Easy Breakfast Potatoes

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These easy Breakfast Potatoes make a savory and hearty breakfast that the entire family will enjoy and even be begging for more!

cooked breakfast potatoes in cast iron skillet with bright blue spoon

I love potatoes–any kind of potatoes and any time of day! Baked potatoes, homemade potato chips, hash browns, hash brown casserole, and so many others. This breakfast potato recipe happens to be a favorite!

overhead photo of 2 old plates filled with breakfast potatoes and orange slices

We love breakfast potatoes because they’re…

  • Flavorful
  • Filling
  • Hearty
  • Great any time of the day
  • Full of phytonutrients and antioxidants
  • Delicious

These delicious home-fried potatoes are great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any time!

How to make potatoes for breakfast

This is such an easy recipe, and I have a few tips to share with you to make it even better.

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Preparing the potatoes

Begin by dicing the potatoes into 1/2″ cubes. The thicker the slices, the longer it will take to cook, so I like to keep them smaller in size.

russett potatoes on wooden board being diced

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

The trick to getting the perfect texture with this recipe is to parboil or steam the potatoes before adding them to the frying pan. Many times, I have leftover baked potatoes from other meals, and this is a terrific way to use those up.

diced potatoes in white basket steamer

To steam the potato chunks, I like to do it in a microwave in a steamer basket. It takes about 5-6 minutes on high in the microwave.

While the potatoes are steaming, go ahead and dice the onions.

diced onions on cutting board

Now, it’s time to heat up a nonstick pan to get ready to sautee the onions. It’s important to use a nonstick pan because we won’t be using any oil. In this short video, I show how easy it is to saute without oil.

I set my pan to medium-high and toss the diced onions in the dry pan. Let the onions begin to brown, but don’t leave the pan for more than a minute or two.

When they start to turn brown, use a heat-resistant spatula to stir them around a bit and watch them closely. Add about 2 tablespoons of veggie broth or water and allow them to continue to brown up.

sauteed onions in skillet

Scrape the pan as you add a little more veggie broth at a time. Repeat this process until the onion is very brown and sweet. This will take about 10 minutes.

Now, add the potato chunks and spices to the pan with the onions. If you would like to add some diced tomato or red bell pepper, they make great additions as well.

diced potatoes and onions in nonstick skillet

I put a lid on my pan while it’s cooking to help get the potatoes nice and tender. Cook, turning gently with a spatula until the potatoes are golden brown.

breakfast potatoes in cast iron skillet with old green coffee pot in background

Recipe adapted from of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

*Originally published May 2015

Your Questions Answered:

  • Q: Can I cook these in the oven? I usually make these on the stovetop, but they can also be cooked in the oven. For the oven method, cook at 425°F for approximately 45 minutes, turning with a spatula every 15 minutes.
  • Q: Are breakfast potatoes vegan? Yes, they are completely vegan since no animal products are used.
  • Q: Are potatoes for breakfast healthy? Absolutely! Potatoes are loaded with fiber and a variety of B vitamins, including thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, folate, and B-6. They are also very low in fat.
  • Q: What can I serve with breakfast potatoes? I love to serve mine with toast, grits, vegan sausage, or smoked tempeh bacon.
  • Q: Can I make this in my oven or air fryer? You might want to try making my Crispy Roasted Potatoes that can be made in either one.
blue plate with homefried potatoes, toast, and vegan sausage

Other breakfast potato recipes

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

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If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

cooked breakfast potatoes in cast iron skillet with bright blue spoon
4.70 from 10 votes

Easy Breakfast Potatoes

I love any potatoes any time of day, and this recipe happens to be a favorite! We actually eat them for dinner sometimes too. Yep, they're completely oil-free.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 5 cups Russets or other potatoes scrubbed and diced into 1/2" cubes
  • 1/2 cup onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup veggie broth or water
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of red pepper flakes for spice (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

  • Begin by dicing the potatoes into 1/2″ cubes. The thicker the slices, the longer it will take to cook, so I like to keep them smaller in size.
  • The trick to getting the perfect texture with this recipe is to parboil or steam the potatoes before adding them to the frying pan. Many times, I have leftover baked potatoes from other meals, and this is a terrific way to use those up.
  • To steam the potato chunks, I like to do it in a microwave in a steamer basket. It takes about 5-6 minutes on high in the microwave.
  • While the potatoes are steaming, go ahead and dice the onions.
  • Heat a nonstick pan to get ready to sautee the onions.
  • Set the pan to medium-high and toss the diced onions in the dry pan. Let the onions begin to brown, but don’t leave the pan for more than a minute or two.
  • When they start to turn brown, use a spatula to stir them around a bit and watch them closely. Add about 2-tablespoons of veggie broth or water and allow them to continue to brown.
  • Scrape the pan as you add a little more veggie broth at a time. Repeat this process until the onion is very brown and sweet. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the potato chunks, onion, bell pepper, and spices to the pan with the onions. Place a lid on my pan while it’s cooking to help get the potatoes nice and tender. Cook, turning gently with a spatula until the potatoes are golden brown. Add more veggie broth a tablespoon at a time as needed to prevent sticking. This should take about 15 minutes.

Video

Notes

Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
Your Questions Answered:
  • Q: Can I cook these in the oven? I usually make these on the stovetop, but they can also be cooked in the oven. For the oven method, cook at 425°F for approximately 45 minutes, turning with a spatula every 15 minutes.
  • Q: Are breakfast potatoes vegan? Yes, they are completely vegan since no animal products are used.
  • Q: Are potatoes for breakfast healthy? Absolutely! Potatoes are loaded with fiber and a variety of B vitamins, including thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, folate, and B-6. They are also very low in fat.
  • Q: What can I serve with breakfast potatoes? I love to serve mine with toast, grits, or smoked tempeh bacon.
  • Q: Can I make this in my oven or air fryer? You might want to try making my Crispy Roasted Potatoes that can be made in either one.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 5g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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11 Comments

  1. This is the first website I’ve seen that lets you pick the serving size and then adjusts the measurements accordingly. I LOVE THAT!!

    1. Right above the ingredient list, the recipe shows the number of servings in blue. Hover the mouse over the blue number, and a sliding scale will pop up. Slide the scale to the number of servings you would like, and it will change the ingredient amounts for you.

  2. I don’t have any non-stick pans. Is it better to use a nonstick pan and which one do you recommend? Or will it still work with stainless steel?

    1. You should be able to make these in a stainless steel pan if you use veggie broth and watch closely to keep from sticking. The non-stick pan I use and love is this one linked with my Amazon Affiliate link. https://amzn.to/2UEOdvl

  3. If I prefer to bake these do I still cook onions until browed and add too potatoes in casserole dish or put them in raw?

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