Waffle Iron Hash Browns

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Waffle Iron Hash Browns — The CRISPIEST and BEST hash browns ever!! So EASY, no oil used, not greasy, and you’ll never go back to making them any other way!!



Crispy Hash Brown Waffles

There’s no greater let down than mushy hashy browns. Restaurants have a knack for serving pale yet greasy hash browns. Not my jam.

I like my hash browns crispy, golden browned, and not greasy.

There’s no easier way to achieve hash brown perfection than this easy kitchen hack. Dust off your waffle iron and enjoy hash browns that are the perfect balance of crispy yet tender.

As a healthy benefit there’s no oil, very little butter, and no eggs. They are not greasy at all and are very light-tasting.

I seasoned my hash browns with dried onion for extra flavor and served them with sour cream and chives.

Waffle Iron Hash Browns - The CRISPIEST and BEST hash browns ever!! So EASY, no oil used, not greasy, and you'll never go back to making them any other way!!

Ingredients for Waffle Iron Hash Browns

To make these waffle maker hash browns, you’ll need: 

  • Store-bought refrigerated hash browns 
  • Dried onion flakes
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • Unsalted butter
  • Chives and sour cream (optional, for serving) 

What Type of Hash Browns Should I Buy? 

I use refrigerated hash browns and I don’t even have to bother wringing them out. I’m sure you can make this recipe by grating your own russet potatoes but I’d rather not use a roll of paper towels to wring out all the moisture.

Same goes for frozen hash browns because as they thaw they’ll release tons of water.

Water is the enemy of crispy hash browns and I find the refrigerated hash browns to have the least water and therefore are the least work.

Waffle Iron Hash Browns - The CRISPIEST and BEST hash browns ever!! So EASY, no oil used, not greasy, and you'll never go back to making them any other way!!

How to Make Waffle Iron Hash Browns 

Making hash browns in a waffle iron is so easy! Here are the basic steps: 

  1. Preheat waffle iron to medium-high; set aside.
  2. To a large bowl, add the shredded potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and toss with a fork to combine.
  3. Evenly brush the grates of the waffle iron with melted butter.
  4. Add the potatoes to iron, evenly mounded in the center, and lightly press iron to close it, noting that it may not close completely right away. Cook for 2 minutes.
  5. Close iron completely and continue cooking until crisp and golden brown. 

What to Serve with Waffle Iron Hash Browns 

Serve these hash brown waffles alongside your favorite breakfast entrees! 

Waffle Iron Hash Browns - The CRISPIEST and BEST hash browns ever!! So EASY, no oil used, not greasy, and you'll never go back to making them any other way!!

Tips for Making Hash Browns in a Waffle Maker

Use refrigerated, not frozen, shredded hash brown potatoes. Frozen hash browns release more water as they thaw and will make the end product soggy. 

Because all waffle irons, potatoes, and preferences for doneness vary, cook until yours are done to your liking. For me that was nearly 20 minutes in my waffle maker but start peeking at about 10 minutes in case yours is a sizzler.

Note that you can use any waffle iron shape to make hash brown waffles. 

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4.30 from 10 votes

Waffle Iron Hash Browns

By Averie Sunshine
The CRISPIEST and BEST hash browns ever!! So EASY, no oil used, not greasy, and you'll never go back to making them any other way!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients  

  • one-20 ounce bag, about 3 cups refrigerated] shredded potatoes (I recommend [refrigerated
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • sour cream, optional for serving
  • freshly minced chives, optional for serving

Instructions 

  • Preheat waffle iron to medium-high; set aside.
  • To a large bowl, add the potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and toss with a fork to combine.
  • Evenly brush the grates of the waffle iron with melted butter.
  • Add the potatoes to iron, evenly mounded in the center, and lightly press iron to close it, noting that it may not close completely right away. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Close iron completely and cook for about 12 to 20 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Peek at about 10 minutes to see how it looks. Cooking time will vary based on how hot your waffle iron gets, how much moisture is in the potatoes used, personal preferences for crispiness, etc.
  • Optionally add sour cream and chives before serving. Hash browns are best warm and fresh.
  • Adapted from Cooking Light

Notes

Tip – midway through cooking if you want to accelerate the process, brush additional melted butter onto the top grates of the iron or directly on the potatoes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 149kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 998mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

    1. The recipe for the waffle iron has browns is in this post and if you want the recipes for the other items you click on the links.

    1. Well thank you! Seriously the best hash browns I have ever eaten! Goofproof and no grease splatter!

  1. I found a recipe for these hash browns using tater tots and I tried them the other day. They were DELICIOUS! Ithink these would be easier and will give them a try , I know they will be just as good. Thanks.

  2. These are right up my husbands alley. Did you use a Belgian Waffle Maker? Thanks for the great recipe. 

  3. Have you ever tried this with the dried hash browns (of course after being hydrated)? Seems like you could control the moisture on those.

  4. Averie, what a great idea! Think I will experiment with my George Foreman Grill too. Think I will read his cookbook too. Although those holes created by the waffle iron could be filled with goodness! Thanks for sharing your tasty recipes! Sylvieann

    1. Thanks for linking up and sharing the links only rather than the full recipe. Appreciate it!

  5. A tip for getting rid of excess water from veggies – put them inside a potato ricer. I’ve done this with zucchini but it should work with potatoes too!

    1. I don’t have a potato ricer and it’s probably not a super common item that people own, but if you have one, I bet it works great!

  6. These look perfectly browned and crispy. What a great way to use a waffle iron! I need to look around for refrigerated shredded potatoes.  I’ve made frozen hash browns in a skillet before—way too much spatter for me. 

    1. Yes – the spatter everywhere is no bueno! This totally eliminates that and you’ll love the results!