Big weekend breakfasts are my favorite “me time”. They’re lazy (always in my PJs, always), cozy, relaxed, delicious, and just so much less expensive than going out to brunch. Not to mention, no waiting in line for an open table, being rushed by a harried server, or enormous bill. Lately, I’ve been making these Smoky Roasted Breakfast Potatoes, which I love because oven roasting means they’re hands off so I can tend to other parts of the meal, like getting my eggs just right, and the leftovers are sooooo good later.

So grab a hot cup of coffee, stay in your robe and slippers, turn on some music, and let’s make these awesome potatoes to go with your bacon and eggs!

P.S. These potatoes cook at the same temperature as my oven baked bacon, so you can do both at the same time!

Easy Peasy Smoky Oven Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Why are they “Breakfast” Potatoes?

Because I’m eating them at breakfast. Ha! Honestly, I would eat or serve these any time of day, but small cubed potatoes are a common side at diners and breakfast joints across the U.S., so I went with the theme. Normally they’re fried (also known as Home Fries) but I prefer to make them in the oven. Not only is it less splattering grease, but they require a lot less attention in the oven, leaving me free to cook my eggs, dance, and enjoy my company.

How to Serve Breakfast Potatoes

Sure, these roasted breakfast potatoes are an easy side with bacon and eggs (a lot of people like to add ketchup, as well), but there’s so much more you can do with them! These simple potatoes make a great base for any number of toppings. You can pile them high with cheese, green onions, crumbled bacon, sour cream, salsa, or just about anything you like on a baked potato. Make a bowl meal out of it, even! They’re inexpensive, versatile, and delish.

If you happen to have a bell pepper in your fridge that needs to be used up, you can also dice that up and add it to the potatoes and onions before roasting. It never hurts to get another vegetable involved.

What Kind of Potatoes are Best?

I definitely prefer russet for these roasted breakfast potatoes. They’re soft on the inside, they crisp up nicely on the outside, and the size and shape makes them easy to dice. Red potatoes would be my second choice, but they do tend to be more dense than russet, so I would only use those if that’s what I had on hand. 

See these potatoes used in my Country Breakfast Bowls meal prep!

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

 

How to Make Roasted Breakfast Potatoes – Step by Step Photos

Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. Wash 2 lbs. of russet potatoes (for me, this was three small-ish potatoes). I don’t peel my potatoes because A) I’m too lazy during my weekend breakfasts and B) I like the color and texture the peel provides.

Dice the potatoes into ½ to ¾-inch pieces. Also dice one yellow onion into similar sized pieces.

Add the diced potatoes and onions to a bowl along with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and spices.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment and spread the seasoned potatoes and onions out over the baking sheet so they are in a single layer.

Roast the potatoes in the preheated 400ºF for 40-60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes. This is what the potatoes looked like after 20 minutes. They are beginning to soften and look a little less opaque.

This is what the potatoes looked like after 40 minutes. They have a decent amount of brown on them, but I wanted them a little more brown on the edges. The length of the cooking time will depend on the size of your potato pieces and your personal preference.

So I decided to roast my potatoes for an additional 10 minutes, or 50 minutes total. This gave me some really caramelized edges, which I really like, especially on the onions.

Here’s a close up so you can see all the browned goodness. Give your potatoes a taste and add more salt, if needed.

By the time the potatoes are done, the rest of your breakfast should be, too! It’s time to sit down and enjoy the weekend. :)

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