McDonald's Hash Browns made faster and better at home.

By Ethan Chlebowski · 30 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Peel the potatoes, rinse them, then grate them into a large bowl.
2. Optionally rinse the grated potatoes in cold water and drain. Rinsing only lightens the color; it makes no difference to taste or texture.
3. Wring the grated potatoes tightly in a clean towel to remove as much water as possible, then spread them out on the towel to dry for a few minutes.
4. Set a wok or cast-iron skillet over low heat with about 2 inches of oil until it reaches 200-210°F/93-98°C, checking with a thermometer.
5. Add the potatoes to the hot oil and fry for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Set a metal strainer over a heat-safe bowl, pour the potatoes and oil into it, and let the oil cool so you can save it for next time.
7. Move the potatoes to a large bowl, add a large sprinkle of salt and the 8 g cornstarch, and mix with a spatula to spread the cornstarch and roughen the potato surfaces. Let cool until you can handle it.
8. Press about 100 g of the mixture into a compact mass with no air pockets, then shape it into a hash brown about 4x2.5x0.5 inches (10x6x2 cm). The batch makes about 6 pieces.
9. Space the hash browns on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours until set. Then store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2-3 months.
10. Deep fry: heat 1-2 inches of neutral oil to 350°F/176°C over medium heat, checking with a thermometer. Fry 2-3 frozen hash browns at a time until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes.
11. Shallow fry: in a cast-iron over medium heat, add enough peanut oil to reach about halfway up the hash brown and heat to about 350°F/176°C. Place frozen hash browns in the oil, fry about 2-3 minutes until just browning, flip, and repeat until both sides are evenly browned, basting with hot oil. Total time is about 6-8 minutes.
12. Bake: preheat the oven to 450°F/232°C (425°F/218°C for convection or air fryer). Oil a baking sheet, heat it in the oven for 5 minutes, then add the frozen hash browns. Bake 10-15 minutes, flip, and bake 5-10 more minutes.
13. Sprinkle the hot hash browns with salt as soon as they finish cooking and serve warm.

Summarized from Ethan Chlebowski's video. Watch it for the details.

More recipes with

Potato