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Give your lazy weekend breakfast a serious upgrade with these deliciously crispy Homestyle Breakfast Fries. This diner-style home fries recipe features golden brown cubes of tender potatoes mixed with sweet bell peppers, slightly spicy poblanos, and lightly caramelized onions for an easy skillet breakfast that’ll knock your socks off. 😋

Overhead photo of breakfast home fries with peppers and onions in a large cast iron skillet.

Table of Contents

About this homestyle fries recipe 

This easy breakfast homestyle potatoes recipe has become my newest carby obsession. Aside from being wildly delicious (with or without avocado eggs, candy bacon, sausage, or other breakfast accouterments), this crispy home fries recipe is also:

  • Short & Sweet – You need just 30 minutes and a few easy-to-find ingredients to make the BEST homestyle fries recipe you’ve ever tried. 
  • Veggie-Packed – Yes, this is a potatoes recipe (which, to be fair, potatoes are also a vegetable), but these home fries with onions and peppers are a bona fide rainbow smorgasbord of veggie goodness.
  • The PERFECT Breakfast Side – Not only do these crispy breakfast potatoes play nicely with others (they’re equally at home alongside sweet cinnamon waffles, a fluffy omelette, or this recipe for crustless spinach quiche), but they’re also so dang good that they’re worthy of center-stage.

What are potato home fries?

You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish that represents true bebop, 1950s Americana the way these pan fries do. Aside from stacks of pecan waffles, cozy breakfast pumpkin casseroles, and Hawaiian pancakes, there are very few recipes that transcend all regional American breakfast dietary preferences. Home-style potatoes are one of them.

If you’ve ever eaten at IHOP, Denny’s, or any hole-in-the-wall breakfast spot, chances are you’ve had some version of these crispy home-fried potatoes. Unlike hashbrowns, which are made from shredded potatoes and little else, these homefries, also known as homestyle potatoes, are cut into cubes and gussied up with sautéed bell peppers and onions, and plenty of seasoning.

They’re often used as the base of skillet breakfasts and hashes (which is confusing, since “hash browns” aren’t 🤷🏼‍♀️), but are also quite popular as a breakfast side. However you eat them or whatever you eat them with, one thing is certain — you’re gonna LOVE these magical creamy-fluffy-crispy spuds.

Overhead photo of yukon gold potatoes, diced onions, diced peppers, spices, and butter neatly arranged on a kitchen counter.

Ingredients for diner home fries

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this homestyle fries recipe. Here’s what to grab:

  • Chicken Broth – For par-boiling the potatoes while adding yummy flavor. You’re also welcome to use salted water or a combination of broth and water. 
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes – The perfect all-purpose potato, with a thin skin, plus a good blend of starchiness and a creamy interior. You’re welcome to use Russet potatoes if you prefer a fluffier interior and crispier outside.
  • Baking Soda – Adding baking soda to the potato-boiling liquid increases the alkalinity of the solution, which helps to break down the starches and crisp up the outside. 
  • Vegetable Oil & Butter – Butter provides richness while oil increases the smoke point of the fat. Feel free to swap in vegan butter if needed.
  • Smoked Paprika – For warm, smoky flavor. For a spicier take, use ground chipotle powder.
  • Italian Seasoning – This spice blend typically includes basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary, so you can add lots of yummy flavor with just one bottle.
  • Garlic Powder – For the sweet flavor of garlic without any papery skins to contend with.
  • Red Bell Pepper – For color and sweetness. You can also use orange or yellow peppers if you prefer.
  • Poblano Pepper – For mild spiciness. If you’re extremely spice-averse, you can use a green bell pepper instead.
  • Yellow Onion – For sweetness and texture. In a pinch, you can swap in red onions.
  • Scallions – You’ll want both the whites and greens for the best mix of mild oniony flavor and a colorful garnish.
  • Fresh Parsley or Basil – For a fresh, herbaceous garnish. 
  • Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper – For seasoning. 

Recipe variations

  • Extra Spicy – Feel free to add a little heat with a few shakes of red pepper flakes or by adding some diced jalapeños to your pepper mix.
  • Dairy-Free/Vegan Home Fries – Simply swap in vegan butter to make this homestyle potatoes recipe vegan.
Overhead photo of homestyle potatoes in a back skillet.

