Healthy Frozen Hash Browns in Air Fryer Recipe

Can you make healthy frozen hash browns in an air fryer? Yes, you can! This air fryer hash browns recipe is the BEST way to cook frozen hash browns. When you air fry hash browns, they get crispy and perfect without using a lot of added oil. Plus, cleanup is minimal because your shredded hash browns won't stick to the air fryer!

This air fryer hash browns recipe feels indulgent but is secretly healthy. I mean, we're eating vegetables for breakfast, so I figure we're starting our day already ahead of the pack.

There's an assortment of potato side dishes that people refer to as "hash browns." I've seen hash brown potato patties, potato rounds, and shredded hash browns.

There are also "southern style hash browns," which are typically diced potatoes. (I tend to call this type of hash brown "home fries.")

The hash browns that I am using in this recipe are frozen shredded potatoes. The only ingredient in the frozen hash browns should be potatoes and possibly other vegetables (if you're using a hash brown veggie mix, as I did). This product is a huge timesaver because you don't need to grate a bunch of fresh potatoes.

Some other types of frozen hashbrowns (such as the patties) contain additives that you may not want. Additionally, the air frying times for these products may vary.

For the best results with this recipe, I recommend using the shredded frozen hash browns that are potatoes only. You can also use a mix of potatoes with other shredded veggies, as long as nothing else is added.

Jump to:

• ⭐ Healthy Frozen Hash Browns in Air Fryer Benefits
• 🥘 Healthy Frozen Hash Browns Ingredients
• 🔪 How to Make Frozen Hash Browns in an Air Fryer
• ⏲️ How long do you air fry hash browns?
• 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
• 🍳 What to serve with hash browns?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

⭐ Healthy Frozen Hash Browns in Air Fryer Benefits

Why make hashbrowns in the air fryer? Here are some of my top reasons:

• You'll eat more vegetables! Pack some antioxidants, fiber, and phytonutrient goodness into your morning with this side dish. Yes, breakfast potatoes count as a vegetable, and they can be a great choice if they are not fried! One serving of the Cascadian Farms hash browns I used provides 8% DV for potassium – not too shabby!
• Clean up is easy. OMG, I really hate scrubbing the skillet after making frozen hash browns on the stovetop. Even if I am fairly generous with the oil, the hash browns always stick! I LOVE this easy air fryer recipe because the potatoes do not stick to the air fryer trays.
• Create the perfect crispy hash browns. These hash browns have lovely crispy edges mixed with tender pieces. It reminds me of what I like about hash brown patties, no unwanted additives needed.
• These vegan hash browns fit several special diets. Whether you're following a vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or wfpb (whole food plant based) diet, these hash browns fit! This recipe is gluten free as well; learn more in the FAQs below.
• Believe it or not, these are low calorie and low carb potatoes! Without oil, the hash brown vegetables that I used provide only 60 calories and 11 grams of net carbs per ¼ of the package. The oil you'll use for cooking will bump the calories way up, but the carb count will remain unchanged.
• Family friendly, delicious, AND healthy recipe. If you have a picky eater in your household, this recipe is going to be one of the easiest ways to fit veggies into your mornings. Kids and adults alike tend to love a plate of tasty hash browns drizzled with ketchup! YUM!

🥘 Healthy Frozen Hash Browns Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make frozen hash browns in the air fryer:

• Frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (do not thaw)
• Avocado oil (or olive oil)
• Salt and Pepper
• Cooking oil spray
• Ketchup (optional for serving)

You can use any brand of plain shredded hashbrowns that you wish. I used the Cascadian Farm Organic root vegetable hashbrowns. This product is a mix of Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots. That's it.

There are several advantages to using a shredded root vegetable mix versus shredded potatoes alone. First of all, the carrots and sweet potatoes add more beautiful color to your plate. Nutritionally, getting a rainbow of plants in your diet means you are getting a broader range of potentially beneficial phytonutrients.

Carrots and sweet potatoes contain provitamin A carotenoids that are not present in white potatoes. Your body can convert these carotenoids into vitamin A, an essential nutrient and important antioxidant.

Getting a wider variety of veggies in the diet generally equates to better nutrition for you. Even small swaps (like switching up the type of frozen hash browns you use) can make a difference over time.

Honestly, I don't see myself taking the time to hand shred potatoes AND carrots AND sweet potatoes for breakfast. I simply don't have the time to have leisurely breakfasts most mornings. I am completely in favor of using shortcuts, including packages of prepared frozen vegetables, to save time.

If you're using ketchup, I recommend choosing one with no added sugar. I love, love, love True Made Foods Vegetable Ketchup. This ketchup uses vegetables like butternut squash for sweetness and has no added sugars or sugar substitutes.

Best of all (in the opinion of my family), the ketchup tastes normal. It's the perfect condiment to use with crispy hash brown potatoes!

🔪 How to Make Frozen Hash Browns in an Air Fryer

Making air fryer frozen hash browns is so easy, I feel a bit silly posting the recipe. That said, I think it's important to demonstrate how simple it can be to get more veggies in the diet. We don't need fancy knife skills and five-course meals to start eating healthier.

Ok, so let's do this. Dump your frozen hash browns in a medium-sized bowl. Do not thaw them! If they're frozen together, smack the bag on the countertop a few times to break them up before adding them to the bowl.

Drizzle the oil on the hash browns and give them a good stir. Sprinkle with black pepper and salt and stir again.

I know I'm all about using less added oil if you want to lose weight. However, I don't recommend cutting back on the oil in this recipe. That bit of oil is going to help the hash browns to crisp up.

