Home fries (chunky potato fries) are a wonderful addition to so many meals and in some cases, can be the primary ingredient that you build a dish around. For example, this Southwestern Pileup uses a skillet of potato fries to support a mix of vegetables and proteins, and your choice of red or green chile.
Home fries make a complement side to huevos rancheros, migas or a meat entree’ like green chile cheeseburgers, pulled pork or smoked brisket. And if you aren’t a fan of white or yellow potatoes, then never hesitate to use sweet potatoes. They make a great substitute for the hash browns in this sweet potato and green chile dish.
Because of their versatility, this type of potato fries should be a standard, go-to dish for any home cook. Everyone loves them, and your family will love you even more for making them. In this post, I’ll share with you how I make home fries. There is no parboiling, microwaving, or prep other than to chop, throw in a skillet, and season. It’s an easy method for making a very tasty dish and only messes up one skillet, which for me, is important.
Stovetop Home Fries
A quick and easy method for cooking home fries on the stovetop.
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 1 pound organic potatoes*, wash, scrubbed, and cut into small cubes
- 1 Tbsp. butter*
- 1 tsp. oil
- 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper or to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Cut the potatoes into small cubes (about 1/2″).
- In a large skillet*, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until the butter has melted.
- Add the potatoes, salt and pepper. Using a spatula, toss the potatoes around in the pan to coat them with the butter and seasoning.
Spread the potatoes evenly across the pan. Cover over medium to medium high heat* and cook for 2 minutes. Stir, cover and cook another 2 minutes. Continue to cook the potatoes covered until they are “just” tender. Depending on the type of potatoes, this could take 10 – 15 minutes. I find that yellow potatoes cook faster than red one.
- Remove the cover and increase the heat to medium high. Cook the potatoes for 2 minutes, then FLIP the potatoes. Continue cooking and flipping until the potatoes are crispy brown, but not dry. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, toss with parsley (if using) and serve.
Potatoes – Because I only use organic potatoes, I never peel – just wash and scrub. You can use just about any type of potatoes, but I prefer yellow or red potatoes. Sometimes I’ll get adventurous and use a mix of potatoes, including sweet potatoes.
Butter – If you don’t want to use butter, then substitute with a mild olive oil or non-dairy substitute of your choice. For those of you who aren’t oppose to bacon drippings, a teaspoon or two of drippings in place of some of the butter adds a bit of a bacon flavor to fries.
Cooking Temperature – Medium or medium high is dependent upon the size burner. For a big skillet, I use a large diameter burner at medium. This keeps the potatoes from browning too fast before they are done. Once I remove the cover, I’ll turn the heat up to medium heat to finishing browning.
Below is a quick brunch that I love to make.
Breakfast Fries with Roasted Green Chile
- Cook up a batch of home fries (recipe above).
- Add some roasted red/green chile, sliced olives, and parsley. Stir to combine and then cook for about a minute.
- Top with grated cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack). Remove from heat and cover.
- Fry an egg sunny-side up or over easy and place on top of fries.
- Enjoy for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
If you don’t have roasted green chile, you can always substitute red chile sauce or your favorite salsa.
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We do stovetop fries every now and then and love them. I love the sound of the fries with the roasted green chile, that sounds right up my alley.
Oh yeh…you know the green chile is a wonderful addition. 🙂 Thanks!
Oh your potato fries look perfectly cooked! I like some crunch and color on mine and I can imagine all kinds of dips with it. In Austria we have a dish, which is more like a poor farmers food. It’s potato fries with bacon mixed in and a egg fried cooked on top. Your fries reminded me of our home food now. 🙂
Thanks so much Helene! That’s the awesome things about home fries…they make so many excellent dishes! Love the addition of bacon and an egg on top!
MJ…I love potatoes in any form, but especially home fries! Love this quick and easy recipe. Perfect for any meal of the day!
Thanks so much Anne!