How to make home fried potatoes

While this diner style home fries recipe does require a few steps, they’re all simple to carry out. Here’s how:

  1. Boil Potatoes: Add kosher salt, baking soda, and cut potatoes to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 7-11 minutes, or until the chunks of potatoes are fork tender.
  2. Drain, Season, and Toss Potatoes: Drain the potatoes and then return them back to the hot pot. Let the potatoes sit in the pot for 1 minute before transferring to a large mixing bowl. Add the oil and home fry seasonings, then toss to coat the potatoes, being a little rough when tossing so that a layer of mashed-potato like paste builds up on all the potato chunks. Then, set the potatoes aside.
  3. Meanwhile, Sauté Onions and Peppers: Heat butter and oil in a large skillet and then add the bell peppers and poblano peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the onions and white/light green scallions to the fry pan and cook until the veggies are soft. Finally, use a slotted spoon to transfer all the veggies to a plate or bowl.
  4. Fry Potatoes: Place the pan back on heat and melt the remaining butter and oil. Working in 2 batches, add half the potatoes and fry until the bottom side is golden brown. Then, flip the potatoes and fry until the other side is golden. Next, toss the potatoes and cook 2 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a paper-towel lined plate and repeat cooking the other batch of potatoes.
  5. Add Everything to Pan: Wipe the pan clean and melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the crispy home fries, onions, and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine and heat everything through.
  6. Serve: Transfer the crispy home fries to a serving bowl and enjoy immediately!

Expert tips for the best home fries with onions

Making breakfast potatoes isn’t hard, but there are a few things you should keep in mind when making this homestyle fries recipe:

  • Get Chunky. Aim for a larger, chunkier cut than a traditional 1-inch dice. I recommend around 2 inches or so!
  • If possible, use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat, has a natural non-stick kind of surface, and is the absolute best for searing anything you want a good crust on, like a steak or these homemade home fries.
  • Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Cook the potatoes in a single layer and avoid overcrowding the pan to ensure that each piece gets enough heat and space to crisp up.
  • Stir Occasionally, Not Constantly: Give the potatoes a chance to develop a crust by letting them sit undisturbed for a few minutes at a time before stirring. You’ll know they’re ready to flip when they easily release from the pan.
  • Put Your Skillet Over Medium Heat (or medium-high): A higher heat setting will help the outside of the potatoes become crispy while keeping the inside soft and tender. 

FAQs: frequently asked questions

Below you’ll find the most common questions and answers about making this homestyle fries recipe. If you have a question you’d like answered, please drop it in the comments section below!

What is the difference between breakfast potatoes and home fries?

To me, “breakfast potatoes” is an all-encompassing term — hash browns, home fries, and even breakfast poutine (i.e. french fries topped with gravy, cheese curds, and maybe an egg) fall into this category. Heck. I’d even say a baked potato *could* be a form of breakfast potatoes so long as you eat it for breakfast.

What’s the difference between home fries and hash browns?

However, the two primary types of breakfast potatoes are home fries and hash browns. This home fry recipe is made with chunks or cubes of potatoes and the added sweetness of peppers and onions. Hashbrowns, on the other hand, are always shredded and most often served in a quasi-pancake form (mostly due to how they’re cooked). 

Do you have to boil potatoes before turning them into home fries?

YES! Pre-boiling is an essential step to making homestyle potatoes. If you try and pan fry them directly from raw, you’ll miss out on a several benefits. First, boiling the potatoes in salty, alkaline water helps to draw out the starches, yielding crispier results. Second, the salt in the water ensures that the potatoes are seasoned all the way through rather than just on the surface. Finally, pre-cooking them in water is the best way to guarantee that your homestyle fries are perfectly tender all the way through.

What are breakfast fries called?

Other than just “breakfast fries,” they’re also known as home-style potatoes or home fries.

Why are they called home fries?

While I’m not certain, I think the best explanation is that back before air fryers or countertop deep fryers, french fries were always deep-fried. If you’ve ever fried anything in a vat of oil, you know that it’s kind of a pain — the oil has to be the right temp, then, after you’re done frying, you have to strain the oil to reuse it (or find somewhere to dispose of it). For most folks, this was a process best left to the professionals. These HOME fries are made by sautéing the taters in a skillet with very little oil, thus making them more accessible to the average home cook. 

