Oven Skillet Hash Browns

I’ll be honest with you. This is one of those recipes that took a couple times to get right. You’d think making the perfect hash brown potatoes would be simple enough, right? WRONG. What started as a sheet pan recipe evolved into a skillet recipe, and the end results are better than I could’ve ever expected.

The beauty of this recipe is that it pretty much manages itself. No babysitting the stove. No splattering oil. Just season the potatoes, toss them in the skillet, and let the oven do its magic. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

We’ll start with a little bit of melted butter and some frozen hash brown potatoes. We’ll get those into a large bowl, and pop it in the microwave for a couple minutes to start to thaw out the potatoes.

Next, we’ll season the potatoes with my favorite blend of potato spices. And honestly, if anyone ever asked me to create my own spice blend, this would probably be it. Well, this and Old Bay cinnamon sugar. But, that’s another recipe for another day. Back to the potatoes…we’ll take some paprika, some garlic powder, some onion powder, and some salt and pepper then toss it all in the bowl with the potatoes. We’re also going to add in a drizzle of olive oil to help keep the potatoes from drying out. We’ll toss everything together until those potatoes are coated, and we’re just about done.

Now, skillet choice is important to get the right cook on the potatoes. We need something oven safe, non stick, and the perfect size to spread out the potatoes without them being spread too thin (which would also cause them to dry out). I find that a 10 inch ceramic skillet is the right way to go for this one. (And honestly, using the wrong baking vessel is 100% why this recipe failed so many times prior; so learn from my mistakes.) We’ll brush the skillet with a light layer of olive oil, pack the potatoes into the skillet so they form a nice, tight, even layer. Then, to the oven the hash browns will go for about 25 mins.

When the potatoes come out of the oven, they’ll look just barely lightly golden on top. But if you use a spatula to take a little peek at the bottom of the potatoes, you’ll see the absolute most flawless, crisp, golden color. And, that’s exactly what we want.

To serve, I like to keep these in the skillet and garnish with a little minced chives. But if you’re brave, you can put a plate larger than the skillet on top of the skillet and very carefully do a little flip over so the golden side is presented upwards. Do whatever makes you happy.

These potatoes have the perfect balance of textures. There’s a nice gentle crust from the bottom of the skillet. But, the top of the potatoes are still light and fluffy. Plus, they’re perfectly seasoned so there’s not one bland bite in sight. They’re not overly oily like fried hash browns tend to be. There’s just such a lovely balance all around.

Alright, everyone! Let this one be a lesson of “if at first you don’t succeed, try try again”. Because, I’m so glad I didn’t give up on this one!

I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!