If I had to choose one food to exist on I might choose home fries! I love potatoes, but home fries are my fave. In fact I’d be happy to sample every version out there! Pass the potatoes, please!
Agreed! When potatoes are on sale, we make A LOT of home fries. 🙂
These babies pretty much pair nicely with EVERYTHING! Seriously, everything. I cannot name one thing that potatoes wouldn’t taste amazing with!
Totally agree Gigi! We always have potatoes in the pantry. Thanks!
I adore poatoes in any shape or form. I love the sound of these fries with the green chile and egg! It’s making my stomach rumble to read the recipe, even though I’ve just had lunch. 🙂
Thanks so much Lisa! Green chile and eggs is a fabulous combo!
I love, love, love home fries (OK, well, I basically love all potatoes haha). They are so perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
I’m with you on loving all potatoes!!! Thanks Amy!
Potatoes are an indispensable ingredient in my house, rather in most Indian kitchens. My daughter will love these home fries, so easy to make and so yum!
I didn’t realize that potatoes were so widely used in Indian kitchens. Good to know. I have seen them used in your flatbreads which is something I plan to make soon. Hope you enjoy these home fries!
Home fries is sort of my go-to dish when I have leftover potatoes and have no idea what to do with them. I am also a big fan of using bacon dripping (or some other rendered fat). Love the green chile brunch idea and can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Yi! Yep, the bacon drippings add a very special flavor to the potatoes, don’t they? 🙂
I am an expert at burning or undercooking homefreis, I will have to try your recipe next time becasue I do love em’. I liek the idea of a dish called Southwestern Pileup lol! Thanks MJ.
These are so easy and actually, quite hard to burn unless you walk away and forget about them. 🙂 Oh and the Southwestern pileup – awesome!
Great recipe! Definitely saving this recipe for home fries!
Thanks Agness!
LOVE!!! <3 Years and years ago when my mom and I were travelling in the USA, we came across home fries and Im not even kidding, we ordered them at almost every meal, because … home fries, right?! Anyways, we had experienced some of the most excellent tastes ever until we ordered them from a 5 star resort in Puerto Rico, what arrived to our table was disturbing. It was like the chef had grabbed some frozen french fries, stuck em in a fryer to take the frozen edge off, coated in spray yellow cheese, scooped a dome of it onto a plate and sprayed a little more cheese and bam… home fries. Gosh we laughed. Ill have to dig up the photo. Haha! Anyways, it is awesome to see a classic we loved so much, can't wait to try. Thanks for the fun trip down memory lane. xo
Those Puerto Rico homefries don’t sound very appetizing. How can someone ruin something so simple? 🙂 I’m thrilled to have provided you with a remembrance and a recipe of something you love! I do hope you make them for yourself and your mother. 🙂 Thanks Anna!
The roasted green chile would give that fries a nice boost in flavour!
You go that right! 🙂
Only such a tiny amount of fat??? I cannot believe you have obtained such beautiful fries with such a light frying method! I’ve recently been dreaming of the Philips air fryer (which “deep-fries” food with 1 tablespoon of oil and the result is apparently the same as in real deep-frying, but it’s sooo expensive!), but now I see I don’t need it any more!!! Thank you sooo much for this recipe! My husband – a potato and beef lover – will be so happy when I make these.
I already see them fried in duck fat…. what do you think? I still have a small jar in the fridge.
PS I buy only organic potatoes too and since I hate peeling, I avoid doing it too. It’s funny but it shocks many people (I never ever peel carrots either, just brush them, it shocks even more!).
This methods really doesn’t take much fat, and yes, I now really want to try a little duck fat. That would be awesome! The bacon drippings are a tasty addition so I can’t imagine that duck fat wouldn’t be even better. Hope you do make these. Let me know how they are with duck fat.
Personally, I never understood why people peeled potatoes and apples! There is so many good nutrients in the peel. Why throw them away? Just don’t get it. Thanks my dear!
My daughter loves potatoes! I’ll try making this for her.
