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4.9 from 21 votes

Fried Potatoes and Eggs

This fried potatoes and eggs breakfast recipe makes an easy, healthy, skillet breakfast or supper that's almost a casserole. It's essentially just scrambled eggs and home fries in olive oil. And rest assured, it'll be accompanied by requests for seconds.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 281 kcal
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces red potatoes (4 small or 2 medium), scrubbed
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Generous pinch dried herbs or spices such as oregano, basil, Italian herbs, tarragon, thyme, herbes de Provence, paprika, or ground cumin (optional)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 scallion thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup grated or crumbled cheese such as aged or extra-sharp Cheddar, pepper Jack, feta, goat cheese, Gruyère, aged Swiss, provolone, or regular or smoked mozzarella
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as basil, flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, or dill (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Dice the potatoes into evenly sized and fairly small (although not super tiny) dice. You want them small enough so they more or less fit in a single layer in an 8-inch nonstick skillet and will cook quickly. Aim for about 1/2-inch dice—no larger.
  2. Place the potatoes in the skillet and add the water, oil, and salt and crank the heat to medium-high. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly, cover, and set a timer for 5 minutes. Let the potatoes cook, stirring once or twice if you think of it, while you prep the rest of your ingredients. By the end of the 5 minutes, the water should have just evaporated, and the potatoes should be barely tender and maybe even have started to brown a little.
  3. Uncover the potatoes and use a spatula to loosen them from the skillet. Cover again and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 2 to 5 minutes. If using dried herbs/spices, sprinkle them over the potatoes now.
  4. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
  5. Pour the eggs over the browned potatoes, strew with the scallion, and scramble until the eggs are just set, maybe a minute or so.
  6. Sprinkle the eggs and potatoes with the cheese and fresh herbs, remove the skillet from the heat, and let the whole shebang rest for a few minutes until the residual heat melts the cheese and finishes cooking the eggs. (If you're in a hurry and don't mind losing a little crispness on the potatoes, you can cover the skillet so the cheese melts more quickly and evenly.)
  7. Scoop the mess of fried potatoes and eggs from the skillet and onto plates. Pass the forks.

Notes

  • Fried Potatoes and Eggs Stir-Ins
  • Sure, you can ad hoc any combination of ingredients, but sometimes you want something certain to work. That would be these combinations of stir-ins: Pepper Jack and cilantro Feta and oregano Goat cheese and thyme Extra-sharp Cheddar and dill Gruyère and tarragon Provolone and Italian herbs Swiss and paprika
  • Fried Potatoes and Eggs for a Crowd
  • No matter which flavor combo you opt for above, this dish is easy to double to serve 4 for brunch or a light dinner. Just double the ingredients and use a 10-inch skillet instead. Or double the doubled recipe and grab a second 10-inch skillet and you’ve got breakfast for a crowd.
  • Scallion-less Fried Potatoes and Eggs
  • You can omit the scallion if you like. No tears, no funky breath. Just keep in mind that this early-morning allium imparts great color and flavor to the rather monochromatic plate of fried potatoes and eggs.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1portion Calories 281kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 15g (5%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 299mg (100%) Sodium 533mg (22%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 281

% Daily Value*

Serving 1portion
Calories 281kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 299mg 100%
Sodium 533mg 22%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.