Are home fries healthy?

It depends on the recipe, but for these home style fries the brief answers are: maybe, yes, and no, respectively. Let me elaborate:

“Healthy” might be a stretch for some — they have oil, butter, and lots of carbs. BUT, they also have lots of veggies and are way less oily than other types of fried potatoes. So, homestyle potatoes are maybe healthy, depending on your definition.

Gluten-free?

There is no flour (or any wheat) in the recipe, so as long as you don’t have cross-contamination issues, these potato home fries are both gluten-free and celiac-friendly. 

Are home fried potatoes deep-fried?

Finally, these homestyle potatoes are not deep-fried. Instead, they’re first boiled, then crisped in a pan with butter and olive oil.

Can you make home fries with red potatoes?

You definitely can, but since they’re less starchy than either Yukon golds or Russets, they likely won’t end up super crispy if you do. If you want the authentic diner home fries experience, I suggest reaching for starchier taters to make this homestyle fries recipe. 

How do you keep home fries from getting soggy?

Make sure the oil and butter is nice and hot before adding the potatoes to the skillet. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the potatoes can get kind of oily and soggy. Also, don’t over-boil them. They should be easy to prick with a fork, but not water-logged.

Close up photo of crispy diner home fries with red bell peppers, yellow onions, and poblano peppers.

Serving homestyle potatoes

  • Breakfast Bowls: Top your home potatoes with scrambled eggs, avocado slices, crumbled bacon, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream or tomato salsa for extra yum.
  • Home Fries Skillet: Make a one-skillet breakfast by adding some cooked sausage to your home potato fries. Crack a few eggs on top and cover the skillet to let the eggs cook to your liking.
  • Loaded Home Fries: Treat your skillet breakfast potatoes with queso cheese, chopped green onions, bacon bits, and a drizzle of ranch dressing or barbecue sauce.
  • Home Fries Poutine: Give your home fries a French-Canadian twist by covering them with cheese curds and smothering them in hot gravy. Fried eggs are optional but delicious!
  • Home Fries Hash: Mix your homestyle potatoes with chopped corned beef or leftover slow cooked brisket for a meaty, filling breakfast that my hub-man LOVES.
  • Mediterranean Morning: Stuff your home fries with peppers and onions in a pita pocket. Add a smear of avocado hummus, a dollop of tzatziki, quick pickled onions, and sliced cucumbers for a Mediterranean-inspired breakfast you can take on the go.
  • Sweet & Savory: For a twist, mix sweet potatoes with your regular home fries.
  • Brunch Burger: Top a grilled burger with a fried egg and serve with a side of crispy home potato fries for one of my absolute favorite meals. Don’t forget the ketchup and/or hot sauce.
  • Home Fries Benedict: Replace the traditional English muffin in Eggs Benedict with home fried potatoes. Then top with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and a sprinkle of paprika or chives for a gluten-free version that’s arguably tastier than the original.
  • Breakfast Favorites: Simply serve your home fried potatoes with your brunch favs, like egg muffin bites, egg and sausage casseroles, and bagels with eggs and cheese.

Storing home fries recipes

  • While they’re best served fresh, store any leftover diner-style home fries in a clean airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. 
  • To reheat leftovers of this homestyle fries recipe, pop them in the oven at 400-degrees Fahrenheit for 6-10 minutes, or sauté them on the stovetop with a little extra oil until they’re warm through and re-crisped. I don’t recommend microwaving them, unless the crispy factor isn’t an issue for you.
Action photo of serving spoons dishing out potato home fries from a large skillet.

And there you have it, spuddies! I hope you love this recipe for Homestyle Breakfast Fries as much as we do. Whether you’re a home fry newbie or a seasoned spud-master, these crispy golden nuggets are sure to keep your breakfast game ‘hash-tag’ awesome. Until next time, keep your eyes on the fries and your spirits high!

Cheyanne

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More crispy potato side dishes!

If you love these crispy home fries with peppers and onions, be sure to try these tater recipes next:

Overhead photo of homestyle fries with potatoes, onions, and peppers in a large cast iron skillet.