Great! I hope you enjoys them. Thanks Peachy!
Just read a restaurant review of a new place here that serves (wait for it) Duck Fat Home Fries!!!!!!
OH….my tummy is turning. Duck fat fries would be awesome! I love adding a little bacon drippings which is pretty good too. 🙂
You are so right, MJ – everyone I know LOVES home fries! I’ve not chopped mine up before and I cannot wait to try it – putting this on the menu for the weekend!
Thanks so much Shashi! Let me know how you like them.
I can (and sometimes do) eat my body weight in home fries 😮 they are my kind of dessert. I’m struck by the beautiful color and sear that you were able to obtain with so little fat – quite remarkable. Also, your method is new to me – first the steaming of sorts (with lid) and then the more traditional sauté – I have to try that. I most commonly bake in the oven but it’s challenging to get the crisp factor – looking forward to this one.
I think the steaming process helps to keep the need for more fat. The steaming allows the potato to release some of their moisture which helps in the browning process and then keeps them from drying out once you remove the lid and turn up the heat. They could out with a great flavor and wonderful textures inside and out. Thanks!
A great basic dish indeed.
Thanks Ann!
Cooked to perfection…just the way I like them.
Thanks Karen!
Potatoes are such fabulous comfort food! I’ve never tried sweet potatoes on the stove top and your recipe is just the inspiration I need to give the recipe a try.
Sweet potatoes made using this methods are great! Hope you do give them try. Thanks!
I have made potatoes in a thousand ways in my cooking life, but never quite like this. And it is so easy. I can’t wait to try them.
Really? I’m thrilled to introduce something new to you Adina! I’ve been making these for years and just thought everyone makes them. Also didn’t post this because I thought it was so common. Glad I did. Thanks for your comments!
Home fries are SO good, aren’t they? Can never get enough of them! I sometimes parboil the potatoes, then cut them up and fry them, but I think your method results in the absolute best flavor. And definitely the best texture! Really good — thanks.
Yes they are. 🙂 It’s about the only way we eat potatoes nowadays. I never have been a fan of parboiling because the reasons you mentioned. The texture of these fries are my favorite. Thanks for your comments!
Love home fries and your homemade version is SO much nicer than the frozen ones. I especially like that you leave the skin on. I’m going to have to give these a try – they are the base of so many comfort food recipes!
Thanks April! I hope you do give them a go. Let me know how it works out. Thanks!
They were lovely, MJ, a real treat! Thank you for sharing them with us at Hearth and Soul!
Thanks so much April!
Have never thought of making fries in stove…that’s just brilliant and they look really crisp and delicious, MJ.
Thanks so much Angie! When I’m in the kitchen I want to be “doing” stuff, so I don’t use the oven much. I prefer cooking what I can on the stovetop and these fries are one of those dishes. 🙂
You’re right, everyone loves home fries! Great pic too. 🙂
Thanks so much Judy!
I wish that you would append your Kitchen Notes to your recipes. I can print the recipes, but I always find myself referring back to your Kitchen Notes. Thanks for another great post.
I agree, Bill. Recipes I want to save I cut & paste to GoogleDocs. I always include the Recipe Notes, so I go back and c&p them to add to the recipe. Sometimes there’s so much great info within the post, I just c&p the address link!
Jan, thank you for your suggestion and comments. Would it work to also put the Kitchen Notes in a separate print box? For the longer recipes, I’m afraid that by including them within the recipe box, it might make the recipe too long and the print would go into a second page anyway. However, I could include the Kitchen Notes in the shorter recipe. Please take a look and let me know what you think? Thanks so much for your feedback.
Bill, Thanks so much for your suggestion! What a great suggestion! When it’s a short recipe I could definitely do that. For the longer ones, would it work to set the Kitchen Notes in a print box like I do the recipe? Since this is a short recipe I moved the Kitchen notes into the print box. PLease let me know if this works. Thanks again for your suggestion!