When John and I started seeing each other, we did a lot of breakfast dates.
We both had roommates and it seemed the only way to spend uninterrupted time together was to get up early and share a meal before everyone else woke up. Lucky for us, breakfast was kind of our thing (and still is).
Even though John’s not a huge morning person, I can always lure him out of bed with these perfect, crispy 3-step breakfast potatoes that just happen to be vegan and gluten-free.
Three steps, you ask? That sounds complicated. However, it is not.
1. Bake
2. Season
3. Brown
That’s it! If you have a microwave, this recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish! But even if you prefer the oven, these beauties will be ready to devour in 45 minutes or less. What’s more? They only require 5 ingredients and 1 skillet. Hello easy breakfast.
I believe I got this original method from my mother. I remember calling her one evening asking her how she made her crispy breakfast potatoes because I wanted to impress John with my cooking skills (side note: it totally worked). She explained it step by step and I’ve tweaked the process and made it my own since.
The only bad part? I prefer these to every other breakfast potato out there. Sorry restaurants, you simply don’t hold a flame to these crispy gems.
What does one eat with breakfast potatoes? I’m glad you asked.
Tofu scrambles
Omelets
Scrambled “eggs”
Frittatas
Even dinner!
These really are so versatile and easy to make, I end up cooking up a batch most mornings. It just isn’t breakfast in our house without a batch of these beauties.
If you give this recipe a try, be sure to take a picture and tag it @minimalistbaker on Instagram! I’d love to know how yours turn out. Cheers!
Best Ever Vegan Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound red potatoes (scrubbed clean and dried)
- 3-4 Tbsp vegan butter (or olive oil)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a skillet to medium heat, or an electric skillet to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- “Bake” your potatoes in the microwave for 4-6 minutes total (flipping once halfway through) until they have a little give when squeezed. Alternatively, bake them in a 400-degree F (204 C) oven placed directly on the rack for roughly 20-35 minutes, depending on their size, until soft to the touch.
- Cut cooked potatoes into bite-sized pieces (I usually quarter mine), and place vegan butter 1 Tbsp at a time onto the hot skillet. Only add enough to accommodate all of your potatoes.
- TIP: Place potatoes, one by one, onto the skillet directly in the melted butter ensuring both exposed cut sides touch the butter and get some cook time in the skillet. This will ensure all sides get crispy brown.
- Once all potatoes are on the skillet, spray the top with avocado or olive oil (optional) and season with half of the seasonings. Spraying them with oil helps the seasonings stick to the skin.
- After about 4 minutes, use a fork or spatula to tip the potato over onto its other side to brown evenly.
- After another 3-4 minutes, flip the potatoes on their backsides (skin side down) and season with remaining salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook for another 2-4 minutes until crispy and golden brown on all sides.
- Serve with hot sauce or Whiskey BBQ ketchup. These potatoes go great with our Vegan Omelet and Southwest Tofu Scramble.
Stephanie says
Awwwww, YUM! I made these to go along with the tofu scramble. Really, I could eat a bowl of just these with ketchup, period.
Yum- agreed! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Stephanie!
Jessica says
This was such a great recipe! I paired it with the Southwest Scramble, and it was amazing. I never thought of making the potatoes in the microwave first and then just crisping them up. It definitely cut down on how long it took me to cook them. I just added the seasonings as I went and didn’t follow too much to measurements. I’ll probably add some fresh garlic and other things next time, just to try it out.
AN says
So perfect and so delicious! I added shallots and used Yukon gold potatoes because that’s what I had in my house. But the prices was the same and better than restaurant quality. Yum and thanks!
Marrok says
This was so simple and tasty. I used my electric griddle and followed the timing, but was afraid to burn them, so after a bit I lowered the temperature to around 300. I did find it starting to be a bit salty, so I only used half what was recommended and just applied to the skin side. Partnered with the recommended whisky ketchup and the southwest tofu scramble from the same site (minus the kale.) Big hit and all these will be on our regular rotation.
Steph says
Excellent base recipe that I modified by sautéing three cloves of garlic, 1/3 onion, and 1/2 a red bell pepper before crisping potatoes. I also added some smoked paprika and a dash of cayenne pepper to the spice mix. I and my family couldn’t get enough!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Steph! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Great! Thanks for sharing, Steph!
Callan says
I loved precooking the potatoes! I ate mine with a Beyond Sausage Brat, and a little whole grain mustard, and it was delish!!! Next time I’m going to saute some onions while the potatoes are in the microwave, just to add a little sweetness and depth, but the potatoes were perfect as is!!! Thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Callan!
