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Potatoes O'Brien is the best version of pan-fried potatoes! This easy recipe marries crispy potatoes with caramelized peppers and onions to deliver a flavorful side dish that is perfect any time of the day!
Looking for more favorite potato recipes? You will love Air Fryer Potatoes, Baked Oven Fries, Irish Nachos, and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.
If you love breakfast potatoes, you will love Potatoes O'Brien! This classic recipe that dates back to the early 1900s puts a flavorful spin on crispy skillet potatoes--AKA breakfast potatoes.
Made with crispy cubed potatoes, caramelized onions, soft bell peppers, and seasoned with garlic, O'Brien-style potatoes are buttery, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make.
Whether served as an easy side dish for ribeye steak or blackened chicken, used to make a hearty breakfast burrito, or in a recipe that calls for hash browns, like Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole, you will be making this Potatoes O'Brien Recipe on repeat.
Made with Simple Ingredients
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are my preferred choice, as they are creamy and buttery, unlike russet potatoes, which are starchy, and red potatoes, which are waxy.
- Onion + Bell Peppers: Use a yellow onion for the best flavor and both a red and green pepper for color.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Simple, yet perfect.
- Butter + Oil: Using a combination of both unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil will help to prevent the butter from burning while the potatoes become crispy and tender.
How To Make Potatoes O'Brien
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Sauté Peppers & Onions
It is best to sauté the peppers and onions before pan-frying the potatoes, as they cook quicker than the potatoes. Once the peppers and onions are softened, remove them from the skillet and begin to cook the potatoes.
Pan-Fry Potatoes
For the potatoes to become fork-tender and creamy, cook them with a bit of water and seasonings, covered, over low heat until tender. Once the potatoes are tender, remove the lid, raise the heat, and let the potatoes crisp up and the excess moisture evaporate.
Toss & Season
Stir the sautéed peppers and onions back into the potato mixture and let cook for 1-2 minutes to warm through. Give everything a taste, adjusting seasoning if needed.
Serving Suggestions
Skillet Potatoes O'Brien make an easy side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They also can be used in any recipe calling for hash brown potatoes. Below are some of our favorite ideas.
- For Breakfast: These pan-fried potatoes with peppers are delicious served alongside scrambled eggs, baked cottage cheese eggs, sausage balls, baked bacon, or sheet pan pancakes.
- As a Side Dish: Potatoes O'Brien make a delicious side dish for chicken, beef, pork, and seafood. We love serving them with Balsamic Pork Tenderloin, Air Fryer Chicken Legs, and London Broil.
- In Recipes: Use O'Brien Potatoes to make a delicious Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, freezer-friendly breakfast burritos, or use them to make a tasty potato frittata.
More Easy Potato Recipes To Try
- Funeral Potatoes
- Easy Potato Cakes
- Smashed Baby Potatoes
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Twice-Baked Potatoes
Potatoes O'Brien
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and finely diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and finely diced
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil with 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Once the butter melts, add the diced onion and peppers and sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to caramelize. Remove peppers and onions from the skillet and place them on a clean plate.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining oil and butter, and let the butter melt. Once melted, add the potatoes, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and toss to coat.
- Add the water, then cover the pan with a lid. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring several times to keep the potatoes from over-browning.
- Once the potatoes are fork-tender, remove the lid and raise the heat to high. Cook for 1-2 minutes, letting the liquid evaporate and the potatoes crisp up.
- Add the onion and pepper mixture back to the skillet, toss to coat, and cook for 1 minute until warmed through.
- Turn off the heat, taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We made these for breakfast when we were camping, and they were a hit!!
Oh I bet cooking them over a campfire made them extra delish! Thanks for sharing!
This was the yummiest. My whole family LOVED it. Cannot wait to make it again!
Love hearing this, thank you so much for sharing.