Garlic Parmesan Hashbrowns
If you think hashbrowns are just a boring side dish you grab from the freezer section at the supermarket, this recipe is about to completely change your perspective. These garlic parmesan hashbrowns are crispy, golden, and shatteringly crunchy on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside, and absolutely packed with flavour from the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and a generous amount of parmesan cheese worked right through the mixture. They are, without any exaggeration, one of the most satisfying things to come out of my kitchen.
Every single bite has this gorgeous savoury, garlicky, slightly smoky flavour with little pockets of parmesan that go golden and nutty during frying. The outside shatters when you bite into it. The inside is soft and wonderful. They’re the kind of thing you make once and then find yourself thinking about for the rest of the week.
These hashbrowns are incredibly versatile. They’re brilliant as a breakfast or brunch side alongside eggs and bacon. They’re a fantastic snack on their own dipped into sour cream, tomato sauce, or aioli. They make an impressive addition to a weekend breakfast spread. They’re even good enough to serve as a starter or finger food at a casual dinner party. Pile them on a board with a few dipping sauces and watch them disappear. And the good news is that the recipe scales up beautifully, so if you’re cooking for a crowd you can simply double or triple the quantities.
A few things to keep in mind before you start. Use starchy potatoes because their high starch content gives you that lovely fluffy interior and helps the hashbrown hold together. The other thing to watch is the oil temperature. You want it at 180°C before the hashbrowns go in — too cool and the hashbrowns will absorb oil and become greasy, too hot and the outside will burn before the inside is properly heated through.
Ingredients
- 5 large starchy potatoes
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Cooking oil, for deep frying
Instructions
1. Prepare and boil the potatoes
Start by peeling all 5 potatoes and cutting them into large chunks. Roughly quarters or sixths depending on the size of the potato. You want the pieces large enough that they won’t fall apart during boiling but small enough that they cook through relatively quickly and evenly. Try to keep the pieces roughly the same size so they all reach that 70% cooked mark at the same time.
Fill a large pot with cold water and add a generous amount of salt. The water should taste properly seasoned, similar to mild seawater. This seasons the potato from the inside as it cooks, which makes a real difference to the overall flavour of the finished hashbrown. Add the potato chunks to the cold water and bring everything up to a boil together over high heat. Starting the potatoes in cold water rather than dropping them into already-boiling water gives them a more even cook from outside to inside.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, cook the potatoes for approximately 7–9 minutes. You’re aiming for about 70% cooked, meaning the outside of each chunk should be soft and just starting to become tender when you poke it with a fork or knife, but the very centre should still feel slightly firm and resistant.
Drain the potatoes immediately and spread them out on a clean plate or tray in a single layer. Do not stack them on top of each other. Leave them to steam dry and cool completely at room temperature. You need the surface moisture to evaporate off the potato before you grate it, because excess moisture in the mixture is the enemy of a crispy hashbrown.
❤️ Tip: The timing for boiling will vary slightly depending on the size of your potato chunks and the variety of potato you’re using. Rather than relying purely on time, test your potatoes by poking the thickest part of a chunk with a small sharp knife or skewer. It should slide in with a little resistance. Not gliding in effortlessly the way a fully cooked potato would, and not bouncing off completely the way a raw one would. That sweet spot of slight resistance is exactly where you want to be. When in doubt, it’s much better to undercook slightly than overcook at this stage.
2. Grate the potatoes and add seasonings
Once the potato chunks are completely cool to the touch, use a box grater to grate them into a large mixing bowl. Hold each chunk firmly and grate with long, even strokes.
In the large mixing bowl, crack in 1 egg. Add 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp corn starch, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tbsp black pepper, and salt to taste. Using your hands or a large spoon, mix everything together thoroughly until all the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the potato mixture and there are no dry pockets of spice or starch hiding in the mixture.
Taste a small pinch of the raw mixture at this point to check the seasoning. Keeping in mind you’ll be tasting raw egg, so just a very small pinch is fine. The mixture should taste well-seasoned and flavourful. If it needs more salt, add it now. If you want more garlic flavour, add a little more garlic powder. It’s much easier to adjust the seasoning at this stage than after frying.