Lisa says
Would it work to pre bake the potatoes, slice and refrigerate them, and then do the skillet part the next day? I’m thinking yes but never tried it!
Yeah! I think so! That would save time :D Although they may oxidize so be aware of that.
Georgie says
Made these to go with the southwest tofu scramble and they were perfect! So easy and tasty.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Georgie. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Hannah O'Dunlaing says
Just had this for breakfast, the time flew by it didn’t even feel like half an hour. Taste amazing: tip: season with rosemary for more of a dinner style breakfast taste. I did exactly that and wow. Had with fried mushrooms and a handful of cherry tomatoes. Will definitely be using this recipe again!!
Yum- drooling over your dinner, Hannah! Thanks so much for the lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Kimrah says
Awesome recipe. It cane out great! It’s my first time trying breakfast potatoes I added a few more spices like paprika and sage and used avocado butter. Ty so much for your page. When my child became allergic to meat wheat dairy. Life lol. Your recipes Have brought smiles to our bellies and mouths so much love for all you do.
Thanks for sharing!!
Nathan Garcia says
This recipe is super easy and super delicious. I made this the last two Mother’s day and it’s been requested ever since. It’s a hit with everyone. Thank you so much for the easy instructions and it’s a wonderful addition to breakfast!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Nathan!
Kelly Holmes says
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was super easy and deeeeeliciousss! Thank you for the tip about the sauce ! It made all the difference!
Kristen Henderson says
Perfect. I added some spices (paprika, hint of cayenne) and used a butter and garlic evoo …. I love the simplicity of this recipe. I made it for brunch. Everyone enjoyed these.
Glen Darlow says
Awesome recipe. This turned out perfectly. I used some paprika and onion powder as well. They go so well with spinach quiche!
This is my favourite breakfast and evening snack for sure.
Thank you so much!
Glen
Heather says
Super yummy but I did cut the salt down quite a bit. I made enough for six people- so my first batch I followed the recipe. After tasting- couldn’t resist eating as I went- I realized they were a bit too salty. So I just added garlic and pepper to rest- then stirred all together before serving. I’ll add rosemary next time. Thanks!
Mary says
This was delicious! I am still a beginner cook and some recipes are kinda intimidating. This, however, was perfect! So easy to follow with great results. Will make this again.
Kelly says
You’ve done it again! Everything I’ve made of yours always turns out amazing and I’m actually eating these breakfast potatoes as we speak (well, type). I made them exactly how the recipe reads and they turned out perfect! So crispy and delicious. I’m eating them by themselves, but I’ve made your tofu breakfast scramble and they go great with that too!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Kelly!
Seany Napalm says
I made this, the texture was amazing! However i do not eat much salt, and thus these potatoes were very salty. If you reading this are not a salt consumer I recommend half the salt of this recipe. Maybe twice the garlic powder Hiyo! Or just try it and tweak the second time. And yes you will try it a second time…
Kathy Rogers says
Just when I thought I’d seen every recipe on your blog, I found this one over the weekend. It is now Monday morning, and I’m STILL making these for breakfast! Love the comments above about not having potatoes for breakfast & the “stop everything” response. One of Isa Chandra’s cookbooks says “You can’t have brunch without potatoes. I’d like to see you try.” I love these potatoes!
Kathy Rogers says
Definitely 5 stars!
Randy says
I guess I’m the token dense person :-) I’ve read through all the comments and it seems no one else is confused. I don’t understand how this is accomplished:
TIP: Place potatoes, one by one, onto the skillet directly in the melted butter ensuring both exposed cut sides touch the butter.
Hi Randy! Basically, just cook cut-side down and ensure that both cut sides get some cook time in the skillet. Hope this helps!
Randy says
Thanks! :)
DOL says
I WISH THIS HAD BEEN MADE CLEAR IN THE FIRST PLACE.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO TEND TO BE EXACT.
Thank you for the feedback. We have updated the recipe to provide clarity.
janina coiro says
These are now a staple at our house for weekend breakfasts. Soooo good! Like someone said previously, love the crispness on the outside and creamy center!
Jackie says
These were delicious and I plan on making them again.
Leslie says
I have a lot of stomach problems and always come down with the stomach virus . I’m not really sure why but I started trying vegan recipes and I’ve never felt better and right now I was craving a snack and I made these and they were amazing !!!
Barrie Liendo says
I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for this one.
