These crispy vegan hash browns are done using only 3 simple ingredients and make for a tasty side dish for breakfast or even dinner. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Made without eggs and fully dairy-free and plant-based.
A pile of homemade vegan hash browns for breakfast? It does not get much better than that! Pair them with a savory silken tofu scramble for the most amazing vegan brunch meal.
You do need some time to shred, rinse and fry the potatoes, so keep this recipe in mind for slow lazy mornings. But once you try them, I bet you will want to make them every weekend.
I have learned that doubling this recipe is always better so we don't have to fight over them. They are SO delicious!
We absolutely love their crispy crust hiding a tender savory potato center. And look at that stringy middle texture, super fun and satisfying.
I have made multiple attempts to this recipe as I was looking for a grab-able kind of patty. The one you can just grab and go, Mc Donald's style, as opposed to a pile of cooked shredded potatoes on your plate. Just so you can dip the patty in a sauce. We are all about dip-able finger foods in this house.
Well, I am more than happy with the result! My potato-obsessed husband says so too, after hiding them away from the kids (literally).
They are an American version of potato latkes and pretty much look like potato fritters. We love them with ketchup or any sauce really, they are such a tasty treat!
This recipe really is all about the way you handle the potatoes. They only require 3 common ingredients that I am sure you already have on hand, but to reach a crispy hash brown patty, the potatoes will need to be shredded, then quickly soaked and rinsed, then patted dry before shaping them. This allows to remove some of their starches, which helps them crisp nicely. It is an easy and quick step, but don't skip it!
Are hash browns already naturally vegan?
I wondered this before writing the post, pondering if it is necessary or redundant to add "vegan" before "hash browns".
Although most of the time hash browns are fully plant-based, I found many popular recipes that were actually including eggs to help bind the shredded potatoes. Probably to also add more flavor and a fluffier middle texture too.
Mc Donald's hash browns also aren't vegan (not that this is surprising at all). They do not contain eggs, but includes some milk products as part of a beef flavoring ingredient.
Want to ensure your hash browns are vegan? Then, learn how to make your own!
What's to love about them
- Easy
- Flavorful
- Dairy-free, egg-free and fully plant-based
- Tasty way to enjoy potatoes
- Perfect for breakfast and brunch, but also makes for a yummy side dish
- Healthier recipe
Ingredients you'll need
- Potatoes: I experimented with a few kinds of potatoes and found that Russet potatoes gave me the best result (crispier). You could make them with other kind of potatoes, especially Yukon, but try to choose a starchy kind of potato that contains less water. If you do choose a potato other than Russet or Yukon, then you might consider adding a little more flour to help absorb the extra water.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour.
- Fresh chives: I tried with dried chives and it worked out well too. Swap for green onion for a similar result, but stronger pungent flavor.
How to make them
Prepare the potatoes
Start by peeling the potatoes and shredding them. Use a box grater on the small holes side so you can finely shred them. This is important for best texture.
Then, transfer the shredded potatoes to a large bowl and generously cover with cold water. Stir the potatoes around and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.
Then, drain in a fine mesh colander and rinse them. Keep rinsing until the water that comes out is clear.
Transfer the drained potatoes over a clean towel, lift the corners, twist the bottom to lock the potatoes in and press to remove as much water as you can.
Combine
Transfer the cleaned and dry potatoes in a medium size bowl. Add the flour, chives, salt and stir well. Use your fingers to help combine the mixture as the potatoes tend to clump together.
Pan-fry
Warm up a large non-stick pan over medium heat. I like to spray a little oil over, but that's optional. Know that if you make them completely oil-free, they might not brown much and won't turn as crispy, which is fine!
While your pan is warming up, divid the potato mixture into 5 equal balls. Then, I like to use a cookie cutter to shape them in circles of about ¼-1/2 inch thick. Don't make them too thick or the middle might not cook properly and don't over press them either.
Let them cook for about 5 minutes before flipping them (have a sneak peek under to see when they turned golden brown). Then cook for 5 more minutes.
Serve right away with the dipping sauce of your choice.
Watch how to make them
Cooking tips
- I highly recommend that you use the SMALL HOLES on your box grater. It gives a creamy and tender middle and helps the potatoes cook properly too. It also helps have a more compact consistency, which makes sure you end up with patties you can grab-and-go. That's why I recommend you use a box grater as opposed to shredding them using your food processor.
- As you may notice in my video, my potatoes turned brown quickly after shredded. This is normal and happens after contact with ambient air. Mine are actually pretty brown because I have more steps/wait time as I am taking pictures and a video, so you might not see yours turn brown if you just go ahead and make the recipe as described. Know that even if it turns brown, the flavor is exactly the same and the brownish coloration mostly goes away as you rinse the potatoes.
- For extra crispy potatoes, be sure to squeeze as much water as you can!