3. Shape the hashbrowns
Lightly oil your hands with a small amount of cooking oil. Just enough to prevent the mixture from sticking to your palms. Take a generous handful of the potato mixture and press it firmly together in your palms, compacting it as much as possible. Then shape it into an oval shape, similar to the classic hashbrown shape you’d get from a fast food restaurant. Press the edges together firmly and smooth out any cracks on the surface.
Place each shaped hashbrown onto a flat plate or tray lined with baking paper as you go. The baking paper prevents them from sticking to the surface, which is important because you’ll be moving them from the tray to the freezer and eventually to the frying oil.
Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Depending on how large you make them, you should get approximately 8-10 hashbrowns from this quantity of mixture.
❤️ Tip: Oil your hands generously and re-oil them between each hashbrown. The mixture is sticky and oiled hands make shaping so much easier and give you a smoother, neater surface on the outside of each hashbrown. Press each one quite firmly as you shape it. A compact, well-pressed hashbrown holds together much better during frying than a loosely shaped one. Any cracks on the surface should be smoothed over with your fingers before freezing.
4. Freeze the shaped hashbrowns
Place the tray of shaped hashbrowns into the freezer and leave them for 20–30 minutes, or until they feel noticeably firm and solid to the touch on the outside. They don’t need to be frozen all the way through. Just firm enough that they hold their shape confidently and feel solid rather than soft and squishy when you pick them up.
Use this waiting time productively. Set up your frying station, heat your oil, and get your draining rack or paper towel lined plate ready.
❤️ Tip: Don’t skip the freezing step. It’s genuinely one of the most important steps in the whole recipe. Chilling the hashbrowns firms up the mixture significantly, which means they slide into the hot oil and hold their shape perfectly rather than softening and spreading out or falling apart. The dramatic temperature difference between the cold hashbrown and the hot oil also helps drive moisture out of the surface very quickly, which is a key factor in achieving that incredible shattering crispy crust. Even 20 minutes makes a very significant difference.
5. Fry the hashbrowns
Pour enough cooking oil into a deep pan, wok, or small saucepan to allow the hashbrowns to be fully submerged. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 180°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature by dropping a small pinch of the potato mixture into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and vigorously and floats to the surface, the oil is ready. If it sinks and does nothing, the oil is too cold. If it immediately turns very dark, the oil is too hot.
Carefully lower the hashbrowns into the hot oil one at a time using a slotted spoon or tongs. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches of 2–3 at most depending on the size of your pan. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature significantly and leads to greasy, soggy hashbrowns rather than crispy ones.
Fry for about 3–4 minutes on the first side without moving them, until the bottom is deeply golden brown and very crispy. Then carefully flip each hashbrown using a slotted spoon or tongs and fry for another 3–4 minutes on the second side until equally golden and crispy all over. The finished hashbrowns should be a deep, uniform golden brown on both sides with a very crispy, almost crunchy surface.
Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towel.
❤️ Tip: Maintaining the oil temperature throughout frying is really important. Every time you add a cold hashbrown to the oil, the temperature drops. If you’re frying in batches, give the oil a minute or two to come back up to temperature between batches before adding the next ones. An oil thermometer is genuinely worth having for deep frying. It takes all the guesswork out and gives you consistently perfect results every single time.
6. Serve immediately
These hashbrowns are at their absolute best eaten immediately while they’re piping hot and at peak crispiness. Serve them as they are with a dipping sauce on the side. Sour cream, aioli, tomato sauce, or sweet chilli sauce all work brilliantly. For a breakfast spread, serve alongside fried or poached eggs, crispy bacon, and grilled tomatoes. For a snack or starter, pile them on a board with a selection of dipping sauces.