India says
I made these twice once with red pota second with golden. I’m making again with the red they’re amazing
Schoji says
Do you pierce the potatoes with a fork so they don’t explode? I remember my mom saying that wasnt important and i havent cooked a potato in the microwave since i was a teenager.
Hi Schoji! No need to pierce the potatoes!
kay says
I have made these potatoes many times. They always turn out fabulous and taste amazing. Crunchy simple to do, yet elegant enough to be served in a top restaurant. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Hilarie Hunter says
When you say place the potatoes directly on the rack ( not microwaving) do you mean on a cookie sheet?
Hi Hilarie! Directly on the rack without a cookie sheet!
Alex says
Tried these this morning and they were AMAZING. I have always wanted to step up my breakfast game with some yummy breakfast potatoes (crispy and flavorful while still simple to make), and now I will be able to use this as my go-to! Appreciated the TIP in the recipe because it made all the difference.
CT says
There is no such thing as vegan butter…other than that, fantastic!
See here.
Nathan says
I was looking for something special to make on Mother’s Day with my two daughters for their mother and grandmother. I looked a few places and found this recipe. We made brunch for the two of them and these potatoes were a hit! I can’t believe how wonderful they turned out. The ingredients and time were just great! Thank you so much for making our first cooking Mother’s Day a hit! I’m getting requests to make them again!
Lisa says
Delicious and crispy, made us a great Sunday breakfast! Thanks
vivian says
These were the side for our Saturday sandwich and cocktail dinner, and they were great. They wold be easy to modify with other spices and/or herbs. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Lindsay says
These are delish and have become a staple breakfast side – okay, main :p. Wondering if these could be made the night before and reheated in the oven…. Thoughts?
That will work! :D
Alan says
We’ve made dozens of breakfast potato recipes, but none can match this recipe in terms of simplicity, cooking time and end-result. Top marks for crispy edges and creamy centers! But please, when you make this don’t be cruel to your potatoes by subjecting them to treatment with whatever vegan butter is – fry ’em up in 1:1 ratio of EVOO and real butter (from cream, from a cow) and get ready for an excellent breakfast.
Mark says
Hi Dana, hope you are well. Thanks for all the amazing recipes, the biggest issue is where to start!! :)
Do you need to parboil these at all?
thanks,
H! “Bake” your potatoes in the microwave for 4-6 minutes total (flipping once halfway through) until they have a little give when squeezed. Alternatively, bake them in a 400 degree F oven placed directly on the rack for roughly 20-35 minutes, depending on their size, until soft to the touch.
Lagrango says
They turned out amazing. I was super low on vegan butter so I did half that and half coconut oil. In the end product you could kinda taste the coconut but it certainly wasn’t a bad thing. Used my cast iron skillet. First oven baked then fried to a perfect brown crisp. I made a dip of some ketchup, BBQ sauce, and a dab of veganese and its was great! Thanks for the recipee.
James L says
Pft… vegan potatoes, everyone knows the best potatoes come from cows.
Swati says
I have tried, for years, to make crisp potato curry like my parents used to make for me in India. Never could I get them crisp. But this recipe? Works on first try! I love your blog so much, Dana! Please come to Seattle to do a cooking event, my boyfriend and I will be thrilled to come and learn from you.
Love your work!
Swati
adeena says
ok first– definitely going to make this tomorrow morning. my mouth is literally watering looking at these pictures. and second, LOVE your recipes!!!! can’t wait for more.
adeena
Brady says
Made them with a poached egg on top this morning. Perfection!! Great recipe…
kay says
These are so amazing. I am making them again for thanksgiving :) You have delicious recipies, thanks.
Kristen says
These are delicious and so easy! A new family favorite!!
Dalia says
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. Super quick, easy, and tasty. Made it yesterday and had to make it again today!
Sammie~ says
I never used red potatoes before, and I think they’re my favorite now. I loosely followed the recipe (microwave, oil amounts, and I drizzled oil since I don’t have spray). Definitely using more seasoning next time, but adding lemon juice was pretty good.
Also added small celery slices and a tiny bit of green onion. Thanks, because without this recipe I never would have tried it!
Katie says
Holy hell perfect! Gosh, simply amazing. You’re just my favorite!!
As always, thank you!!!!
Mary D says
Just made these for breakfast for dinner. Genius! Super crispy on the outside & soft on the inside. I cut the potatoes a little bit smaller & added paprika. I’ll never make breakfast potatoes in the oven again!
Curtis S. says
This may be a silly question but I really need to know: did you poke holes in the potato prior to microwaving or baking? I was always told to do so to avoid a potato explosion, but if I could avoid the extra step of poking holes in them, I’d be so happy!
