Big weekend breakfasts are my favorite “me time”. They’re lazy (always in my PJs, always), cozy, relaxed, delicious, and just so much less expensive than going out to brunch. Not to mention, no waiting in line for an open table, being rushed by a harried server, or enormous bill. Lately, I’ve been making these Smoky Roasted Breakfast Potatoes, which I love because oven roasting means they’re hands off so I can tend to other parts of the meal, like getting my eggs just right, and the leftovers are sooooo good later.
So grab a hot cup of coffee, stay in your robe and slippers, turn on some music, and let’s make these awesome potatoes to go with your bacon and eggs!
P.S. These potatoes cook at the same temperature as my oven baked bacon, so you can do both at the same time!
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
Why are they “Breakfast” Potatoes?
Because I’m eating them at breakfast. Ha! Honestly, I would eat or serve these any time of day, but small cubed potatoes are a common side at diners and breakfast joints across the U.S., so I went with the theme. Normally they’re fried (also known as Home Fries) but I prefer to make them in the oven. Not only is it less splattering grease, but they require a lot less attention in the oven, leaving me free to cook my eggs, dance, and enjoy my company.
How to Serve Breakfast Potatoes
Sure, these roasted breakfast potatoes are an easy side with bacon and eggs (a lot of people like to add ketchup, as well), but there’s so much more you can do with them! These simple potatoes make a great base for any number of toppings. You can pile them high with cheese, green onions, crumbled bacon, sour cream, salsa, or just about anything you like on a baked potato. Make a bowl meal out of it, even! They’re inexpensive, versatile, and delish.
If you happen to have a bell pepper in your fridge that needs to be used up, you can also dice that up and add it to the potatoes and onions before roasting. It never hurts to get another vegetable involved.
What Kind of Potatoes are Best?
I definitely prefer russet for these roasted breakfast potatoes. They’re soft on the inside, they crisp up nicely on the outside, and the size and shape makes them easy to dice. Red potatoes would be my second choice, but they do tend to be more dense than russet, so I would only use those if that’s what I had on hand.
See these potatoes used in my Country Breakfast Bowls meal prep!
Smoky Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 lbs. russet potatoes ($1.08)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked black pepper ($0.03)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Wash the potatoes well, then dice them into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Dice the onion into similar sized pieces.
- Add the diced potato and onion to a large bowl along with the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and spices.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes and onions out over the parchment so they are in a single layer.
- Roast the potatoes for 40-60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until they are brown and crispy. Total cooking time will depend on the size of your potato pieces and your personal preference for how brown and crispy you like your potatoes. Taste, and add additional salt if needed.
- Serve hot, with ketchup if desired.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Chef’s Knife
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Roasted Breakfast Potatoes – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. Wash 2 lbs. of russet potatoes (for me, this was three small-ish potatoes). I don’t peel my potatoes because A) I’m too lazy during my weekend breakfasts and B) I like the color and texture the peel provides.
Dice the potatoes into ½ to ¾-inch pieces. Also dice one yellow onion into similar sized pieces.
Add the diced potatoes and onions to a bowl along with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and spices.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment and spread the seasoned potatoes and onions out over the baking sheet so they are in a single layer.
Roast the potatoes in the preheated 400ºF for 40-60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. This is what the potatoes looked like after 20 minutes. They are beginning to soften and look a little less opaque.
This is what the potatoes looked like after 40 minutes. They have a decent amount of brown on them, but I wanted them a little more brown on the edges. The length of the cooking time will depend on the size of your potato pieces and your personal preference.
So I decided to roast my potatoes for an additional 10 minutes, or 50 minutes total. This gave me some really caramelized edges, which I really like, especially on the onions.
Here’s a close up so you can see all the browned goodness. Give your potatoes a taste and add more salt, if needed.
By the time the potatoes are done, the rest of your breakfast should be, too! It’s time to sit down and enjoy the weekend. :)
These are delicious, and SO easy! Crispy on the outside, and pillowy on the inside. I love a big punch of flavor, so I double all the spices, which ends up being just about right. I also roast them for the extra 10 minutes that Beth suggests, which does indeed give them a lovely caramelized edge. I’ve also had success with, once the potatoes have reached the desired level of browning, scattering some shredded cheese overtop and running it under the broiler for a few minutes.
These have been a big hit at work potlucks as well as at home – they can even be made vegan, with vegan cheeze, and my coworkers, vegan and non-vegan alike, absolutely inhaled them.
Love this recipe for the weekends. The onion adds so much flavor. Sometimes I’ll even add a few more spices like turmeric and parsley. Super tasty and healthy!
My favorite potatoes! The house smells divine when these are baking; as they are this morning. My husband doesn’t like chunks of onion, so I substitute onion powder for the onion in the recipe. I typically double the recipe and use the leftovers as the base for southwestern-inspired bowls for dinner. These are so savory and delicious.
I just had these for dinner with some scrambled egg (breakfast foods are good any time). Used smoked garlic powder to and vegetable oil rather than olive. Absolutely banging for something so simple!
This is actually something I basically already make all the time. I usually do a mix of red and sweet potatoes, which are a fun pair. I load them up with chili powder, smoked paprika, and some cumin. I’ve read before that you should boil your diced potatoes first to get a better crispiness and final result, like real restaurant style home fries, but the oven method is so much less work and dishes. I typically make a tofu scramble to go with them and that’s where I put my onions and other veggies. Great recipe to share, hopefully it gets more people to experience the joy of crispy oven potatoes for breakfast.
I look forward to your posts and recipes. They have ingredients that I usually have in my kitchen. Good and simple recipes and ideas that my family enjoys. Thank you. Cindy
Do you know how the time and temp might differ using an air fryer?
Sorry we haven’t tested with an air fryer.
would it freeze ok?
I’m thinking maybe i can make a big batch over the weekend and eat it throughout the week…
Yes I think they would freeze great!
I recently found an enamel over steel roaster at Marshall’s. Made by a British company, it looks like Granite Ware. It does a beautiful job browning roasted vegetables– faster and with better color than my aluminum baking sheets. It looks like Beth bakes with a similar enameled steel pan, but I can’t recall having seen it highlighted on the site.
One of our staples! For dinner I cut them in a slightly larger dice and add diced bell pepper, garlic, and rosemary. But these little breakfast sized ones have lots of uses–toss into a casserole, put into breakfast tacos with scrambled egg–I often add some diced poblano or Anaheim peppers while roasting–load up a fritatta or stick some in a quiche. I haven’t used the smoked paprika yet, but will add it next time. I often use a couple of tablespoons of bacon fat instead of oil. DH’s fave garnish is south Indian style tomato chutney. Terrific leftovers–if your family doesn’t gobble them all up on the spot–they will definitely disappear within several days at our house.
These smoky potatoes looks so fresh and amazing. I’m gonna try it tomorrow in the morning for breakfast.
Just made these and just got done eating them and they were freaking delicious. Full disclosure I asked my hubby to put the bacon in with 20 mins left and when he pulled them out I realized he had just added the bacon directly to the sheet with the potatoes so it also roasted in bacon grease and I’m def not complaining.
DELICIOUS
If I had some leftover baked potatoes, could I use them for this recipe? Maybe just shorten cook time?
Yes you could definitely give it a shot although they may be a little bit grainy.