❤️ Tip: If you need to keep the hashbrowns warm while you fry the remaining batches, place them on a wire rack set over a baking tray in a 120°C oven. Using a wire rack rather than placing them directly on the tray means air can circulate underneath and the bottom stays crispy rather than going soft and soggy from the steam. Never stack hot hashbrowns on top of each other as the steam gets trapped between them and the crust softens very quickly.
Extra Tips
1. Make ahead and freeze
These hashbrowns are brilliant for meal prep. After shaping them, instead of just freezing for 20–30 minutes, freeze them fully on the tray until solid, then transfer to a zip-lock bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you want them, fry them directly from frozen. Just add an extra 2–3 minutes to the frying time per side. Having a stash of these in the freezer means you’re always just minutes away from the most incredible crispy hashbrown whenever the craving hits.
2. Oil temperature
Getting the oil to the right temperature before adding the hashbrowns is non-negotiable for a crispy result. Too cool and the hashbrowns absorb oil and become heavy and greasy. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside heats through. 180°C is the sweet spot. An inexpensive cooking thermometer is one of the most useful tools you can have in your kitchen for deep frying. It takes all the guesswork out completely and is worth every cent.
3. Serving suggestions and dipping sauces
These hashbrowns are absolutely delicious on their own, but the right dipping sauce takes them to another level entirely. Sour cream with a little chives stirred through is a classic and always works. Aioli, especially garlic aioli, is incredible with the parmesan and garlic flavours in the hashbrown. Sweet chilli sauce adds a lovely contrast of heat and sweetness. A smoky chipotle mayo is also absolutely wonderful. For a full breakfast plate, serve alongside poached or fried eggs, crispy bacon, grilled cherry tomatoes, and avocado for something that looks and tastes genuinely impressive.
Garlic Parmesan Hashbrowns
Ingredients
- 5 large starchy potatoes
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Cooking oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Prepare and boil the potatoes: Peel 5 large potatoes and cut into large, even chunks. Add to a large pot of cold, well-salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cook for 7–9 minutes until about 70% cooked. Drain immediately and spread in a single layer on a tray. Leave to steam dry and cool completely at room temperature before grating.
- Grate the potatoes and add seasonings: Once completely cool, grate all potato chunks by using a box grater into a large mixing bowl. Crack in 1 egg. Add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp corn starch, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tbsp black pepper, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined. Taste a small pinch and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Shape the hashbrowns: Lightly oil your hands with cooking oil. Take a generous handful of mixture and press firmly together in your palms, then shape into an oval. Press edges firmly and smooth any cracks. Place on a baking paper-lined tray.
- Freeze the shaped hashbrowns: Place the tray in the freezer for 20–30 minutes until the hashbrowns feel noticeably firm and solid on the outside. They don't need to be frozen solid all the way through. Just firm enough to hold their shape confidently. Use this time to set up your frying station and heat your oil.
- Fry the hashbrowns: Heat enough cooking oil in a deep pan or wok to fully submerge the hashbrowns to 180°C. Carefully lower hashbrowns into the oil one at a time in batches of 2–3. Fry for 3–4 minutes on the first side without moving until deeply golden brown. Flip carefully and fry for another 3–4 minutes until equally golden and crispy all over. Remove and drain on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve immediately: Serve hot with dipping sauces of your choice. Sour cream, aioli, tomato sauce, or sweet chilli sauce all work beautifully. For a breakfast plate, serve alongside eggs, crispy bacon, and grilled tomatoes.
Notes
- Make ahead and freeze for later: After shaping, freeze fully on the tray until solid, then transfer to a zip-lock bag or airtight container for up to 1 month. Fry directly from frozen, adding an extra 2–3 minutes per side.
- Oil temperature: 180°C is the sweet spot. Too cool and the hashbrowns absorb oil and go greasy, too hot and the outside burns before the inside heats through. An inexpensive cooking thermometer takes all the guesswork out completely.
- Serving suggestions and dipping sauces: Sour cream with chives, garlic aioli, sweet chilli sauce, or smoky chipotle mayo all work brilliantly. For a full breakfast plate, serve alongside poached or fried eggs, crispy bacon, grilled cherry tomatoes, and avocado.
