For good reason, the cast iron skillet has become a staple in so many kitchens; moreover, it is one of the most reliable and versatile tools you can cook with. You can make an entire breakfast with potatoes, bacon, eggs and more in one pan. With countless variations of ingredients, you can enjoy a delicious breakfast like skillet hash all the time.
Once you’ve mastered the technique and cooking times for the perfect skillet, have fun making it your own by changing up the ingredients with each batch.
I originally shared this recipe in Season 1, Episode 1 of my cooking show Steve Cooks Stuff. It goes great with the Mojito Melon Salad I made in the same episode.
Ingredients
- Large Eggs
- Russet Potato
- Sweet Potato
- Bacon
- Yellow Onion
- Green Bell Pepper
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Diced Chipotle Peppers
- Kinder's "The Blend"
- Kinder's "Lemon Butter Garlic"
- Herbs
- Balsamic Reduction (optional, see Top Tip)
See recipe card for quantities to make your perfect skillet hash.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. Preheat a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet on stovetop on medium heat for 5 minutes
3. Add the bacon and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally to let the rendered fat coat the pan.
4. Add potatoes to begin your skillet hash creation, stir to coat with bacon for 1 minute
5. Add onion, bell pepper, and 1 half of the chopped garlic, stir to coat for 1 minute
6. Add The Blend, Lemon Butter Garlic, and chipotle peppers, stir to coat evenly
7. Place the skillet in the oven for 10 minutes
8. Carefully stir to toss ingredients in the pan and return to oven for 10 minutes
9. Remove pan from oven, add cherry tomatoes, remaining half of chopped garlic, 1 half of the juice from the lemon and stir evenly
10. Using the back of your spoon, create three indentions (wells) about the size of the spoon
11. Add one egg to the center of each skillet hash well
12. Return the pan to the oven for seven minutes
13. Check the color of the egg whites without taking the pan out of the oven. Once they’re cooked to your liking, carefully remove the pan; for additional tips, see the hint below.
14. Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top of the dish to melt
15. With a spatula, gently lift each egg from the skillet, making sure to scoop up plenty of the vegetable mixture beneath, and place it onto a bowl or plate. Repeat with remaining eggs and divide remaining ingredients amongst the dishes
16. Garnish with additional cheese, fresh herbs, remaining lemon juice, Kinder’s “The Blend,” and balsamic reduction
Hint: The whites of the eggs should be set and the yolk runny. Gently jiggle the pan to check the egg whites. If the whites are nearly set, go ahead and remove the pan from the oven, as the eggs will continue to cook for another minute or two while they finish setting. However, if you prefer medium or hard yolks, leave the pan in the oven a bit longer. With practice you'll have the times and temperatures down pat!
Substitutions
- Seasoning - If your spice rack doesn’t yet include the Kinder’s blends used in this recipe, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon powdered garlic. Additionally, always taste as you go and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Vegetarian - instead of bacon, heat ½ cup of olive oil (or your favorite) for about 30 seconds before adding the potatoes (Step 4) for your skillet hash and proceed with the remainder of the recipe
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the skillet hash dish, or dice up your favorite peppers to suit your desired heat level
- Deluxe - add guacamole, sour cream or your favorite salsa as a topping before serving
Equipment
Personally, I like to make this dish in a cast iron skillet — it creates perfectly crisped edges along the bottom and sides that add great texture. However, any oven-safe pan (up to 500 degrees) would work for your skillet hash. See equipment list below and click on them to conveniently purchase as needed.
Cutting board (I love these bamboo cutting boards)
Top Tip
Drizzling a simple balsamic vinegar reduction over the eggs at the end is optional; however, it adds a bold, tangy bite that truly elevates the overall flavor of this skillet hash. To prepare the reduction, start by adding 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until the vinegar has reduced by half. Finally, remove the saucepan from the heat — the reduction will thicken further as it cools.
FAQ
Skillet hash is a versatile, one-pan dish, typically featuring potatoes, vegetables, and meat, all cooked in a skillet and often topped with eggs. It's a popular breakfast or brunch option, but can be enjoyed any time of day. The name "hash" comes from the French word "hacher," meaning "to chop," and refers to the chopped or diced ingredients.
Traditionally, breakfast hash is made from corned beef, potatoes, and onions. But don't worry, there really are no rules when it comes to breakfast hash! You can use leftover corned beef for our Corned Beef Hash! To give you some hash brown breakfast ideas, there are different ways of making hash around the world.
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.
Cast Iron Skillet Hash
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Preheat a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet on stovetop on medium heat for 5 minutes
- Add bacon, stir occasionally for one minute to let bacon fat coat pan as it cooks
- Add potatoes, stir to coat with bacon for 1 minute
- Add onion, bell pepper, and 1 half of the chopped garlic, stir to coat for 1 minute
- Add The Blend, Lemon Butter Garlic, and chipotle peppers, stir to coat evenly
- Place the skillet in the oven for 10 minutes
- Carefully stir to toss ingredients in the pan and return to oven for 10 minutes
- Remove pan from oven, add cherry tomatoes, remaining half of chopped garlic, 1 half of the juice from the lemon and stir evenly
- Using the back of your spoon, create three indentions (wells) about the size of the spoon
- Add one egg to the center of each well
- Return the pan to the oven for seven minutes
- Without removing from oven, check the color of the whites of the eggs, then remove pan from oven when eggs are to desired doneness (see tip below)
- Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top of the dish to melt
- Using a spatula, carefully slide under each egg, including as much of the vegetable mixture with it and place in a bowl or plate. Repeat with remaining eggs and divide remaining ingredients amongst the dishes
- Garnish with additional cheese, fresh herbs, remaining lemon juice, Kinder’s “The Blend,” and balsamic reduction
Susan Denham says
These recipes produce delicious results! Thank you for the easy to follow instructions. Loved, loved, loved, the breakfast hash!