

• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Breakfast potatoes and Egg Stew
•  Stewed Beef Potato 
• African Mashed potatoes, corn, and peas
• Chicken and potato bake
• Oven-roasted Sweet Potatoes

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