Name: Breakfast Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (diced); 1/4 cup olive oil (or more); kosher salt

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The secret to the best Breakfast Potatoes is a quick boil and shake before roasting to crispy perfection. All of those crispy edges make these potatoes silky in the middle and buttery-crisp on the outside. Everyone needs a recipe for easy breakfast potatoes that taste amazing, and this is my favorite. Try it once and I bet it will be yours too.

A plate of golden-brown roasted potatoes on a wooden board, accompanied by two metal utensils. A small bowl of sauce and a cup of beverage are nearby, set on a neutral-toned cloth.

I never learn. When we’re at a restaurant and I see ‘breakfast potatoes’ on the menu, I always think, “Oh, that sounds so good.” Then they arrive and I’m usually disappointed. I want them to be piping hot, crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle, with a salt sting. It’s a lot to ask I know. Full disclosure, I hadn’t had much success making crispy breakfast potatoes myself either. But then a few years ago, I came across this parboil and shake technique from Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini and I’ve never looked back.

“We call these “fuzzy potatoes” and they are the most requested form of potato in our house. We have them for dinner In place of roasted or mashed potato. Thanks!”
susan

Ingredients to Make Breakfast Potatoes
Recipe Options
4 Recipe Tips
Storage and Reheating
Serve With
How to Make Breakfast Potatoes
Breakfast Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients to Make Breakfast Potatoes

A bowl filled with diced Yukon Gold potatoes, a small bowl of kosher salt, and a dish of olive oil on a light-colored surface. The ingredients are labeled in text.

Yukon Gold Potatoes: These have the perfect balance of starch and moisture for crispy edges and creamy centers. Peel them if you like, but it’s not essential.
Olive Oil: The oil helps create those crispy edges. You’ll want enough to coat each piece of potato generously.
Kosher Salt: Essential for seasoning both the cooking water and the finished potatoes. Add enough to give that perfect salt sting.

Recipe Options

Add some spice: Black pepper, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder are all spices that work well here.
Make them for dinner: These potatoes work perfectly for any meal of the day, just like my Cheesy Potatoes.
Try them in burritos: With some scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese, they make an excellent filling for breakfast burritos.
Switch cooking methods: Use the same parboil and shake technique for Skillet Potatoes or Brabant Potatoes if you prefer to keep your oven free.

Close-up of a plate filled with crispy roasted potatoes, golden brown and seasoned. The potatoes have a crunchy texture, appearing freshly cooked and appetizing. The background is slightly blurred, focusing on the dish.

4 Recipe Tips

About the size: Cut your potatoes into roughly 1-inch cubes – any smaller and they’ll fall apart when boiling.
Watch the boil time: You want the outsides tender but centers still firm for the best texture.
Test the shake: Your potatoes should look slightly fuzzy after shaking. If not, give them another shake to roughen up those edges.
Give them space: Spread potatoes in a single layer with room between pieces – crowding leads to steaming instead of crisping.

Close-up of golden brown roasted diced potatoes, some with crispy edges, sprinkled with coarse salt.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, spread them on a baking sheet and pop them in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes until they’re hot and crispy again. I don’t recommend microwaving – they’ll lose their crispy texture. While you can store and reheat these potatoes, they’re at their absolute best right out of the oven, when they’re piping hot with perfectly crispy edges.

This is one of those easy recipes that’s all about technique. It’s unusual, and kind of fun. Once you try this method of boiling and shaking before roasting, you’ll never go back to plain roasted potatoes – the extra step is worth it for those irresistibly crispy edges and creamy centers.

Serve With

Breakfast Frittata

Breakfast Quiche

Asparagus Frittata

Sausage Quiche

How to Make Breakfast Potatoes

Step 1 – Add diced potatoes to a saucepan and cover with just enough water to cover. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender on the outside and firm in the middle.

A pot filled with evenly chopped raw potatoes on a light-colored countertop. The potatoes are cut into small cubes, and the pot has pink handles.

A large pot filled with water and diced potatoes, viewed from above. The potatoes are submerged, and the pot is placed on a light countertop.

Step 2 – Strain out the boiling water. Cover with the lid and shake until fuzzy (this is what makes them so crispy!) Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil and gently toss to coat.

A pot filled with evenly diced raw potatoes on a light-colored surface. The potatoes have a pale yellow hue, and the pot has two handles.

A pot filled with cubed, cooked potatoes on a light-colored surface. The potatoes appear soft and ready for further preparation.

Step 4 – Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer, giving each potato cube room to crisp up. See how they look like a sloppy mess? But look at the next photo! The fuzzy edges attach to the potato cubes and make them extra crispy all the way around. Bake until crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle. Devour!