Sweet Potato Hash Browns Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why won't my hash browns get crispy? ›

The biggest culprit that's making your hash browns come apart is moisture. You need to make sure the potatoes are dry before adding them to the flour and egg mixture.

Most recipes require soaking your raw, shredded potato in cold water to rinse off the excess starch, then squeezing every last bit of moisture out before tossing it in a pan.

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

It's really the best way. Microwaving sweet potatoes cuts down cook time by 45 to 55 minutes, and, according to a 2018 study, helps maintain the potato's nutritional value. All cooking methods cause foods to lose some of their nutrients, but the quicker your potato cooks, the more nutrients it will retain.

Squeezing the shredded potato in a towel or cheesecloth to remove as much moisture as possible helps it brown more evenly. Cooking the shredded potato briefly in the microwave helps it develop a better crust that remains crispy for longer.

I say low-medium for cooking these hash browns because you want to heat them evenly to cook through and cook evenly from the middle to the edges. If you cook it too high you'll get a middles that's darker than the edges, and a soft center.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Starchy potatoes like Russets work best for hash browns. Waxy potatoes like red new potatoes have a higher moisture content and tend to hold their shape better than starchy potatoes, and as such do not develop the crispiest of edges when fried.

Once your potatoes are done soaking pour them through a strainer. Quickly rinse to get any residual starch off, then pat the potatoes down with a towel. You'll want to remove as much moisture as possible because this will prevent your hash browns from getting as crisp as possible.

Sweet potatoes are between 1 and 2.5 per cent sugar when raw, but they get sweeter as they cook thanks to the work of amylase enzymes that break down starch into simple sugars. These enzymes are most active at 75°C (167°F).

Do sweet potatoes get sweeter the longer you cook them? ›

The longer and slower you cook a sweet potato, the more maltose is formed and the sweeter it will taste. So if you want a much less sweet potato try steaming it, or cut it into small pieces and roast on a higher heat.

If you fry them, it will increase the calorie count of the food, which can sabotage your weight loss plan. For weight loss, it is always recommended to have boiled or baked sweet potatoes. These are the two healthy ways to have the root vegetable.

For a topping, stick to butter, Greek yogurt, or sour cream, or try adding a dollop of cilantro lime dressing, tzatziki, chipotle sauce, pesto, guacamole, or a drizzle of tahini sauce. If you have leftover baked sweet potatoes, save the soft flesh for another recipe.

Whether they're mashed, baked, or boiled, sweet potatoes are fine for dogs to eat as long as they're cooked, peeled, and plain. Again, avoid any seasonings or extra ingredients that may be included in “human food” recipes, such as butter, sugar, or salt.

Yams and sweet potatoes differ in flavor and appearance, and they are not related. Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

Why It's Important to Wash Your Potatoes Before Baking. It's 100% necessary to wash your shredded potatoes before you move on to the remaining steps. You see, washing the shreds removes any extra starch. This over-starchiness is a common cause of soggy hash browns.

Heat the oil in the pan first: Make sure you are using enough oil to generously coat the pan well, and get the oil shimmering before adding the potatoes. Spread the potatoes in a thin layer: A thin layer of shredded potatoes in the pan will help the hash browns crisp up better and cook more evenly.

If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit. Just as overcrowding bacon or mushrooms in a saucepan causes disappointingly mushy results, placing potatoes too close to each other on a baking sheet will prevent them from crisping while they roast.