Home Fries vs. Hash Browns: 4 Ways the Dishes Differ

Home fries are a breakfast side dish of seasoned diced potatoes mixed with bell peppers and chopped onions that you cook in oil until they are golden brown and crispy. The seasoning mix varies, but garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika are common. Chefs cook breakfast potatoes in a large skillet or a cast-iron skillet in bacon fat or olive oil, or they deep-fry the potatoes in a fryer with a neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil. Pan-fried home fries might not be as crispy as deep-fried potatoes.

Hash browns, or hashed brown potatoes, are a breakfast side dish of shredded potatoes that you season with salt, pepper, and any other flavorings and sauté until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside. Hash browns cook in a single layer on a large skillet or in the oven on a sheet pan.

Even though the look of the two dishes is different, there are some similarities between home fries and hash browns. Both home fries and hash browns pair well with classic breakfast and brunch foods like pancakes, waffles, and eggs. They also both go well with dipping sauces like ketchup and aioli. Russet potatoes are the most traditional potato for hash browns and home fries. Sturdy and starchy, russets will hold their shape when you cook them. Yukon gold potatoes are buttery and a little softer than russets but also work well for either potato dish. It’s up to home cooks whether or not to cook the spuds with their skins intact.

Both home fries and hash browns are fairly simple dishes that use russet potatoes, but they do differ in a handful of areas:

1. 1. Cooking method: A common cooking method for home fries is a deep fryer; however, hash browns will not hold together in a deep fryer without the use of a binder, such as an egg or flour. On the other hand, you cook hash browns in a skillet with olive oil or another neutral oil.
2. 2. Mix-ins: Home fries regularly incorporate sauteed peppers and onions, but traditional hash browns usually use just potatoes as the main or even only ingredient. Typically, hash browns are just shredded potatoes, salt, and pepper, although some localities might prefer mixing in corn, hot peppers, or regional seasoning blends.
3. 3. Origins: The history of home fries is a little unclear, but the name might have evolved as a way of differentiating between these cubed potatoes and french fries. Hash browns made their debut on breakfast menus in New York City in the 1890s.
4. 4. Shape: Cubed, diced, or chunked potatoes work best for home fries, but shredded potatoes are more ideal for hash browns. The latter’s name comes from the French word “hacher,” meaning to hack or chop. Most chefs grate the potatoes on a box grater or run them through a ricer.

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