- If you don't have a cookie cutter, then simply press on your ball of flour-potatoes with the bottom of a glass. The shape won't be as perfectly round, but it still will work well.
- If you double the recipe and need to cook them in a few batches, then keep your first batch in a pre-heated oven (200º) until the second batch is ready.
Variations to the recipe
Hash browns are typically not overly flavored, so I kept my recipe pretty conservative with adding only some chives and salt. BUT, you can really go to town and flavor them just the way you want.
Try adding some garlic (fresh or powder), onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, dried herbs such a basil or parsley. Or even, make them a little spicy with cayenne or red pepper flakes. Also, just like I did in my vegan zucchini fritters recipe, feel free to add tons of fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, dill or even mint to really boost the flavor.
I haven't tried combining them with other veggies, but I suspect that a little shredded carrots or zucchini (squeeze water out first) would also add color and flavor.
Serving suggestions
Serve these hash browns with a side of ketchup and they will be gone within minutes.
They also pair well with regular vegan mayo or try with my cashew mayo. Other great pairings include vegan chipotle sauce, spicy sriracha mayo, vegan cashew ricotta, etc.
Include these hash browns part of your next brunch. They go well with silken tofu scramble, vegan spinach quiche, breakfast sandwiches, etc.
Hash browns are not only perfect for breakfast. They also serve well as a side dish to a hearty meal such as a vegan tempeh beef stew, vegan lentil meatloaf, or with a mushroom corn saucy stroganoff. Also goes well with vegan chickpea oat burgers and veggies.
Storage tips
Leftover hash browns store pretty well, although won't stay very crispy after chilled. To reheat, warm them up for a few minutes on each sides in a pan (which could revive some of their crispiness) or use the microwave, although they will definitely be different in texture.
I haven't tried freezing them, but I'm thinking it might work. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pan.
FAQ's
I haven't tried it, but this 1:1 gluten-free flour from King Arthur should work well. I would not use other types of gluten-free flour such as almond or coconut flour though. I'm thinking that chickpea flour should work too. If you do try them gluten-free, please leave a comment below to let us know how they came out!
You can, but I find the result better when pan-fried as they get crispier. It also is quicker to pan-fry them opposed to oven-baked. But if you wanted to try making them in the oven, then I would bake at 375º for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown, flipping them halfway through. Watch them carefully, you will have to subjectively adjust cooking time!
Other potato recipes you might like
- Spinach and potato soup
- Vegan lentil shepherd's pie
- Potato veggie croquettes
- Mashed potato stuffed mushrooms
- Lemon miso roasted potatoes
- Mexican style baked potatoes
- Chunky leek and potato soup
- Vegan white queso sauce
I hope you like these vegan hash browns as much as we do! If you try them, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how they were. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Hash Browns
Ingredients
- 2 cups Russet potatoes (Yukon works too) - peeled and finely grated (I used the small holes setting on my box grater)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp fresh chives - or green onions
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Start by peeling the potatoes and then shred them using the small hole setting on your box grater. Then, soak the grated potatoes in plenty of cold water for about 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a fine-mesh colander and keep rinsing until the water comes out clear.
- Transfer the drained potatoes over a clean towel, lift the corners and twist the bottom to lock the potatoes. Then, squeeze to remove as much water as you can by twisting/pressing on the potatoes.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the flour, chives and salt. Stir well making sure to break up all the clumps of potatoes.
- Then, divide in 5 equal balls by gently pressing the mixture in between your fingers.
- Warm up a large non-stick pan over medium heat. If you want the hash browns to turn golden brown and get crispier, then add a little oil first (I like to use an oil spray so I don't add too much), but that's optional.
- Transfer the balls of potatoes on the warmed up pan and gently press using the bottom of a glass or even better, use a cookie cutter to shape them in nice circles. Aim for thickness of about ¼-½ inch.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 4-5 more minutes (have a sneak peek under to see when they look golden brown and crispy, then flip!).
- Serve warm with a side sauce such as ketchup, chipotle sauce, cashew mayo or spicy sriracha mayo.
Video
Notes
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 3-4 days. They will get softer as they rest/chill. Reheat in a pan for a few minutes on each sides or until warmed up.
- If you want to double the recipe, then you might want to cook them in 2 batches. In that case, pre-heat the oven to 200º and keep the first batch of hash browns in the heated oven while making the second batch.
- I highly recommend to finely grate the potatoes. That's why I recommend to use the small holes on a box grater and avoid shredding using your food processor, which would give larger shreds.
- You can add more flavor to your hash browns! Try adding some paprika or smoked paprika, onion or garlic powder, fresh crushed garlic, cayenne or red pepper flakes, etc.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving (in this case, without cooking oil) provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
NUTRITION
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Amazing recipe, these are so good. Made them for brunch and everyone loved them!
oh, this is great! 😊