Crispy Southern Fried Potatoes Recipe

Whether you call them Southern fried potatoes, breakfast potatoes, home fries, or hash browns, this beloved breakfast side is one of the simplest and most satisfying ways to enjoy potatoes. Pan-fried in butter and oil with onions, then seasoned with salt and pepper, these potatoes develop a crisp golden exterior and a soft, tender interior. They pair beautifully with eggs, bacon, ham, gravy, or simply a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Perfect texture contrast: The goal is golden, slightly crisp edges with a fluffy interior. Using russet potatoes and pan-frying them in butter and oil gives that ideal balance of crunchy and tender.
Simple, flexible flavor: The base ingredients — potatoes, butter, oil, onion, salt and pepper — are minimal but flavorful. From there you can customize with spices, peppers, bacon, or cheese to make the dish your own.

Key Ingredients

Russet potatoes – Use russets if you want a nice, crisp crust. If you prefer a creamier texture, Yukon Gold or red potatoes will work but won’t crisp as much.

Onion – Diced onion adds a sweet, savory depth to the potatoes. You can omit it if you dislike onions, but it does enhance the overall flavor.

Chef’s Tips

Add diced bell peppers or jalapeños: Bell peppers add color and sweetness; jalapeños add heat. Chop to a similar size as the onions and add when the potatoes go into the skillet.
Let the potatoes form a crust: Avoid stirring too often. Leaving the potatoes undisturbed for several minutes allows a golden crust to form.
Experiment with spices and fat: Try smoked paprika, sweet paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, or fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley, or chives. For richer flavor, fry in a bit of bacon or sausage grease.

Closeup view of southern fried potatoes in a large bowl

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5 from 5 votes

Southern Fried Potatoes

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Pan-fried potatoes and onions cooked in butter and oil until crisp on the outside and tender inside. A classic breakfast side that’s easy to customize and ready in about 30 minutes.

Cheryl Malik

6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil (olive, avocado, or vegetable oil)
4 medium russet potatoes, chopped into bite-sized cubes (skin optional)
1 medium onion, diced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Equipment

Large skillet with lid

Instructions

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the cubed potatoes and diced onion in a single even layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover the skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the potatoes develop a light crust on the pan side. Resist stirring frequently so the crust can form.
Flip the potatoes and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes, or until tender and lightly crusted on the pan side. Serve warm.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute vegan butter and use plant-based oil.
Make it paleo: Use ghee instead of butter for a paleo-friendly option.

Nutrition Information

Number of servings is approximate and will depend on your portion sizes. Nutritional values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and do not include optional add-ins.

To calculate the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe, weigh the finished dish (excluding container weight), and divide by the number of servings.