The key difference between hash browns and home fries is that hash brown is a breakfast meal that is made using finely chopped potatoes after frying, whereas home fries are made using sliced or wedged, or diced potatoes.
Both hash browns and home fries are dishes made up using potatoes. However, there is a difference between them based on the ingredients and the cooking methods used.
Key Takeaways
- Hash browns are made from finely chopped and grated potatoes, while home fries are made from sliced, wedged, or diced potatoes.
- Hash browns are typically fried in oil, while home fries can be fried, baked, or microwaved.
- Although hash browns are traditionally a breakfast dish, they have become popular throughout the day as a side dish or part of other meals.
What are Hash Browns?
Hash browns is a popular breakfast dish around the world. This dish is made out of finely chopped and grated potatoes. The grated potatoes should be fried until they become brown. The other ingredients needed for making hash brown are salt, pepper, eggs, and onions.
To make hash browns, you have to first grate the potatoes and add onions, salt, and pepper, and an egg to the potato mixture. Then the mixture is flattened as a patty on the pan and fried using vegetable oil. The origin of the hash browns is America. Although hash browns were served only as a breakfast meal in the past, with commercialization, restaurants have started to offer hash browns throughout the day. They can be eaten as a side dish with other meals too.
What are Home Fries?
Home fries are a dish made using potatoes. Sliced, wedged, or diced potatoes are used to prepare this dish, and different names are used in different countries to refer to this dish. House fries, fried potatoes, and American fries are some of the names used to refer to this name. Home fries can be made using different cooking styles. The potato slices can be fried, microwaved, or sometimes baked to prepare the dish.
In some countries, home fries are used as a side dish in a breakfast meal. At the same time, on some occasions, home fries are used as a substitute for hash browns. Home fries should be seasoned before serving, and it has a savory flavor. As other ingredients, salt, pepper, and onions are added in making home fries.
What is the Difference Between Hash Browns and Home Fries?
The key difference between hash browns and home fries is that hash browns are made of chopped and grated potatoes, while home fries are made using sliced, wedged, and diced potatoes. Ingredients like pepper, salt, and oil are used in making both dishes. Although beaten eggs are used in making hash browns, eggs are not used in making home fries.
The other major difference between hash browns and home fries is their cooking method. The mixture of hash brown is put into the pan and arranged as a patty and fried, but the potato slices in home fries are directly baked or fried. Hash browns are made by frying the grated potato mixture with oil. Frying is the only cooking style that can be used to make hash browns. But home fries are made using different cooking styles. Home fries can be made by frying, baking, or microwaving.
Summary – Hash Browns vs Home Fries
The key difference between hash browns and home fries is that hash brown is a breakfast meal made of grated potatoes, whereas home fries are made up using sliced and diced potato. Although hash browns are always fried using oil, home fries do not necessarily require the use of oil since the dish can be cooked using different cooking styles.
Reference:
1. “Hash Browns.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Dec. 2021.
2. “Hash Browns Recipe.” BBC Food, BBC.
3. Foster, Kelli. “How to Make Diner-Style Home Fries.” Kitchn, Apartment Therapy, LLC., 1 May 2019.
Image Courtesy:1. “Hash browns at KFC in Yogyakarta, Indonesia” By Crisco 1492 – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Home fries” By Michele Frazier from USA – Yummy Home Fries (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
