Crispy Breakfast Potatoes That’ll Make You Want to Wake Up Early

Prep the potatoes. Wash your potatoes well, then cut them into 3/4-inch cubes. Try to keep them roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Pat them dry with paper towels until there’s absolutely no moisture left.

Season them up. Toss the dried potato cubes in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Make sure every piece is coated.

Heat your pan. Place your skillet over medium-high heat and let it get hot for about 2 minutes. You want it nice and hot before adding the potatoes.

Add the potatoes. Spread them in a single layer in the pan. Don’t pile them up. If you need to work in batches, do it.

Let them cook undisturbed. This is where your patience pays off. Let them cook for 5-7 minutes without touching them. You’ll know they’re ready to flip when they release easily from the pan and have a golden-brown crust on the bottom.

Flip and repeat. Use a spatula to flip the potatoes, exposing a new side to the heat. Let them cook another 5-7 minutes. Repeat this process until all sides are golden and crispy, about 20-25 minutes total.

Add the butter and garlic. In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add the butter and minced garlic. Toss everything together so the garlic becomes fragrant and the butter coats all the potatoes.

Finish with fresh herbs. Remove from heat, toss with fresh parsley, and do a final taste test for seasoning. Add more salt if needed.

The total time for this recipe is about 30 minutes, but here’s how to make it even faster:

Use a food processor with a slicing attachment to cut your potatoes in seconds instead of hand-cutting everything.

If you’re short on time, you can parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes before pan-frying. They’ll cook faster and still get crispy, though not quite as crispy as the full pan-fry method.

Prep your potatoes the night before by cutting and soaking them in water. In the morning, just drain, dry, and cook.

Cook a double batch on Sunday and reheat throughout the week for quick breakfast sides that take just 5 minutes.