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Skip the hash brows and go for this golden brown delicious Crispy Breakfast Potato Recipe with fresh herbs. These crispy breakfast potatoes are crunchy on the outside with a soft creamy bite and perfect with your morning breakfast or brunch menu.
We make breakfast potatoes nearly every weekend because we pair it with our Smoked Salmon Benedict, Pork Hash, or any of our breakfast recipes. It’s our family breakfast obsession. They’re easy to prepare and pair amazingly with an array of options, from egg dishes to casseroles. Crispy Breakfast potatoes are also a great option if you are making brunch for a crowd. The goal is parbaked potatoes so they are soft and creamy in the middle and crispy on the outside as you bite into them.
Table of Contents
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Yukon Gold Potatoes – Every potato has a unique texture and flavor profile. We like Yukon Gold or Yellow potatoes for this breakfast potato recipe because they have less starch and they crisp up very nicely. Red potatoes and fingerlings are also a good alternative. We do not recommend using Russet potatoes for this recipe. Those are best for Smoked Baked Potatoes.
- Olive Oil – The fat from the olive oil helps the fresh herbs stick and crisp up the potatoes. We use extra virgin olive oil.
- Kosher Salt – We use kosher salt in the water when parboiling the potatoes as well as for seasoning when baking. Portions are in the recipe details below.
- Fresh Herbs – Chopped rosemary and thyme are a great breakfast combination. You can also add sage or fennel, especially if you are making breakfast sausage or breakfast sausage sandwiches.
Preparation – Par Boil The Potatoes
The key to crispy breakfast potatoes with a soft and creamy interior is to cube them and parboil them prior to baking. We do this also with our perfect roasted potatoes.
- Start by cubing up the potatoes into similar-sized cubes. You want them to be equal in size. If they are smaller potatoes just half them, but for larger potatoes you will want to quarter them. Place them into a 3-quart sauce pot.
- Fill the pot with water until it just covers the potatoes and add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt.
- Place onto the stovetop and turn the burner on high. Set your kitchen timer for 14 minutes (yes, that precise), and bring to a boil. When it hits a boil reduce to a simmer until the timer goes off.
- Strain in a colander.
Prep Tip: You can do this up to a day prior to baking the breakfast potatoes. Be sure the potatoes are drained before storing the refrigerator in an airtight container.
When planning portions plan one sheet tray for every 2 pounds of potatoes so you don’t crowd the pan and end up steaming the breakfast potatoes.
How To Make Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
- Set your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally with convection bake if your oven offers it. You will use your center rack.
- Place parchment paper so it covers a large sheet tray. Place the par-boiled potatoes on the parchment paper. Coat with olive oil, kosher salt, rosemary, and thyme. Combine using your hands or a large spatula.
- Place the potatoes in the oven on the center rack for 20 minutes. Then stir them up and continue baking on the center rack for up to an additional 20 minutes. They should be golden brown on the outside and soft inside.
- Serve warm.
Expert Tip
If you have a convection feature on your oven, we recommend using it for crispier potatoes. It may lower the cooking time by 10 minutes.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Be careful cutting the potatoes too small, otherwise they will overcook when being parboiled. If that happens, they will end up crispy but with no real soft interior texture. This is why you want to cube up the potatoes, so that they have some size to them. If your potatoes are smaller, just cut them in half. Larger potatoes can be cut into quarters.
Soaking will remove much of the starch when it’s cold salted water. Parboiling uses a similar process, you do not need to do both. For Crispy Breakfast potatoes use the parboiling method. For hashbrowns use the salted water soak.
You will need a skillet, we prefer cast iron. Place over the burner at medium heat and add olive oil or butter. Drop in the pre-cooked potatoes and then stir until the crisp back up again. Turn the heat down if you hear too much of a sear. Serve warm.
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Easy Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 large sheet pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (or yellow potatoes), cut in halves if smaller or quarters if larger, into equal sizes
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon, (for salting water and seasoning potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
Instructions
- Preparation: Set your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, idealy with convection bake if your oven offers it. You will use your center rack.
- Par-Boil Potatoes: Place potatoes into a 3-quart sauce pot. Fill the pot with water until it just covers the potatoes and add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Place onto the stovetop and turn the burner on high. Set your kitchen timer for 14 minutes (yes, that is precise), and bring to a boil. When it hits a boil reduce to a simmer until the timer goes off. Strain in a colander.
- Season: Place parchment paper so it covers a large sheet tray. Place the par-boiled potatoes on the parchment paper. Coat with olive oil, kosher salt, rosemary, and thyme. Combine using your hands or a large spatula.
- Bake: Place the potatoes in the oven on the center rack for 20 minutes. Then stir them up and continue baking on the center rack for up to an additional 20 minutes. They should be golden brown on the outside and soft inside.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We love making these crispy breakfast potatoes on the weekends. Especially in cast iron.