Home Fries Diner Style with Onions and Peppers

Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Give your lazy weekend breakfast a serious upgrade with these deliciously crispy Homestyle Breakfast Fries. This diner-style home fries recipe features golden brown cubes of tender potatoes mixed with sweet bell peppers, slightly spicy poblanos, and lightly caramelized onions for an easy skillet breakfast that’ll knock your socks off.

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven (for boiling potatoes)
  • 1 Large Cast Iron Skillet OR Non-Stick Frying Pan (for frying potatoes and veggies)
  • 1 Kitchen Spoon (for stirring)

Ingredients 

Instructions

  • Boil Potatoes: Add 2 quarts of broth, water, or a combination of the two to a large pot or Dutch oven. Place the pot on the stovetop over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
    Once boiling, add 1 ½ tablespoons of kosher salt, baking soda, and all the cut potatoes. Give everything a good stir and let the potatoes return to a boil.
    Once boiling again, immediately reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the potatoes for 7-11 minutes, or until the tins of a fork meet little resistance when inserted into the chunks of potatoes.
  • Drain, Rest, Season and Toss Potatoes: Once the potatoes are fork-tender, carefully drain them using a strainer and then return the potato chunks back to the hot pot.
    Let the potatoes sit in the pot for 1 minute to remove the excess moisture.
    Then, transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and season with the paprika, Italian spice, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss and stir the potatoes to coat them in the oil and seasoning, being a little rough when tossing so that a layer of mashed-potato like paste has built up on all the potato chunks. Then, set the potatoes aside.
  • Meanwhile, Sauté Onions and Peppers: In a large cast iron skillet or nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil with 1 tablespoon of butter over medium to medium-high heat.
    Once hot, add the bell peppers and poblano peppers to the pan. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
    Then, add the yellow onions and white/light green scallions to the skillet and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers and onions are soft and golden, about 6-8 minutes.
    Next, use a slotted spoon to transfer all the sautéed veggies to a plate or bowl.
  • Fry Potatoes: Place the same pan or skillet back on the burner over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.
    Once the pan is hot and the butter is foaming, and working in two batches, add HALF the potatoes in a single layer, arranging the potatoes so they are cut side down. Cook the potatoes, without stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom side of the potatoes are golden brown. Then, carefully flip the potatoes and allow the other side to cook, undisturbed, for an addition 3-4 minutes. Then, start tossing and stirring the potatoes and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the home fries are just about crisp and golden all over. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes to a paper-towel lined plate.
    Repeat the process, adding the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and tablespoon of butter to the pan, frying the rest of the potatoes, and transferring them to the plate.
  • Add Everything Back to Pan: Wipe the pan with a paper towel and heat 2 teaspoons of oil.
    Once shimmering, return the sautéed vegetables to the skillet, followed by the potatoes. Toss and stir everything to combine and then season to taste of salt and pepper.
    Remove the pan from the heat and add the sliced dark green onions. Toss the potatoes to combine. Taste the potatoes and adjust for seasoning as you see fit.
  • Serve: Transfer the crispy home fries to a serving bowl or platter and dust with smoked paprika and more fresh herbs, if desired. Enjoy immediately!

Notes

  • Potato Variety: You can use Yukon Golds or Russets to make this recipe for home fries.
    • Yukon Gold Potatoes (shown in the photos): Typically smaller in size, Yukon golds will have a creamer center with a slightly less exterior and deeper flavor.
    • Russet Potatoes: Typically a little larger in size, Russets will have a fluffier center with a slightly crispier crust. 
  • Cutting Potatoes: Make sure you cut the potatoes to be on the chunkier, larger side – larger than a traditional large 1-inch dice. Aim for around 2-inches or so.
  • Got questions? I’ve got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification – please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 
  • Recipe Serve: 4-6
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 312kcal    Carbohydrates: 36g    Protein: 4g    Fat: 18g    Saturated Fat: 5g    Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g    Monounsaturated Fat: 10g    Trans Fat: 0.2g    Cholesterol: 15mg    Sodium: 197mg    Potassium: 880mg    Fiber: 5g    Sugar: 3g    Vitamin A: 787IU    Vitamin C: 64mg    Calcium: 36mg    Iron: 2mg
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

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