During a late-night road trip, I first experienced the magic of Waffle House hash browns. Bleary-eyed and desperate for fuel, I slid into a vinyl booth and ordered my go-to comfort food for years. The first bite of those perfectly crispy, golden-brown potatoes was transformative. They were both delicate and hearty, with edges that shattered like glass and a tender center. I’ve since made it my mission to recreate that distinctive Waffle House experience at home, testing countless methods until I discovered the secrets that make their hash browns so legendary. Now I can enjoy that same satisfaction without the late-night drive, and you can too!
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Table of Contents
Why Waffle House Hash Browns Stand Above the Rest
Anyone who’s ever visited a Waffle House knows there’s something special about their hash browns that sets them apart from all others:
- Perfect texture contrast: Impossibly crispy exterior with a tender interior
- Customizable: The famous “scattered, smothered, covered” system lets you make them your own
- Consistent quality: Whether at 2 PM or 2 AM, they’re always perfectly cooked
- Versatile: They work as a side dish or can be transformed into a complete meal
- Distinctive flavor: That unique taste that comes from their cooking method
The Secret to Authentic Waffle House Hash Browns at Home
Unlike many copycat recipes that start with raw potatoes, this recipe takes a crucial shortcut, which is the authentic Waffle House method: dehydrated hash brown potatoes. Yes, that’s right. Waffle House doesn’t start with fresh potatoes! They use a premium dehydrated product that ensures consistency across all their locations. This method not only saves significant prep time but actually delivers more authentic results.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Dehydrated hash brown potatoes: Create the foundation for that authentic Waffle House texture and flavor
- Warm water: Rehydrates the potatoes to the perfect consistency
- Butter-flavored shortening (or butter and vegetable oil): Delivers that distinctive Waffle House flavor and exceptional crispiness
- Optional toppings: Allow for personalized customization in true Waffle House traditio
Ingredient notes
You need shredded and dehydrated potatoes for this recipe, and you can buy the exact product Waffle House uses online from the company. Don’t want to wait? Try similar products from Hungry Jack, Idaho Spuds, and Idahoan that are available at your local store.
A mixture of butter and vegetable oil will work, but one of the reasons Waffle House Hash Browns taste so good at the restaurant is because of what they fry them in. Recreate the same flavor at home by replacing the regular butter and vegetable oil with Crisco Butter Flavor All Vegetable Shortening.
How to make hash browns like Waffle House
To prepare the copycat version of Waffle House classic hash browns:
- Heat water until it reaches at least 120°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat the water until the first bubbles appear on the side of the pot, and then switch off the heat.
- Carefully pour enough water into the carton of dehydrated hash brown potatoes until it reaches the fill line. Close the carton and wait for about 12 minutes. Drain any extra liquid from the carton.
- Place a large non-stick skillet, cast iron skillet, or flat grill over medium-high heat.
- Add the unsalted butter and vegetable oil or butter-flavored Crisco to the cooking surface.
- Sprinkle on the rehydrated potato shreds and form into thin patties in a round shape.
- Press the top of the hash brown patties lightly with a spatula and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the hash browns and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until lightly brown and crispy.
Recipe variations
One of the best things about ordering hash browns at Waffle House is the sheer number of ways you can customize them. While you won’t need to be fluent in Waffle House hash browns lingo to make your favorite version at home, below are just some of the Waffle House hash browns options restaurant customers can’t get enough of:
- Waffle House Hash Browns Scattered. The shredded potatoes are sprinkled over the cooking surface to cook. This ensures extra crispy hash browns.
- Waffle House Smothered Hash Browns Dice onions and saute them in a bit of butter. Sprinkle the sauteed onions over the hash browns.
- Waffle House Covered Hash Browns After flipping the hash browns, cover them with a slice of American cheese and let it melt.
- Waffle House Topped Hash Browns A ladle of chili turns these hash browns into a lunch or light dinner.
- Waffle House Loaded Hash Browns Another name for All the Way Hash Browns, this belly buster comes with all the possible toppings, including sauteed onions, American cheese, chopped ham, diced tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, mushrooms, chili and country gravy.
Or sprinkle your favorite toppings to make your own perfect hash browns creation.
Perfect Copycat Waffle House Hash Browns
Ingredients
- 1 4.2-ounce package Hungry Jack Original Hashbrown Potatoes
- hot water minimum 120°F
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Open the Hungry Jack carton and add hot tap water to the level of fill line. Close the carton and let stand for 12 minutes. Open the carton and drain any excess liquid.
- Place the butter and vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the hashbrowns evenly in the skillet and pat down with a spatula. Cook on one side for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy. Flip and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Nutrition
What to serve with hash browns
Although you could make a meal out of the Hash Browns All the Way Waffle House serves, they’re better when you pair them with a couple of other breakfast favorites or even use them in more creative ways, like:
- Eggs. Any style of eggs goes great with hash browns, but one of the best combos is poached eggs served on top of a pile of extra-crisp scattered hash browns and plenty of hot sauce.
- Steak. Skip the fries, and make it steak and hash browns instead. Grilled hangar or skirt steak is inexpensive, easy to cook, and will taste great when paired with crunchy hash browns.
- Casserole. Replace the breadcrumb crust of your favorite casserole with these hash browns.
How to store hash browns
Cool the leftovers and put them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. They will last in the refrigerator for two to three days and in the freezer for up to a month.
If you are freezing the hash browns, flash-freeze them on a parchment-lined baking tray for two hours before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. You can reheat the hash browns from frozen, but they will take longer.
What is the best way to reheat Waffle House hash browns?
The quickest and easiest method to heat up hash browns is in a skillet:
- Warm a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- When the skillet is hot, add some oil and start reheating the hash browns.
- Cook the hash browns for 4 to 6 minutes per side until hot.
More hash brown recipes
- Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
- Ham and Cheese Hashbrown Casserole
- Hashbrown Casserole with Cornflakes
- Hamburger Hashbrown Casserole
- Tater Tot Casserole with Hash Browns
Favorite breakfast recipes
- Bacon Omelette
- Cheese Blintz
- Cracker Barrel French Toast
- Dunkin Donuts Pancake Wrap
- IHOP Pancake Recipe
- Moons Over My Hammy
- Omelette Bites
- Sausage Gravy
Check out more of my easy breakfast recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!
Had no idea about the dehydrated potatoes, tried them, and they were just like the real deal.
These were delicious.