Already have an account?
Get back to the
Food & Recipes

This Recipe for Sweet Potato Hash Browns Is a Delicious Twist On the Classic Breakfast Dish

Sweet potatoes are a top-tier root veggie, if you ask me. Baked with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, they make a mouthwatering side during the holidays, and they can also be roasted whole in the oven, just like a regular baked potato. Those are by far my favorite ways to cook these spuds, but when I came across a new way to cook them, I had to try it. Would this recipe for sweet potato hash browns be worthy of adding to my regular rotation? I had to find out.

How to Make Sweet Potato Hash Browns

We can probably all agree that hash browns are a classic breakfast dish — and why mess with what works? But Kelli Foster, senior contributing food editor for The Kitchn, gives plain old hash browns a unique twist by swapping out russet potatoes for sweet potatoes, lending the brunch favorite a mild, sugary taste.

Foster begins by peeling and grating one pound of sweet potatoes, using a box grater over a few paper towels. Once you’ve shredded all of them, you should have about four cups of potatoes . Next, she lifts the potato-laden paper towels and squeezes the whole thing over the since, draining the excess moisture from the sweet potatoes. (Although there won’t be a ton of liquid coming out of the sweet potatoes, this step will help them crisp up better as they’re cooking.)

Foster then transfers the shredded sweet potatoes into a bowl and adds a half teaspoon of garlic powder, a half teaspoon of kosher salt, and a quarter teaspoon of cracked black pepper. After combining the seasonings and shredded potatoes, she heats two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, she adds the potato mixture to the pan and spreads it into a single, even layer.

The potatoes need five minutes to cook on the first side, gently pressing down with a flat spatula every so often. Then, flip the sweet potatoes over and pour another tablespoon of olive oil around the sides of the pan, letting the potatoes cook for another three to five minutes. Once the hash browns are crispy and golden brown, they’re ready to serve alongside eggs and bacon for a yummy breakfast.

Trying the recipe myself, I initially thought the naturally sweet taste of the potatoes wouldn’t complement the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. It actually worked nicely, however, because the hash browns were both sweet and savory. And like the traditional version of this dish, these hash browns were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Yum!

Homemade sweet potato hash browns
Alexandria Brooks

I can’t wait to try this recipe again — and next time I’ll use my trusty waffle iron to make the crispiest sweet potato hash browns imaginable. In my book, you can’t go wrong with a sweet potato recipe that’s tasty and easy to whip up!

Related: Sweet Potatoes Deliver Astonishing Health Benefits: What Doctors Want You To Know


This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.