Sweet Potato Hash

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Cook up a big skillet of Sweet Potato Hash with just 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper). It’s delicious, whole-food cooking at its finest with plenty of color, texture, and flavor to tantalize your appetite. Top with eggs cooked to order and you’ll swear you’re at the best diner in town!

Sweet potato hash on a plate.


 

My friend Becca deserves all of the credit for this easy sweet potato hash recipe. She taught me her go-to breakfast recipe (or breakfast for dinner; do you!), which I now make in massive quantities every year when my family convenes for our annual log cabin vacation.

Calling for just 5 base ingredients, plus whatever toppings or serving accoutrement your crew craves, this sweet potato hash is almost as simple to make as it is to devour. Whip up a communal batch, cook eggs to order (psst…here’s how to fry eggs, soft boil eggs, hard boil eggs, scramble eggs, and poached eggs), then prepare to dive into a mountain of comfort food.

Or, make just the hash as a simple side dish to serve alongside other brunch potluck favorites like Glazed Ham, Homemade Crescent Rolls, Seven Layer Salad, and a big bowl of Fruit Salad.

Every crisp-tender, golden brown, savory-yet-sweet bite is unforgettably delicious. Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash is simply one of the best anytime-of-day dishes ever, with or without eggs.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for sweet potato hash.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Bacon: Or diced pancetta. For a vegetarian option, omit the pork products entirely and use 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking the veggies in Step #2.
  • Onions: Yellow onions or white onions are classic in this recipe.
  • Red bell pepper: These perk up the colors in this skillet recipe, but you can’t go wrong with yellow, orange, or green bell pepper, either.
  • Sweet potato: Orange, purple, or whatever hue you desire. Or swap in regular russet potatoes.

Step by step instructions

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a napkin-lined plate. Leave bacon fat in the pan (or reserve a few tablespoons for cooking eggs if desired).
Sweet potato hash ingredients cooking in a black skillet.
  1. Add onion and red pepper. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Sweet potato hash ingredients cooking in a black skillet.
  1. Stir in sweet potatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the sweet potatoes begin to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Sweet potato hash cooking in a black skillet.
  1. Stir in bacon and thyme to skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sweet potato hash in a black skillet.
  1. Serve with grilled bread and fried eggs if desired.
Sweet potato hash on two white plates.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon makes eight generous servings. For hearty appetites, top each scoop with two or three eggs instead of one, and have plenty of bread handy to sop up any runny yolk goodness.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: The sweet potato hash can be made a day in advance. It holds really well! Just reheat on the stove-top and serve with grilled bread and eggs if desired.
  • Paleo and Whole30 Compatible: Choose an uncured no-sugar bacon such as Nature’s Rancher No Sugar Added Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon and omit the bread for serving.
  • Tasty substitutions: Use avocado oil instead of the extra-virgin olive oil. Add your favorite spices like garlic, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, and fresh parsley.
  • Sausage Hash Brown Casserole: A cheesy sausage omelet meets crispy diner-style hash brown potatoes in this easy, delicious one-skillet breakfast recipe.
  • Mashed Sweet Potatoes: Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes with fresh thyme, butter, and just a touch of brown sugar. This one-pot recipe always delivers delicious results, and is a perfect side to work into your weeknight routine.
  • Sweet Potato Casserole: My easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe has an easy marshmallow topping and requires just 5 minutes of bake time.
  • Sweet Potato Chili: This delicious, nourishing Sweet Potato Chili is loaded with black beans, vegetables, and all the classic spices. It’s naturally vegan, easy to make, and perfect for meal prep or popping in the freezer.
Corned beef hash on a gray plate topped with and egg and parsley.
Transform leftover Corned Beef into a hearty hash. Fry crispy potatoes, onions, and hot sauce in a skillet, then put an egg on it for an eye-opening Corned Beef Hash breakfast.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I put leftover hash to good use?

Reheat and garnish with avocado slices and a dash of hot sauce, stuff a couple spoonfuls inside an omelet, or fold into the filling of an egg muffin recipe.

How do you make a Paleo sweet potato hash?

This recipe is PERFECT for paleo cooking and one of my favorite Whole30 recipes. Just omit the bread (optional for serving anyway) and substitute you favorite uncured sugar-free bacon. My favorite brand is Nature’s Rancher sugar-free uncured bacon. I buy it at Whole Foods.

How do you make a gluten-free sweet potato hash?

This recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as you omit the bread for serving.

How do you make a Whole30 Compatible sweet potato hash?