Lightly mist your air fryer oven trays or air fryer basket with cooking spray. I use a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven with two trays and used both trays for this recipe. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to cook the hashbrowns in batches.

Spread the prepared hash browns out on the air fryer trays. Try to get them in a (mostly) single layer. It is fine if there are little clumps of potatoes sticking together. Put the trays in your air fryer oven – it's time to cook them!

⏲️ How long do you air fry hash browns?

If you want to learn how to make hash browns crispy, it's important to get the cooking times right. Start by air frying the hash browns for 12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, flip the partially cooked potatoes with a spatula and give them a good stir. Switch the baking trays' position in the air fryer and air fry for 10 more minutes at 400F. In other words, the hash browns will air fry for a total of 22 minutes.

Air fried hash browns turn out so much better than hash browns made on the stovetop. Admire those browned crispy bits interspersed with softer bits of tender potatoes. It's amazing how little oil was needed to get these results!

Oh, and definitely don't forget to add a drizzle of ketchup on top. You are now officially a kitchen rockstar. SO GOOD!

💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 2 recipe (transition or weight maintenance). I talked about some of the health benefits of this vegetable side dish in other parts of the post. Something I want to stress is that hash browns are definitely a breakfast side dish. With a mere 1 gram of protein per serving, you're going to want to add PROTEIN to complete the meal.

Eggs are my top choice for an entrée to go with hash browns. If you don't like eggs, here are a few other options for adding protein to your breakfast:

• Greek yogurt or skyr (These contain more protein than regular yogurt.)
• Cottage cheese (If you are on a low-sodium diet, check the label! Many cottage cheeses are high in sodium.)
• Breakfast sausage (Choose poultry sausage for a leaner option or traditional pork sausage for higher energy.)
• Protein-packed breakfast smoothie (Though I'm not typically a fan of protein powders, adding some to your smoothie may help ensure it provides adequate protein.)

This easy side of hash browns is a good way to add a little more slow carbs to meals if you have higher energy needs. Sedentary adults with weight loss goals may be better skipping this side and focusing on protein plus a lower calorie fruit or veggie side for breakfast.

For youth, those with weight gain goals, and active individuals, adding more healthy carbs to breakfast may be a good idea. Breakfast potatoes, whole grain cereals, and whole grain toast are some examples. These foods often provide a lot of calories in a relatively small volume.

If you want to gain weight, choosing healthy foods that won't fill you up too early is a good idea. If your goal is fat loss, healthy foods that provide satiety for fewer calories are the best choices.

🍳 What to serve with hash browns?

Hash browns and eggs are the perfect breakfast match! Serve your hash browns with fruit plus eggs served however you like them! Here are some recipe ideas for serving hash browns:

• Crustless Keto Mini Frittata (shown in photos)
• High Protein Frittata with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Baby Kale
• Cooking Pork Sausage with Eggs Recipe
• Smoked Cheese Frittata and Brown Butter Shrimp
• Scrambled eggs, fried eggs, an omelet, poached eggs… you get the idea!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are hash browns healthy?

Store bought hash browns can vary greatly in terms of additives and preservatives used. Some hash brown potatoes also have a lot of starch, added oil, and even added sugars!

If you are buying frozen hash browns, check the ingredients list to see what you are getting. The "healthiest" hash browns will contain shredded or diced vegetables only. I would definitely consider these single-ingredient frozen hash browns to be a healthy food choice. After all, they are just vegetables!

Are frozen hash brown patties healthy?

In general, I would consider plain frozen shredded hash browns to be a better choice than frozen hash brown patties. Frozen hash brown patties often contain added sugar, low-quality vegetable oils, and starches to help them stick together.

Unlike plain shredded potatoes, hash brown patties typically fall into the category of ultra-processed foods. While it's (usually) fine to enjoy frozen hash browns once in a while, I would not make them a regular part of the diet.

Even the health food store brands of frozen hash brown patties may contain added sugars, oils, etc. Though these products often have a "health halo" in consumers' eyes, they may not be much healthier than other brands of hash brown patties.

For example, here is the ingredients list for a sweet potato hash brown patty that is popular in health food stores:

• Sweet potatoes
• Potato flakes
• Canola oil
• Brown sugar
• Arrowroot powder
• Flaxseed meal
• Sea salt

When you purchase plain frozen potatoes, you can choose the type of added oil to use. You can also skip the added sugar, such as the brown sugar used in the product above.

How do you reheat crispy hash browns?

If you have leftover hash browns, make sure to store them in the refrigerator for food safety reasons. When you are ready to eat them, reheat them in a skillet on the stovetop with a little more oil.

This should warm them up adequately while maintaining their crispiness and golden brown color. (Or it will help them to crisp again if they're getting soggy.)

Are frozen hash browns gluten free?

Some brands of frozen hash browns are gluten free, while others are not. If you are on a gluten free diet, it is important to check the label of the product you're buying to make sure it is gluten free friendly.

Potatoes are a naturally gluten free food. Thus, plain shredded potato hash browns should be free of gluten. It's easy to make gluten free hash browns with this recipe!

🥔 Other Air Fryer Potato Recipes

Did you enjoy this air fryer potato recipe? If so, here are some other air fryer recipes using potatoes that you don't want to miss:

• Air Fryer Home Fries
• Air Fryer Potato Skins
• Or try the Loaded Air Fryer Radish Recipe for a low-carb substitute for potatoes

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The disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let's get cooking!

📖 Recipe