Crispy Oil Free Hash Browns

Name: Crispy Oil Free Hash Browns
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1½ cups hash brown potatoes; 1 tsp Nutritional yeast; ½ tsp onion powder; ½ tsp garlic powder; ⅛ tsp salt

Delicious Crispy Oil Free Hash Browns are so fast, healthy, and easy to make! A flavorful, satisfying blend of crunchy and moist goodness!

Hash browns, tofu scramble, and parsley on a white plate.

Potatoes have gotten a bad rap. They are often described as tasty, but high in unhealthy carbs and fat. It’s actually what’s put on the potatoes that is unhealthy. The added oil, cheese, or sour cream is what clogs arteries and contributes to many health problems.

Potatoes themselves contain complex carbohydrates (the fuel of the body) and several beneficial nutrients and fiber that promote health. Potatoes are actually a super food when prepared the right way!

Hash brown potatoes have always been a favorite of my family growing up, and still are with our weekend breakfasts along with Tofu Scramble and Vegan Breakfast Sausage. My family now is very health conscious and avoids oil in our cooking and hash browns are no exception.

Using a panini style press or non-stick electric grill (we use a George Foreman grill), we cook crispy hash browns to perfection without any oil! Also, using this type of grill avoids having to flipping the potatoes halfway through.

Any starchy, grated potatoes will work, though Russet potatoes are most commonly used. I use frozen hash browns that are oil free (most are, but check the ingredients).

Ingredients

Shredded potatoes – frozen hash browns with no additives or fresh shredded russets.
Onion Powder – adds a savoriness.
Garlic Powder – gives additional savoriness.
Salt – for flavor enhancing.
Nutritional Yeast (optional) – provides a bit of umami richness.

How to make Crispy Oil Free Hash Browns

Start by preheating your panini press grill (a non stick waffle iron will also work) to medium heat. Some types of panini type grills (our George Foreman grill for example) slant forward to drain excess grease and oil. We don’t cook anything with oil so I level the grill with spacers (spare plastic lids, etc.) to keep the loose, frozen hash browns from sliding down. Once the potatoes are cooked, they wont slide anymore.

Open a package of frozen oil free hash brown potatoes and place about 10 oz (about 3 cups) in a bowl to mix in seasonings to the shreds (if desired). You may have to first break apart the frozen hash browns if they are in a block.

Frozen hash browns in an electric grill.

Place the seasoned potatoes on the preheated grill. Evenly spread the potato shreds to about a 1″ to 1-1/2″ thickness. Our grill surface measures about 8-1/2″ by 7″. You may have to adjust the amount of potatoes depending on the size and type of grill.

The total cook time is about 15 minutes, checking after about 10 minutes for doneness. Once they are cooked to the desired golden brown crispiness, use a scratchless utensil (plastic or silicone spatula or fork) to remove the hash browns. They may be one large patty depending on how crispy they are. Plate them and enjoy!

Note: You can make homemade hash browns with fresh shredded starchy potatoes (russets or yukon gold potatoes, etc.) using this same method. It is more time consuming than using frozen spuds.

Grate 3 or 4 medium sized potatoes with or without the skin using a flat or box vegetable grater. You can also use a vegetable spiralizer – that produces good results too!

Once you have the shredded potatoes, you will want to soak them in cold water for about 5 to 10 minutes and then rinse them to remove excess starch from the shreds. This will produce crispier hash browns.

Cooking times are similar but make sure to check the potatoes about halfway through and adjust accordingly.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with Vegan Tofu Scramble, Vegan Breakfast Sausage, Vegan Eggs Benedict, or Vegan Frittata! They’re also great topped with some of our Vegan Country Gravy. Breakfasts are better with oil free hash browns, so serve them often!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep the Hash Browns from sticking?

Use a Teflon or ceramic non-stick grill and make sure the potatoes cook long enough to form a crust on the surface.

Can you use fresh potatoes to make Hash Browns?

Yes, you can use any fresh starchy shredded potatoes. Make sure to rinse the shredded potatoes to remove excess starch.

Are Hash Browns Vegan?

Hash Brown potatoes by themselves are vegan.

Hash browns, tofu scramble, and parsley on a white plate with more tofu scramble, gravy, and pepper mill in background.

Here are more oil free vegan breakfast recipes:

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