Shredded hash browns are one of my favorite ways to start the day. I mean, who can resist warm, crispy hash browns? And you can top them with so many things!

I’ll teach you all my tricks to get them crispy, because no one wants soggy hash browns. And they’re naturally gluten-free since potatoes are the main ingredient, and there’s no need for flour in this recipe. So even your friends with dietary restrictions can enjoy these homemade hash browns.

You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this recipe, and they come together almost as fast as frozen hash browns. This is such an easy recipe, and can be done by cooks at many skill levels.

Tips for crispiest shredded hash browns:

• Squeeze the shredded potatoes: Once your potatoes are shredded, they must be squeezed through something like a cheese cloth, citrus press, or tea towel to get out the excess water. This is the number 1, best way to make sure your hash browns aren’t soggy and won’t stick to the pan. If you don’t have either, you can use a thin, clean rag to squeeze out the potatoes. Too much moisture in your potatoes will give you soggy hash browns.
• Don’t skip the onion powder: Aside from being a delicious companion to potatoes that will add extra dimension and flavor and match most savory pairings, the onion powder will dry out the potatoes even more, making sure they stay crispy throughout cooking. Make sure you’re using onion powder here instead of onion flakes or fresh onion. The powder is the best texture to absorb any extra liquid. 
• Make sure your pan is totally clean: A pan with bits of yesterday’s dinner stuck to it will be a pan with your shredded hashbrown stuck to it. Make sure you clean up well!
• If you’re using a stainless steel pan, make sure it’s hot enough: When cooking with a stainless steel pan, get used to preheating the pan and testing the heat by periodically adding drops of water to the pan. The more you do this the faster and easier it will be. You want to add the potatoes just as the water drops change from sizzling on the pan, to turning into spheres that dance and move around the pan on their own. 
• A nonstick skillet will make the process easier: While I prefer to cook with stainless steel, a nonstick pan will help novice cooks get their crispy hash browns off the pan in one piece. If you’re using a stainless steel pan, I provide detailed instructions to help your hash browns stay in one piece in step 5 of this recipe.

What to top your homemade hash browns with:

• Mushrooms and melted cheese are my favorite way to top hash browns, served with a side of hot sauce or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Try my quick honey mustard glazed mushrooms recipe if you’re into these toppings.
• Ham, cheese, mayo and salad greens are an easy way to make a quick hash brown sandwich.
• Cheesy scrambled eggs will keep the breakfast theme going, if that’s what you’re looking for.
• Ketchup is a classic topping that even most picky kids will enjoy.
• Sour cream is classic topping that many people love.
• A sunny side up egg is a simple and quick topping that will help you get your protein requirements in your breakfast.

What you’ll need to make shredded hash browns:

• Fresh potatoes: I’ve used red potatoes, yukon golds, and russet potatoes in this recipe and all have been successful. I find the potatoes I use are about 225g – 275g before peeling them, and about 200-225g after peeling. This is usually is a larger red or yukon potato, or a medium sized russet potato. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
• Onion powder: This will help absorb excess moisture from the potatoes, which helps keep them in one piece as they cook and stay crispy. It also adds excellent flavor. If you don’t have any onion powder on hand, you can substitute garlic powder, but I really think onion powder adds the best flavor. You can also use 50% onion powder and 50% garlic powder if you want to mix things up.
• Salt: This is to bring out the flavor of the potatoes
• Oil: This is to make sure the shredded potatoes don’t stick to the pan.
• Cheesecloth, tea towel, citrus press, or kitchen towel: This is to squeeze the excess liquid out of the potatoes. Substitute a thin, clean rag if you don’t have one of these.  
• Hand grater: Use the large holes of a box grater or a cheese grater to shred your potatoes.

How to make the shredded hash browns: 

Step 1: Peel and shred your potatoes 

You can use a vegetable peeler or a knife to remove the skin from the potatoes. Once they’re peeled, use the large side of a box grater to shred them.

Step 2: Squeeze the excess water out of the potatoes

Working in batches, place the grated potatoes in a cheesecloth, clean rag, or citrus press and squeeze as much excess starch and water as you can out of each batch. Repeat until all your potatoes are squeezed. I do this over the sink, since a few paper towels wont be enough to soak up all the excess water. I’m using a citrus press in this picture.

Step 3: Preheat a large skillet or a cast iron skillet

Turn the heat on medium heat to start getting the pan ready for the potatoes. Do not overheat. If the pan starts smoking, remove it from the heat and start again when it’s cooled.

Step 4: Season your potatoes

While the pan is preheating, add the onion powder and salt to the potato shreds and mix to combine.

Step 5: Test the temperature of your pan

If you’re using a nonstick pan, just make sure the pan is hot and any oil you add isn’t smoking, and move on to step 6.

If you’re using a stainless steel pan, periodically add a drop of water to the pan as it heats up. There are 3 stages of how the water reacts before the pan is the right temperature:

1. The water sits in the pan and does not move or immediately evaporate: The pan is nowhere near ready to add to add the potatoes.
2. The water sizzles or quickly evaporates: the pan is still not ready for the potatoes to be added, but keep a close eye on it as the water starts to evaporate faster, since this is close to when the potatoes should be added. Ideally the potatoes are added just as the pan gets hot enough in the third stage.
3. The water turns into a sphere and dances around the pan: As soon as the water begins to react this way, not long after, move on to step 6.

Step 6: Add the olive oil to the pan

Turn the heat down to medium-low heat. Then add olive oil to the bottom of your pan. You can also any neutral flavored oil, or you can use melted butter or bacon fat if you want to add extra flavor. As long as there’s enough oil to cover the pan where the hash browns will cook, you don’t need to use any excess oil.

Step 7: Add the shredded potatoes

Quickly add the shredded potatoes to the pan and spread them around in the size you want in an even layer. Lightly pat them down with a spatula.

Step 8: Flip your hash browns

Once the bottoms are golden brown, flip your potatoes with a spatula.

Step 9: Remove from the pan

Once both sides are golden brown, remove your shredded hash brown from the pan and enjoy! Feel free to add more toppings at this stage. 

How to store your shredded hash browns

You can store any excess homemade hash browns in an airtight container and save them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Enjoy your potatoes!

How I make these homemade hash browns healthier

Now that’s we’ve gone over how to make classic shredded hash browns, I wanted to share how I make the hash browns healthier for me, so that I can enjoy them more often.

It all starts and ends with them amount of oil in the pan. When you get to step 6, instead of adding enough oil for the shredded hash browns to get their golden brown, fried appearance, I add just a light coating of oil in the pan, sometimes using only spray oil. The result won’t be as golden brown as the photos above but to me it’s worth it for the health benefits.

Done this way, it can still be crispy, and I often make one large hash brown as a crispy potato flatbread that I stuff with various ingredients. Here’s what it looks like in the pan:

After removing it from the pan, I top one half of the shredded hash browns with my fillings: Quick honey mustard glazed mushrooms, a slice of prosciutto, and a mixture of vegan mayonnaise and whole grain Dijon mustard.

I fold the side without toppings over the side with toppings, and I’ve got a delicious stuffed shredded hash brown, perfect for breakfast or lunch!

And that’s how I get these hash browns to be on the healthier side. However much oil you use, or how large your hash brown will be is up to you. Have fun cooking!