Choose an uncured no-sugar bacon such as Nature’s Rancher No Sugar Added Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon and omit the bread for serving.

More ways with bacon

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Sweet potato hash on a plate.

Sweet Potato Hash

Cook up a big skillet of Sweet Potato Hash with just 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper). It's delicious, whole-food cooking at its finest with plenty of color, texture, and flavor to tantalize your appetite.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Calories 363
5 from 19 votes

Ingredients 

For the sweet potato hash:

For serving:

  • 1 loaf crusty bread or challah sliced into 8 slices
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 8 large eggs (cook in butter or reserved bacon fat)

Instructions 

To make the hash:

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a napkin-lined plate. Leave bacon fat in the skillet (or reserve a few tablespoons for cooking eggs if desired).
  • Add onion and red pepper. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in sweet potatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the sweet potatoes begin to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Stir in bacon and thyme to skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grilled bread and fried eggs if desired.

To serve:

  • Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread each slice of bread with 1 teaspoon butter on one side and place butter-side down in the skillet to grill. Heat until lightly golden brown. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm while preparing the eggs.
  • Heat reserved bacon fat or butter in a nonstick skillet and fry eggs to desired doneness. This may be done with all eggs at once or in batches. Season the eggs to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes

  1. Bacon: Or diced pancetta. For a vegetarian option, omit the pork products entirely and use 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking the veggies in Step #2.
  2. Onions: Yellow onions or white onions are classic in this recipe.
  3. Red bell pepper: These perk up the colors in this skillet recipe, but you can’t go wrong with yellow, orange, or green bell pepper, either.
  4. Sweet potato: Orange, purple, or whatever hue you desire. Or swap in regular russet potatoes.
  5. Yield: This Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon makes eight generous servings. For hearty appetites, top each scoop with two or three eggs instead of one, and have plenty of bread handy to sop up any runny yolk goodness.
  6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 18gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 214mgSodium: 687mgPotassium: 645mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 17084IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

    1. Not on the blog…. yet. She sent me her beef stew recipe last year, I need to find it and dig it out. She’s my muse!

  1. This sounds awesome. Obrien-style  sweet potatoes. Bacon, bacon grease, bacon fried, and bacon accompanied. That’s as good as it gets!!!

    Perfect timing too. I just cooked three pounds yesterday sous vide (140° for five hours-I had other things to do), then fried just to crisp on the outside with a tender inside.

    Now I’ll get a sweet potato from the bin and make this menu for breakfast tomorrow.  Yum. 5 stars

    1. Bacon is gluten free so it must be healthy! ;) You and your sous vide. Apparently all the restaurants have been using those machines for years. They can cook their filets to a perfect rare or medium rare, hold them for hours, then finish them on a flat-top right before serving. But I’m sure you knew that already. PS: What time should I be over for breakfast tomorrow? XOXO

  2. Wow, this sounds amazing! Tell your friend Becca she HAS to start a blog, or, failing that, at least invite me over for dinner. :)5 stars

  3. That sounds like a pretty cool talent your friend Becca has there! Love the sound of this amazing brunch, Meggan. Bet the sweet peppers and potatoes go so beautifully with that bacon. Yum – I bet you grab Becca’s hand off every time she invites you for dinner!5 stars

  4. Yum – I love sweet potato hash. I’ve never added bacon, Applegate has a delicious roasted red pepper sausage that I always use but now I wanna try bacon!5 stars

  5. The sweet potato idea sounds lovely! Sweet potato is in season here and I can get nice ones cheaply. Great idea to add them into the breakfast. Yes, I need the runny yolk too! :) Happy Friday :)5 stars

  6. Just popping in to say hello and send my best wishes!! So glad you’ve still got vibrant, delish dishes on the table :)

  7. Ooo… I’ve never had sweet potato hash! Mu husband would LOVE this dish – he’s a big fan of sweet potatoes! This looks so delicious and I love the colors!5 stars

  8. These are the kinds of dishes that make perfect meals: breakfast, lunch or dinner and even as leftovers. I think good, simple cooking can be seen as Black Magic!5 stars

  9. If I’m having eggs for breakfast, I have to have potatoes with them. I love the idea of a sweet potato hash because they’re not as starchy as regular potatoes. Great recipe.5 stars

  10. I love all a good potato hash, sweet potato or russet and this looks wonderful. I’m cracking up at your husband’s description of your friend’s cooking as ‘black magic’. :) Thanks for sharing this, Meggan!5 stars

    1. Thank you for your kind words, Marissa! My husband is silly, but he’s definitely right about this recipe tasting magical. :)