Ina Garten’s Crispy Waffle Iron Hash Browns Recipe

Waffle iron hash browns transform ordinary potatoes into a crispy, golden-brown culinary marvel that captures attention from the first sizzling moment.

Unexpected kitchen techniques can revolutionize traditional breakfast preparations with surprising results.

These delectable potato creations offer a delightful twist on classic morning fare.

Smart cooks understand that creative cooking methods unlock extraordinary textures and flavors.

Crisp edges and tender interiors create a perfect balance of crunch and softness that delights breakfast enthusiasts.

Home chefs can elevate their morning meal with this innovative approach to preparing potatoes.

Simple ingredients combined with clever technique make this dish a game-changing breakfast experience: get ready to impress everyone at the table.

Waffle Iron Hash Browns You’ll Crave

• Crisp Up Perfectly: Waffle irons create an incredible golden-brown exterior with maximum crunchiness, transforming traditional hash browns into an exciting texture adventure.
• Effortless Cooking Technique: The waffle iron method simplifies potato cooking, eliminating complicated flipping and ensuring even browning without constant monitoring, making breakfast preparation stress-free and enjoyable.
• Versatile Breakfast Star: These hash browns work brilliantly as a standalone dish or accompaniment to eggs, bacon, or morning favorites, offering restaurant-quality results right in your kitchen with minimal professional cooking skills required.
• Moisture-Mastery Magic: The clever towel-squeezing technique removes excess liquid, guaranteeing hash browns that are wonderfully crispy instead of soggy, ensuring a delightful eating experience every single time.

What You’ll Need for Crispy Hash Browns

• Russet Potatoes: Starchy potatoes perfect for crispy hash browns with excellent grating texture.
• Yellow Onion: Adds sweet and savory depth to the potato mixture with subtle flavor enhancement.

• Large Egg: Helps bind the potato mixture and provides structure to the hash browns.
• All-Purpose Flour: Creates crispiness and helps hold the hash browns together.

• Unsalted Butter: Provides rich flavor and helps create golden, crispy exterior.
• Kosher Salt: Enhances overall seasoning and brings out potato flavor.
• Black Pepper: Adds warm, slight heat and complementary spice to the dish.

Making Hash Browns in the Waffle Iron

Step 1: Prepare Kitchen Gear

Grab your waffle iron and baking sheet. Set waffle iron to medium-high heat and preheat oven to 250°F.

Step 2: Shred Potatoes

Use a food processor or box grater to transform potatoes into delicate shreds. Spread shredded potatoes on a clean kitchen towel.

Step 3: Remove Potato Moisture

Roll towel tightly and press firmly, extracting excess liquid. Transfer potato shreds to a mixing bowl.

Step 4: Incorporate Onion

Grate onion and squeeze out moisture. Mix onion with potato shreds.

Step 5: Create Flavor Base

• Melted butter
• Beaten egg
• Flour
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

Blend ingredients thoroughly with a fork.

Step 6: Waffle Potato Cooking

Generously butter waffle iron surfaces. Spread potato mixture evenly across waffle sections. Cook 5-10 minutes until golden and crispy.

Step 7: Maintain Warmth

Transfer completed hash browns to parchment-lined baking sheet. Keep warm in oven up to 30 minutes.

Step 8: Serve And Enjoy

Repeat cooking process until all mixture is used. Arrange hash browns on serving platter. Sprinkle with extra salt. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.

Tips for That Golden Crunch

• Moisture Matters: Pat those shredded potatoes bone-dry with paper towels to guarantee maximum crispiness and prevent a soggy breakfast disaster.
• Onion Magic: Grate the onion super fine to distribute flavor evenly without overwhelming the delicate potato texture.
• Butter Your Way to Perfection: Generously brush melted butter on the waffle iron to create a golden, crisp exterior that'll make your taste buds dance.
• Space Equals Crisp: Give each hash brown breathing room in the waffle iron, ensuring even cooking and those delightful crunchy edges.
• Warmth Preservation Trick: Transfer finished hash browns to a low-temperature oven to maintain their perfect crispness while you cook the remaining batches.

