A good plate of hash browns is hard to beat. They’re golden and crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and arguably just as important as the eggs, bacon or whatever else you ordered with them. But for something made primarily from potatoes, recreating restaurant-quality hash browns at home can be surprisingly tricky.
Maybe yours come out pale and soft instead of crispy, or perhaps one side burns before the potatoes are cooked through. Either way, the results don’t always match the hash browns you’d get at your favorite breakfast spot or diner.
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That’s why we turned to Chef Jesse Schenker, co-founder and culinary director of Lush Life Hospitality. The two-time James Beard Award semifinalist and Iron Chef America champion has spent years in restaurant kitchens, and hash browns happen to be on the menu at his newest restaurant, The Comet Club.
We asked Schenker about what separates restaurant-quality hash browns from the ones we make at home, as well as how he prefers to cook them. As it turns out, you don’t need to completely rethink the way you make hash browns. Schenker has a few pointers for getting them closer to the crispy hash browns you’d order at a restaurant. Here’s his chef secret to the best hash browns at home.
The Secret to Restaurant-Quality Hash Browns
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If your homemade hash browns tend to turn out soft instead of crispy, the problem may be how much water is left in the potatoes. According to Schenker, getting rid of that moisture is the most important step for restaurant-quality results.
“The biggest secret is removing as much moisture from the potatoes as possible,” Schenker says. “I prefer to grate Russet potatoes, rinse them briefly in cold water to remove excess starch and then squeeze them very dry. I’ll even press them between towels to make sure they’re as dry as possible.”
Drying them this thoroughly is what helps create that restaurant-style contrast in texture. As Schenker explains, it “gives you a much better chance of getting that crisp, golden exterior while keeping the inside tender.”
Before the potatoes hit the pan, Schenker also recommends seasoning them and being generous with the cooking fat. “The combination of properly dried potatoes, enough fat and patience is what really makes the difference,” he says.
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The Chef-Approved Hash Brown Cooking Method
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Getting the potatoes dry is only half the battle. Once they hit the pan, Schenker says patience is especially important if you want that crispy crust. His preferred tool for the job is a cast-iron pan.
“Get the pan and fat hot, add the potatoes in an even, relatively thin layer, and then leave them alone,” Schenker says. “That’s probably the hardest part for a home cook. You want to give them enough time to develop a deep golden crust before flipping.”
Schenker cooks his hash browns over medium to medium-high heat until the first side is crisp, then flips them to finish the other side.
And don’t crowd the pan. “Don’t overcrowd the pan, and don’t keep moving the potatoes around—the crust develops when you give them uninterrupted contact with the pan.”
Schenker follows the same basic principles at The Comet Club. “Dry potatoes, a hot pan, good fat and patience,” he says. “That’s what gives you that restaurant-quality combination of crisp edges and a soft, almost creamy center.”
Final Thoughts
Hash browns may be one of the simplest breakfast sides, but there’s a reason the really good ones stand out. When you get that crispy outside and soft center just right, they can easily steal the spotlight from everything else on the plate. And once you know what separates great hash browns from disappointing ones, you may find yourself making them at home a lot more often.
Source:
Chef Jesse Schenker is the co-founder and culinary director of Lush Life Hospitality and a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Sep 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Food & Drink section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Dining and Cooking