Elle says
Great recipe, thank you! I just made it for the first time using my electric skillet. I followed the recipe exactly, using vegan butter and the microwave method of cooking the potatoes. My friend and I loved them!
Deepika N. says
Just made these with regular potatoes for breakfast today, with eggs and my husband and I devoured them!! You’re right, this is a super easy, great recipe! Thank you! :)
Huma says
Thank you for every single one of your beautiful recipes. I find myself constantly on your website and talking to my friends and family about it. Please keep up the amazing work you do :)
Ah, thanks so much! Glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Huma! xo
Molly says
I just made these for a brunch and they were fantastic! Such a quick and delicious side!
scorcher says
I microwaved potatoes and then put the skillet on too high, so the outside was soggier and some parts were burnt, but they’re still good! Thank you so much, I’m going to perfect my technique
Linda Rei says
Gotta say that these potatoes are better than my favorite restaurant ones. I’ve been trying to find the right recipe for a long time. I’d figured out the mocrowave bake and the cut and brown in a skillet. I was missing the right technique and here it is along with with the perfect seasonings. The potatoes are beautiful and so crispy and yummy! Can’t wait to serve them to friends and family.
Thanks
Linda
Cindy says
These are very tasty and easy to make. I never baked a potato in the microwave before but it worked perfectly.
Sara says
I made these for breakfast with a fried egg on top. They were exactly what I wanted. Thank you!
Sara says
Sorry I forgot to rate the recipe.
Hannah says
I made these potatoes today and they were outstanding! thank you so much for the recipe!
Pamella says
Wish I would have taken a pic! They came out perfect. Great way to remember those Manhattan brunches without the $$$.
R. Scott says
We just made these, while we are on The Daniel Fast. They are perfect!!! Thank you for sharing! The man said we should have gotten more potatoes :-)
Jenn says
These are so yummy!! I have made them two times now, and they turned out great both times! Thank you for sharing :-)
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Jenn!
Preston says
Thanks for the microwave + fry idea. Fluffy on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Perfect.
Of course! Hope you love it!
Leah says
Wow!! Soooo delish. Thank you so much! I was going to post a photo but I ate them all before I realized it…. Hahahah
mAUD says
sorry, ? about another recipe – coconut whip on your vegan apple crisp. nothing given for coconut whip? please post. tx
Sam says
I’ve made these three times in the last two weeks because they were so delicious. Thank you!!
Jacqueline says
These *were* the best ever! I had some big honking red potatoes, so I sliced the middle round so it would have lots of crispy surface area. I like another commenter’s idea of pre-baking the potatoes, as my wimpy microwave took about 10 minutes to get things right. I will definitely make these again!
Hayley says
I made these with some black bean burgers and the last of summer corn, and oh my was it amazing.
Gayle K says
Fantastic! My husband asked me to never make any other recipe! I can’t believe how tasty they are and I’m sorry I didn’t make a bigger batch!
Bec says
Oh my goodness they look oh so crispy. I will be making them for sure and tagging you when I do!
Bec x
Nicholle Zoe says
That looks good!! I have a similar recipe up soon too hahaha !
Gaby says
Breakfast is one of my favs!! And those potatoes have my mouth watering!!
Thanks Gaby!
Martha says
Made these for dinner last night with a little melted cheese, bacon and sour cream. Sooooo good! This will definitely be a repeat in our house!! Any time of day!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!!
Tracy | PeanutButter and Onion says
Breakfast is my favorite, its like being asked to coffee, who can say know. Its even better if it simple… love the potatos
Hannah says
Love this! I am a HUGE breakfast person and I am always looking for new (and easy) ways to whip up a tasty breakfast treat. Thanks for sharing :)
Lynsey Jade // Eeyore Likes Cupcakes says
We don’t have breakfast potatoes here in the UK our version is hash browns!
These fer sure look 10x yummier though! Can’t wait to try!! L x
Carole says
ooooohhhhh man! I heart potatoes so much!! These look awesome delicious!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
How did you know I was eyeing the potatoes from your last post?! Thanks for the recipe :)
Of course! Hope you give it a go!
Ashley says
Wow, these potatoes are the things dreams are made of. I’m just imagining them with an over easy egg cracked on top… drool :)
Hubba hubba ;D
Katy says
Mmmm….breakfast potatoes are my fav! I love the arrangement in that last photo!
