A good waffle iron can do so much more than just make waffles. A waffle iron also works surprisingly well for making hash brown potatoes. The reason is that the waffle pattern provides a large cooking surface area and that means more room to make the waffle iron hash brown potatoes nice and crispy.
I also use my Belgian waffle iron to make unbelievable grilled cheese sandwiches with fresh, thick cut sourdough bread. Let's just say, there are a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches made in my kitchen.
In this post, I will show you how easy it is to these extra crispy hash browns.
Try my other recipes for Easy Low-Carb Crustless Quiche Lorraine, Huevos Rancheros and Homemade Applewood Smoked Bacon.
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Ingredients
- Russet potatoes
- Yellow onion
- Red bell pepper
- Green onion
- Butter
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cooking spray
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Rinse the Potatoes
Russet potatoes work well for waffle iron hash browns but they are full of starch. If you don't soak them in cold water before cooking, the hash browns will come out gummy and sticky. Rinsing the potatoes in cold water, then draining and patting them dry only takes a few minutes and makes a big difference in the hash browns.
Grate the potatoes using a cheese grater.
Soak the shredded potatoes in cold water then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Mix the vegetables with the drained hash browns.
Add the hash browns to the hot waffle iron, close the lid and cook for 12 - 15 minutes.
Potatoes just take a long time to cook. Cooking hash browns in a waffle iron is a little faster than cooking in a frying pan. In a frying pan, you have to turn the potatoes over halfway through cooking. When you use a waffle iron, the potatoes are cooking from both sides, thereby removing the need to flip the potatoes.
The center of the potatoes need to cook before you actually open the waffle iron. If they don't, you will find that when you open the waffle iron the potatoes will split down the middle leaving half of the potatoes stuck in each side of the waffle iron.
Variations
In this recipe, I added yellow onion, red bell pepper and green onion tops to give them some flavor. Other options include diced jalapeño peppers, Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers, green bell pepper and shallots.
Equipment
The hash browns in this recipe were made in a Belgian waffle iron. A traditional waffle iron could also be used, but it will have less surface area meaning the hash browns may need more time to become crispy.
Storage
Store leftover hash browns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
Top Tip
Spray the waffle iron with a little cooking spray before adding the potatoes. It will make clean up a lot easier.
Final Thoughts
Delicious, crispy hash brown potatoes are easy to make in a waffle iron. Enjoy!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
📖 Recipe
Waffle Iron Hash Browns Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Belgian Waffle Maker
Ingredients
- 2 russet potatoes large
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ½ cup green onion tops
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon cooking spray
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron to 350˚F. Peel the potatoes and grate them on a box grater using the largest setting.
- Soak the potatoes in cold water for a few minutes. Swish them around and drain them when the water gets cloudy. Repeat with fresh water.
- Drain the potatoes and press out any remaining water with paper towels. Add the onion, bell pepper and green onion tops. Mix well.
- Add the butter and mix well.
- Spray the waffle iron with a light coat of cooking spray. Add the potato mixture and press into the waffle iron. Do not overfill. Remember, this is not batter and there is nowhere for excess potatoes to go.
- Close the waffle iron and cook about 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Don't open the waffle iron too soon or the hash browns will tear and get stuck in the waffle iron. If this happens, loosen the hash browns with a chopstick and they will come right out.
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