Homemade McDonald's Hash Browns Copycat Recipe - Cooking Frog (2024)

It is time for another McDonald’s copycat recipe. After making these delicious Egg McMuffins, andChicken McGriddles, we’re making McDonald’s hash browns this time. These mouthwatering hash brown patties made from shredded potatoes are cooked to be fluffy inside and crispy and toasted on the exterior.

Since no other recipe even comes close to the original and, in my opinion, doesn’t merit the moniker “Copycat recipe,” the primary cause is wrong or missing ingredients. This recipe has been waiting patiently to be published.

Thus I’ll walk you through the process of making these hash browns in the McDonald’s way today. The best part about them is that you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them for whenever you’re ready to cook them.

The Best McDonald’s Hash Browns Copycat Recipe

I’m not sure about you, but I consider McDonald’s hash browns among their most delicate items. They’re great in the restaurant, but I think my version is much better when it’s cooked at home!

Once you try these easy and delectable homemade hash browns, you’ll be addicted. That has certainly been the case for me. So far this week, I’ve cooked these for breakfast nearly every morning.

Making these McDonald’s hash browns at home is also great because no harmful ingredients are added, which I appreciate. My meal should not contain anything like sodium acid pyrophosphate or hydrogenated soybean oil!

The original McDonald’s hash browns don’t contain any cheese, cayenne pepper, or other additives. Still, I see most, if not all, online versions that do—missing essential flavors, such as those from beef stock and a little sugar. But don’t worry; you’re going to create something genuine.

The second item that appears to be ignored by everyone is confit cooking. Cooking anything in fat or oil at a reduced temperature is known as confit cooking. Because it changes the starch within, most restaurants “double fried” their potatoes.

As a result, it becomes even crispier when you re-fry it after chilling. Confit, indeed, yep.

Homemade McDonald's Hash Browns Copycat Recipe - Cooking Frog (1)

Ingredients you’ll need

Okay, to prepare these delectable McDonald’s hash browns, you just need some basic ingredients. And while this recipe calls for a few more ingredients compared to standard hash brown recipes, they are more than worth it.

Here is all you will need to prepare this simple hash browns recipe:

  • Russet Potatoes
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Pepper
  • Cornstarch
  • Vegetable Oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
  • Dry beef stock powder

Since Yukon potatoes have excellent consistency, I occasionally use them to create hash browns, but any potato would work in this recipe. Because the original recipe calls for russet potatoes, I’ve included them.

Regarding the oil, McDonald’s uses a blend of rapeseed and sunflower oils. Any neutral high-heat oil, such as canola oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, or macadamia nut oil, can be used.

How to make McDonald’s Hash Browns Copycat

Once more, making a homemade hash brown that tastes like the one from McDonald’s couldn’t be simpler. To make them, you only need to follow a few simple steps. And the steps in the procedure are basically peeling, grating, straining, shaping, and frying.

You’ll find this recipe incredibly straightforward to create, even if it’s your first time cooking hash brown patties from scratch. And, to be honest, once you’ve prepared these hash browns, cooking them again and again will be simple.

Now, let’s start with the recipe and quit wasting time!

Step 1: Prepare the potatoes.

The potatoes must first be peeled and placed in a dish of cold water to prevent browning. Use a box grater’s big hole to shred the potatoes. Fill the bowl with cold water, then stir the potatoes well. Drain off the water when it becomes cloudy.

Then, move the chopped potatoes to a mesh sieve or strainer and squeeze them to remove most of their extra liquid.

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Step 2: Confit Cooking

To get the restaurant quality hash browns, I advise you don’t skip this step.

A non-stick skillet should be heated at low heat. Add the potatoes to the hot oil and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes. Before continuing, strain the potatoes and let them a little period of cooling.

Step 4: Combine the ingredients and form the hash brown patties.

Combine the potatoes in a bowl with the sugar, cornstarch, dry beef stock powder, salt, and pepper—Transfer 1/4 cup of the hashbrown mixture on a piece of parchment paper afterward.

Make a rectangle out of the potatoes by flattening them. Add another 2-3 tablespoons of the potatoes on top, then fold the parchment paper over the top to help create the patties.

Repeat these final two procedures with the remaining hash brown mixture until you have about four large patties.

Step 5: Frying and Serving

Next, add the oil to a nonstick skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. After that, add the hashbrowns and fry them there for a few minutes on each side or until golden brown.

How To Store Hash Browns

You are aware by now that this McDonald’s hash browns recipe yields around four patties. Don’t worry if you can’t eat them all or decide to double the recipe since they really keep nicely.

You may keep the cooked hash browns in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. By the way, you can freeze the hash browns for up to 10 months if you want to store them for even longer. Just make sure the bag is freezer-safe. This is the approach I normally take. I usually prepare an extra batch of these McDonald’s hash browns since I like preparing and eating them so much. The excess batch is simply frozen, so it’s available anytime I need a quick side for breakfast.

In any case, I advise using parchment paper to line each patty in order to keep them from adhering or disintegrating.

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Reheating Hash Browns

The simplest method to reheat hash browns is to put them in the microwave and cook them for 20 seconds at a time until well hot.

Alternatively, you may bake your hash brown patties at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, or until they are well cooked, on a baking sheet coated with parchment paper or foil. This is the best approach if you want them to crisp back up.

McDonald’s Hash Browns Recipe

Ok, time for more detailed recipe instructions.