Caitlin says
Yum! I love breakfast potatoes…but browned and crispy ones? Even better. Those look delicious!
Jennifer Lee says
These look so delicious! My family would definitely devour them in minutes! Thank you for your simple recipes
Alanna says
Well these look like the most perfect potatoes ever! Thanks for sharing your technique – I will give it a try next time! Also, whiskey bbq ketchup?!
Yeah, I know. THA best. Hope you give this a try friend! Also, that curry eggplant? OH MAMA.
Millie | Add A Little says
Looks delicious – I always parboil then roast on a super hot baking tray!!
Joanna says
We love these exact potatoes and eat them with dinner a lot! I also do a lot of these potatoes and add in smoked sausage. Such a quick and filling meal.
Holly @ The Very Hungry Blonde says
I make these all the time and I love how something so simple can be so delicious and beautiful at the same time!
Sunny says
I think you’d like our breakfast joints potatoes. They serve them as a side for burgers and stuff, not breakfast. (But they are very accommodating, so would probably do them if asked) But I think what they do is bake small whole potatoes, smash them so they’re kinda flatish, then deep fry them. THEY ARE DELISH!! If you visit Duluth, MN you must try The Duluth Grill :-)
And I will make you potatoes next time I do taters!
Never been there, but if I ever am, I know what I’m ordering!
Brenna says
This sounds amazing! and your blog is absolutely gorgeous. As a beginning minimalist, I’m working to simplify in all aspects of life, and your minimalist approach to cooking is an inspiration!
That’s lovely to hear, Brenna! Glad we could be of some inspiration/help to you. Good luck on your journey to simplicity!
Celeste @TheWholeServing says
These potatoes look so yum! They would be a great addition to a tofu scramble.
Meg says
I love potatoes for breakfast! Good idea on using the microwave to get them ready for the oven.
Brittany @ i love vegan says
Ohmygosh, these look like golden-brown heaven! Definitely going to have to try these out with my next tofu scramble. I love the bake/season/brown thing, great stuff!
Becky says
These look absolutely gorgeous, I can’t wait to try this recipe, I’ve always wondered how to get them super crispy like this; thanks for sharing!
Tante Schnarri says
Baked potatoes are one of my all time favourites, even though I don’t necessarily have them for breakfast :P Your recipe is such an interesting twist on the way I usually do them, most of the time I just slice them up, decorate them with some purple onion slices, sprinkle a bit of olive oil over them, just to top them off with some cayenne pepper, black pepper and himalaya salt.
I’m definitely gonna try your version next time!
Thea @ Baking Magique says
I’ve never had potatos for breakfast but maybe I have to try now??
WHAT? That’s impossible. Stop everything you’re doing and eat potatoes for breakfast!
Arthur in the garden ! says
Yummy!
Asa says
Ha, last night we made your tofu scramble recipe (it was VERY good by the way, although we used spinach instead of kale since that’s what we had on hand) and I actually searched on your site for a breakfast potato recipe to go with it. We ended up just quartering the potatoes, coating them in salt, pepper and olive oil and cooking them in a cast iron for 45 minutes. Although I bet I if I took the time to brown and then bake they’d be even better!
Glad you enjoyed the scramble! Next time you’ll have to try the potatoes with it! Hope you enjoy.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Breakfast potatoes are the best!! I flipping love this idea!
Irene says
Usually, I just cook potatoes on the skillet. I’ll have to try this sometime! xoxo
Maryea {happy healthy mama} says
Ooh I love your method. Giving this a try. I’m assuming it’d work fine with regular (not red) potatoes. I get a ton of those in my CSA box lately. My kids adore potatoes and this looks like a great recipe for them. Who am I kidding–my husband and I will love these, too. :)
Shayne says
I made these this morning with regular potatoes :) It was perfection
jenna @ just j.faye says
Crispy breakfast potatoes give me so much happiness!
Kyra says
Oh I love potatoes for breakfast!! The only bad thing is that when I wake up I like eating, and without a microwave, I don’t think I would wait the 35 minutes or so to bake the potatoes. I could bake the potatoes the day before and keep in the fridge, then cook in the skillet in the morning, right?
Yes! You could definitely do that. Just don’t slice them the night before or they can take on a weird color sometimes. Good luck!
Lexy says
If you have a steamer, cut into bite size pieces and steam them the night before for 12-15 minutes (time for 5 medium potatoes). Refrigerate over night and brown in the skillet in he morning.
Danielle @ Chits and Chats and Chocolate says
Those potatoes look perfectly crispy! These would be awesome for brinner, too!