How to Store Leftover Hash Browns

• Freeze Flat: Prevent soggy hash browns by spreading them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Quick-freeze for 1-2 hours before transferring to a freezer bag, preserving their crispy texture for up to 3 months. Label the bag with the date to track freshness.
• Vacuum Seal: Maximize storage life by using a vacuum sealer to remove air completely. This method prevents freezer burn and maintains the hash browns' original flavor and crunch. Store sealed packets for up to 4 months in the freezer.
• Portion Control: Separate hash browns into individual servings before storing. Wrap each portion in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, making reheating and portioning a breeze. Stack wrapped portions in a freezer container to save space and ensure easy grab-and-go meals.

Flavor Ideas for Hash Brown Upgrades

• Cheese Lover's Hash Browns: Sprinkle shredded cheddar or parmesan cheese over the potato mixture before cooking in the waffle iron for a melty, golden-brown finish.
• Herb-Infused Edition: Mix in fresh chopped chives, rosemary, or thyme to the potato mixture for an aromatic and flavorful upgrade to the classic recipe.
• Spicy Southwest Style: Add diced jalapeños, a pinch of smoked paprika, and a dash of cayenne pepper to give the hash browns a zesty kick and vibrant flavor profile.
• Bacon and Green Onion Crunch: Fold in crispy crumbled bacon bits and thinly sliced green onions to create a savory, textured version of the original hash browns.

Hash Brown Close-Out Notes

Crispy, golden waffle iron hash browns elevate breakfast from ordinary to extraordinary.

Ina Garten’s innovative technique transforms simple potatoes into irrestic culinary magic.

Perfectly seasoned and beautifully textured, these hash browns promise a delightful morning experience.

Kitchen maestros can recreate this restaurant-quality dish with minimal effort and maximum flavor.

Breakfast enthusiasts will adore this clever twist on classic potato preparations.

Grab your waffle iron, rally your ingredients, and let culinary creativity shine – you’ll want to snap a photo, share this recipe with friends, tag fellow food adventurers, and spark breakfast inspiration across social networks.

Ina Garten Waffle Iron Hash Browns Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 24 reviews

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Crispy Ina Garten Waffle Iron Hash Browns deliver golden potato perfection straight from a beloved kitchen hack. Garten’s clever technique turns classic shredded potatoes into irresistible breakfast magic that will make weekend mornings feel deliciously special.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds (680 grams) russet (baking) potatoes, peeled
• 1 medium yellow onion

Binding/Coating Ingredients:

• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Seasoning and Cooking Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) melted butter, plus extra for the waffle iron
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Fire up the oven to 120°C / 250°F and activate the waffle iron at medium-high temperature, ensuring even heating surfaces.
2. Pulverize potatoes using a food processor’s grating disk or traditional box grater, distributing shredded contents across a pristine kitchen towel.
3. Compress the potato shreds tightly within the towel, applying firm pressure to extract excess moisture without fragmenting the delicate potato strands.
4. Reduce onion to fine shreds, drain moisture using identical towel technique, then incorporate into potato mixture.
5. Introduce melted butter, whisked egg, all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper into the potato-onion blend, amalgamating thoroughly with a fork until uniform consistency emerges.
6. Generously coat waffle iron surfaces with melted butter, distributing approximately 80 milliliters / ⅓ cup potato mixture across each compartment, using fork to spread evenly and achieve maximum crispiness.
7. Monitor cooking process, allowing 5 to 10 minutes until potato waffles transform into golden-brown, crisp delicacies with perfectly caramelized edges.
8. Transfer initially prepared waffles to parchment-lined sheet pan, positioned browned-side upward, maintaining warmth in preheated oven for optimal serving temperature.
9. Complete remaining batches, yielding 8 total hash brown waffles, presenting on an elegant platter with additional salt sprinkled for enhanced flavor profile.

Notes

• Butter’s magic touch prevents sticking and ensures even golden-brown crispiness across every waffle-pressed potato.
• Squeeze excess moisture from shredded potatoes to guarantee a crunchy, never-soggy texture that’s irresistibly satisfying.
• Finely grated onions seamlessly blend with potatoes, delivering subtle yet robust flavor without overwhelming the dish.
• Spread potato mixture evenly inside the waffle iron, allowing each section to cook uniformly and develop perfect crispy edges.
• Transferred hash browns maintain their crispness when placed in a warm oven, ready to serve at peak deliciousness.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Breakfast, Snacks
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 of 4 servings
• Calories: 222
• Sugar: 2.7g
• Sodium: 156mg
• Fat: 7.4g
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 33.2g
• Fiber: 4.3g
• Protein: 5.8g
• Cholesterol: 41mg