I love a quick and easy oatmeal for breakfast but weekends (and "breakfast for dinner nights") sometimes call for something a bit heartier that feels like a treat. On the rare occasions in my childhood when we would go out to a diner for breakfast I would breeze past the pancakes and waffles and go straight to the options with a side of home fries. This vegan home fries recipe brings back all of those "comfort food" memories.
Crispy Outside
Soft Inside
Deliciously Golden
And Freezer Friendly!
Freezer-Friendly
My favourite thing about this vegan home fries recipe is that I can make more than I need and freeze the leftovers for a quicker breakfast down the road.
A bag of these frozen home fries is great to have on hand during the holidays or when you have guests visiting. Simply add the frozen fries to a hot skillet and warm them up for about 10 minutes. They crisp up again and the texture is ever so slightly different from when they are fresh but I'm quite sure no one will notice or complain!
Tips for freezing this vegan home fries recipe:
- Fully cook and cool the home fries.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Spread the home fries on the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Place the tray in your freezer for about two hours - just until the home fries are frozen.
- Then transfer the frozen fries to an airtight container or freezer bag for longer storage. Since the fries froze in a single layer... they won't clump up and stick together! This ensures that the fries will crisp up again and look golden and beautiful like they did when you made them.
Best Potatoes
Although I have made this recipe with yellow or white potatoes, russet potatoes yield the best results.
Taste of Home has a quick guide for choosing the best potatoes for different recipes and explains that russet potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture which makes them ideal for frying.
I have found that russet potatoes yield the best flavour because the potato is quite neutral so the seasonings shine through. The russet potatoes get the most crispy on the outside, stay the most creamy on the inside, and get the best golden colour!
One tip I have learned for boiling potatoes is that if the potatoes are cut too small when they are boiled they will take on more water and actually taste more watery. For this reason, I suggest boiling the potatoes in larger pieces and then slicing them smaller after they are cooked and before they are pan-fried.
Recipe Cost
The only thing that makes this a vegan home fries recipe is the use of a plant based butter vs. dairy butter.
My cost for this recipe using plant based butter is: $1.98 CAD for four servings.
Two tablespoons of my non-dairy butter costs me roughly $0.42 and if I were to use dairy butter it would cost me $0.40. So there is hardly a difference in cost and this recipe still fills me with the same comforting, buttery, lovely feeling that I got from the home fries of my childhood.
Let me know in the comments below if you try this vegan home fries recipe and what you serve alongside it. Our go to is my 10 minute tofu breakfast scramble. Change up your presentation and instead make these home fries the base of a fun Scramble & Spuds bowl!
Print
Vegan Home Fries - Guaranteed Diner Worthy
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Try this vegan home fries recipe for diner-worthy breakfast potatoes. Crispy, garlicky, and guaranteed to satisfy your breakfast cravings.
Ingredients
- 4 - 5 russet potatoes, peeled (about 1.5 pounds)*
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 ½ - 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Peel potatoes and cut them in quarters or in half if they are smaller. (Resist the urge to cut them too small right now. If the potatoes are too small when they are boiled they will take on more water and won't be as tasty!)
- Fill a medium sized pot with cold water. Add the potatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat as much as is needed to prevent the water from boiling over and partially cover the pot with the lid. Boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes until they are soft but not mushy. Drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool enough to handle.
- Carefully cut the potatoes into smaller pieces. *Don't worry if there are some small bits that crumble. Those crumbly bits are perfect in home fries because they get really crispy and delicious.
- Melt the butter in a skillet, add the chopped potatoes and sprinkle them with remaining salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the cornstarch over the potatoes and stir gently until no more starch is visible.
- Season with garlic powder and paprika. Toss the potatoes so they are evenly covered in the spices and spread the potatoes into a single layer so they will evenly brown.
- Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, flipping the potatoes occasionally until all sides are nicely browned and crispy. Try serving alongside my 10 Minute Tofu Breakfast Scramble!
- To freeze these vegan home fries, spread the leftover (or made ahead) home fries in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place the pan in your freezer and allow the home fries to fully freeze for about 2 hours. Then transfer the home fries to an airtight container or freezer bag for longer storage. To reheat the home fries, simply add the frozen fries to a hot skillet and warm through for about 10 minutes. The texture will be slightly different but they still crisp up nicely and the change in texture is very minimal.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $1.98 CAD. Using two tablespoons non-dairy butter costs me $0.42 vs. dairy butter at $0.40.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Gord
I froze these and reheated them and had to leave a review to let you know they were great. I always thought frozen potatoes would turn to mush but these crisped up again perfectly and were just as good as they were fresh. Awesome recipe.
Kathryn Alexandre
I was just as surprised as you to discover how well they reheat from frozen! Thank you for letting me know you've really enjoyed them and that you love the option to freeze them. I really appreciate the star rating!
Lee
So I made this recipe this morning. It tasted delicious, for sure. However, I cooked the potatoes too long even though I tried not to. Unfortunately, this means there was nothing crispy about my darn potatoes, lmao!! So I printed the recipe to try again next time and do a better job with taking the potatoes off the boil soon enough. I had 2 servings of an amazing bowl of chunky breakfast "mashed" potatoes this morning. 1 smaller serving for tomorrow. Oh, and I doubled the recipe. Wish me luck the next time I make it...
Thanks for sharing your recipe with us.
Lee
Kathryn Alexandre
Aw that's too bad Lee! I'm glad they were still tasty mashed potatoes at least! Different varieties of potatoes cook at different rates as well so that may have played a part. I find that not stirring them too much in the pan helps too if they are pretty delicate. I hope next time you'll get more of the crispy potatoes you hoped for!