Ingredients

  • 3 Russet Potatoes
  • 1 tsp of Salt
  • 1 tsp of pepper
  • 1 tsp of sugar
  • 6 tbsp of Cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp of Vegetable Oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
  • 1 tsp of dry beef stock powder

Instructions

  • Peel and cut the potatoes, then put them in a bowl of cold water so they won’t turn brown. Next, grate the potatoes thru the large hole on a box grater.
  • Add cold water to the basin, then stir the potatoes well. Drain the water after it has become murky.
  • To release most of the liquid, move to a strainer and press.
  • On low heat, preheat a nonstick skillet. Add the potatoes to the heated oil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Before continuing, drain the potatoes using an oil strainer and give them a little time to cool.
  • Combine the salt, pepper, dry beef stock powder, and cornstarch with the potatoes in a bowl.
  • Put 1/4 cup of the mixture on a piece of parchment paper. Make it flat, like a rectangle shape. Add another 2–3 tablespoons of potatoes on top, and then fold the parchment paper over the top to make it flat. You can make the patties with the help of paper. Do the same thing with the rest of the mix.
  • Add the oil to a nonstick skillet that has been heated to medium-high. Add the hashbrowns to the skillet and cook them for a few minutes, turning them occasionally, until golden brown all over.

Share the image below to your Pinterest board if you like these McDonald’s hash browns!

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Conclusion

There is no way that this hash brown dish could be any more authentic. Every bite has the same deliciousness you adored every time you’ve eaten at McDonald’s, and the outside’s crisp crunch, buttery middle.

3.8/5 (105 Reviews)

Homemade McDonald's Hash Browns Copycat Recipe - Cooking Frog (2024)

FAQs

How does McDonald's cook their hash browns? ›

The pieces are then mixed with salt and pepper, cornflour and potato flour, before being formed into the distinct hash brown shape. The hash browns are then part-fried before being cooled, frozen and packed ready for shipment to our restaurants.

Which hash browns taste like McDonald's? ›

“In the case of hash browns, there are quite a few that are almost identical to McDonald's hash browns,” says Haracz and states the one he found to be the closest is “Season's Choice Hash Browns” found in Aldi stores.

Why do McDonald's hash browns taste different? ›

Each of the potato varieties McDonald's uses adds its own unique flavor and/or texture to McDonald's potato products.

What will prevent the hash browns from becoming crispy? ›

Dry Potatoes = Crispy Hash Browns

Most recipes for shredded hash browns advise squeezing the potatoes to release as much liquid as possible before they're cooked. This makes sense—potatoes are loaded with moisture, which makes browning difficult.

What oil does McDonald's cook hash browns in? ›

McDonald's hash browns are made in the West Midlands, using British-grown potatoes. They are then cooked in a 100% vegetable oil made up of a blend of sunflower and rapeseed oil.

Where can I buy McDonald's hash browns? ›

Stock up and have crispy, golden breakfast potatoes any time you want.

What is the closest to McDonald's hash browns? ›

Former corporate McDonald's chef Mike Haracz says the recipe closest to McDonald's hashbrowns comes from Aldi under the brand name Season's Choice. These hashbrowns patties come in a pack of 20, and Haracz states in a TikTok video that the ingredient list is very similar to those of McDonald's famous potato pancakes.

What brand of potatoes does McDonald's use? ›

Our World Famous Fries® are made from quality potatoes, including Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Umatilla Russet and the Shepody. The suppliers we work with first peel, cut and blanche the potatoes. They then dry, partially fry and quickly freeze the fries for our restaurants.

Who supplies McDonald's hash browns? ›

McDonald's buys all its potato products from three companies: McCain Foods, JR Simplot and Lamb Weston. Those are the three biggest potato processors in the world, and they have operations worldwide. McDonald's has very tight specifications that the three companies must meet, so you co...

Why doesn't McDonald's fries taste good anymore? ›

In 1990, though, McDonald's swapped the tallow for vegetable oil due to a prolonged campaign conducted by Phil Sokolof, a multi-millionaire who made his money from producing construction equipment (via The New York Times). Ever since, the french fry that built McDonald's was merely good, not amazing.

How much did McDonald's hashbrowns used to cost? ›

Once costing two for a dollar, McDonald's hash browns now cost over $3 a pop in some locations.

What is the trick to cooking hash browns? ›

Heat the oil in the pan first: Make sure you are using enough oil to generously coat the pan well, and get the oil shimmering before adding the potatoes. Spread the potatoes in a thin layer: A thin layer of shredded potatoes in the pan will help the hash browns crisp up better and cook more evenly.

Why do my homemade hash browns turn grey? ›

It depends on whether your potatoes are turning gray before you cook them or after. When you grate raw potatoes, you release starch that can cause them to oxidize, or turn dark. The best way to keep that from happening is to cover the potatoes with cold water, then drain them very well and pat them dry before cooking.

Why are my homemade hash browns mushy? ›

If you don't eliminate enough liquid (from the potatoes that you, again, just soaked in water), they will get soggy instead of crispy, a.k.a. a total bummer.

Are McDonald's hash browns deep fried? ›

McDonald's Hash Browns are a breakfast item made from shredded potatoes, formed into a rectangular patty, and deep-fried until crispy, golden brown. The hash browns sold at McDonalds are one of the most well-known and popular breakfast side dishes in North America.

Are frozen hash browns cooked or raw? ›

Commercially the potatoes are steamed and tumbled to get the skin off, then shredded and blanched in water or oil and then (this is key) individually flash frozen in huge freezers by running the potato pieces thru on a conveyor belt. Then bagged and ready for the customer to oven bake or finish fry.

What does McDonald's use to cook their fries in? ›

Once in our kitchens, we cook them in our canola-blend oil so you can have them crispy and hot—just the way you like them. Want to hear more about our fry ingredients?

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