Crunchy Hash Browns (using frozen potatoes, without oil)

You can make crunchy homemade hash browns using frozen shredded potatoes without oil on the stove or in the air fryer! This crispy potato recipe is delicious on its own for an easy weekday breakfast or as a weekend plant-based brunch side.

Crispy hash browns have been a favorite breakfast of mine since I was a kid. This hashbrown recipe requires simple ingredients and is wfpb (whole food plant-based), oil-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

We ate a lot of these for the 10 days we ate potatoes only as a family. It's an easy and filling meal if you're trying to limit fried foods, eating according to the starch solution, or doing a potato reset or potato diet.

🧄 Very useful ingredient notes

• Frozen shredded potatoes - This recipe has just 1 ingredient, if you don't count the salt! You only need frozen shredded potatoes. Super simple, right? Frozen shredded potatoes (aka hash browns) are found in the freezer section of your grocery store. They are loose, not packed into bricks. Be sure to check the ingredients to make sure they do not contain oil. Also, some brands may be slightly thicker strips than others. For example, here in Texas, the frozen shredded potatoes from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, HEB, and Restaurant Depot are thin and cook fairly quickly. The hash brown potatoes from Aldi are thicker, almost like matchstick potato fries. They take a little longer to cook.

📋 Substitutions and variations

Here are some suitable substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Frozen shredded potatoes - instead of frozen, you could use fresh shredded potatoes for this recipe. If you use fresh grated potatoes, be sure to soak them in cold water for about 15 minutes first to remove some of the starch. Then, drain them completely and dry them very well before cooking them.
• Sea salt - Instead of just salt, get creative and season your breakfast potatoes with whatever seasoning you like. Some delicious options include garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, cajun salt, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, dried parsley, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika.
• SOS-free - make this SOS-free by omitting the salt and seasoning the hash browns with salt-free seasonings, such as garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, or Mrs. Dash.

Switch things up with these variation ideas!

• Spicy - Use cajun salt, like Tony Chachere's, which contains cayenne red pepper, instead of sea salt.
• Sauce it up - think of your cooked hash browns as a blank canvas for your favorite condiment. Drizzle one of these on top: ketchup, BBQ sauce, salsa (picante sauce, pico de gallo, green salsa, any kind), sriracha, Cholula hot sauce, mango chutney, mustard

🔪 Instructions

Step-by-step instructions for how to make oil-free hash browns from frozen potatoes in a non-stick skillet on the stove and in the air fryer.

Non-stick skillet on stovetop process:

Air Fryer process:

4 ways to make hash browns without oil

There are several methods to cook hash browns without oil. I'll list the ones I've tried, in order of what's worked best for me.

#1 - Air fryer

This was my preferred method of cooking oil-free hash browns when I had a pod non-stick air fryer because it was almost completely hands-off, so I could spend my time doing other things while my breakfast cooked.

In my pod-style air fryer, I could cook half a bag of frozen shredded potatoes at a time.

I now have a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, which has a metal mesh basket. This works well for many things, but to make hash browns, I have to line it with parchment paper, so they don't fall through the mesh. The parchment paper prevents them from getting super crunchy like they did in the other air fryer.

Time: 15 minutes

Hands-off preparation, but best to use a pod-style air fryer

#2 - Non-stick skillet on stovetop

Before I had an air fryer, this was my preferred method. Your skillet has to be truly non-stick for this to work and not end up with steamed potatoes and a pan to scrub.

The key to successfully making hash browns on the stove is: stop stirring them! Leave them alone long enough to form a crunchy crust. This crust accomplishes two things: 1) it prevents them from sticking to the pan and 2) it's delicious!

If you don't have a truly non-stick skillet, then you will need to use a thin layer of vegetable oil or non-stick spray oil to cook your hash browns.

Time: 15 minutes

Hands-on preparation

#3 - Bake in oven

If we have a lot of hash browns to make, we sometimes put them in the oven and spread them out on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake at 425 F until crispy on the edges and top. Flip as needed.

Time: 30-40 minutes

Mostly hands-off preparation, except for flipping

#4 - Waffle iron

I did this a few times and it did give me crispy hash browns in a waffle shape, but my waffle iron is not truly non-stick and I had to use a little oil to prevent it from sticking. I have heard rave reviews about this method from folks with truly non-stick waffle irons or George Foreman grills.

Another key to this method is to leave the hash browns to cook until a crust has formed, so they don't stick. It takes a good 10-15 minutes (much longer than you would cook a waffle).

Time: 15 minutes

Hands-off preparation

For this recipe, I'll give you instructions for the air fryer and Non-stick skillet methods, because those are the simplest, most efficient methods for making oil-free hash browns.

🍳 Equipment

• Non-stick skillet - cooking potatoes without oil is a true test for your non-stick skillet. The starch will cause frustration if you're trying to use an old, worn-out pan that's lost its functionality. Use a truly non-stick pan for this recipe, if you plan to make it on the stove. I currently use Henckels Granitium pans.
• Pod air fryer - The best style of air fryer for making hash browns is the upright pod-style air fryer that has a small non-stick basket that comes out like a drawer, similar to this Ninja Air Fryer.
• Wide spatula - for flipping the hash browns in large sections

🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

Cooked hash browns are not really good if they are made ahead or stored for leftovers. They lose their crunchiness and become dry.

If you must store leftover hash browns, then I would suggest adding a sauce to them when they are reheated. Or, mix them into a tofu scramble for the next day's breakfast.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Serving suggestions

What do hash browns go with?

Serve these hash browns as a meal by themselves drizzled with ketchup or BBQ sauce. This is how I ate them while doing the potato diet.

They are also delicious served with tofu scramble, green onions, and toast. Or, with sautéed vegetables, like spinach, tomato, mushrooms, asparagus, or corn.

Crispy hash browns also make a great side to whatever delicious vegan weekend brunch you have going on. Who doesn't love crispy potatoes?

Seasonings

How should I season hash browns? Try one of these spices:

• sea salt and black pepper
• seasoned salt
• garlic salt (my current fav)
• Trader Joe's vegan no-chicken seasoning
• paprika
• smoked paprika
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• turmeric and black pepper (this will turn them yellow!)
• cajun salt

Condiments

As far as condiments, I recommend trying:

• ketchup
• BBQ sauce
• salsa (picante sauce, pico de gallo, green salsa, any kind)
• sriracha
• Cholula hot sauce
• mango chutney
• mustard

❓ FAQ

🗺 Cultural influences

Traditionally, hash browns are served at breakfast, alongside eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon, and breakfast sausage in Texas. Hashbrowns are typically prepared by frying shredded potatoes on a flat griddle with plenty of oil. They are then salted and served.

The word can be spelled as one word (hashbrowns) or as two words (hash browns) as both are considered correct and acceptable.

This recipe is inspired by my mixed ethnic background and heritage as a native of Houston, Texas, and by the strong cultural influences of the Southern United States. See About for more information on my cultural influences and how I attribute recipes.

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