Originally posted in 2016. Updated October 2020.
As a twenty-something (no need to get into specific numbers) year-old person, I attend my fair share of brunches. And perhaps this is most applicable to my generation but I feel that brunch is the it meal. You don't have to get up quite so early in order to enjoy breakfast foods and can combine things you wouldn't otherwise eat together like crispy fried chicken and thick, fluffy waffles. Additionally, beverage options are expanded. Mimosas? Yes. Shots? Also yes. Brunch is like the Beyonce of meals. I promise I'm getting to the smoky baked breakfast potatoes you came for soon and very soon. Let's get into the recipe details.
I first made these smoky baked breakfast potatoes for a friend's weekend brunch and they were a hit. The pan was completely clean before I left the brunch and, best of all, it was extremely easy to make breakfast potatoes from scratch. I'm talking throw-everything-in-a-pan-and-put-the-pan-in-the-oven easy. No fancy technique or tools needed. So I made them a couple more times to be sure then collected a few tips on how to make crispy roasted breakfast potatoes, which are here for you just below.

How do You Make Roast Potatoes Crispy?
The key to crispy potatoes in the oven is spreading them out in a single layer on your pan. This gives them space to do their thing and avoids steam, which will lead to sad, soft potatoes. Space = nice crispy potato outsides with buttery soft insides. Another important tip, roast the breakfast potatoes at high heat. Don't cut the potatoes too small either--or they'll burn. Pieces about one-inch in size seem to be the sweet spot. If you're wondering "why are my roast potatoes not crispy?" check the space and size situation.
The smell of these oven roasted breakfast potatoes in the oven makes everything in range suddenly seem edible. But you can make these the night before if you're hosting and don't want your guests licking the walls. 🙂 Maybe that's the kind of party you're throwing, though. No judgement here! If you are looking for a solid breakfast hash, you can easily transform these smoky baked breakfast potatoes from side piece to main squeeze by adding some sausage, bacon, cheese, or whatever protein you prefer.

Obviously, the star of this dish is a few pounds of red potatoes but the garlic, melted butter, and smoked paprika are like those backup dancers that catch your eye and amplify the performance. Each ingredient adds delicious flavor and the butter does double duty by also helping make the potatoes crisp. I hope you love these smoky baked breakfast potatoes. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin the recipe on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!

P.S. More brunch faves:
How to Bake Oven Potatoes

Smoky Baked Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds red-skinned potatoes cut into one-inch cubes
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- sea salt to taste
- 2 stalks green onion chopped, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare produce: cut potatoes into one-inch pieces, dice yellow onion, mince garlic cloves.
- Add potatoes, onion, garlic, butter, olive oil, dried parsley, smoked paprika, black pepper, and sea salt to a large bowl and toss until potatoes are evenly coated.
- Spread potato mixture onto a large sheet pan in a single layer. Ensure there is at least ½ inch between each potato piece. This is key to getting the potatoes nice and crispy. It may be necessary to divide between more than one pan.
- Place pan in oven and roast for 35-45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and crispy. Gently shake pan to turn potatoes once or twice during bake time.
- Remove finished potatoes from oven and serve warm. Garnish with green onion, if desired.


Aline says
Made breakfast for dinner tonight and these potatoes were a huge hit!! We have leftovers and we cant wait to eat them again tomorrow morning!! So good!