Vegan Hash Browns (McDonald’s Copycat!)

Golden, salty, crispy-on-the-outside hash browns that taste just like the ones from your childhood (or current) drive-thru order, but made fresh in your own kitchen! These vegan hash browns are everything you want first thing in the morning, or honestly, any time of day.

I still remember the first time I tried making these. Idea fresh in my head, the ingredients ready, and somehow ended up with a pan full of sad, crumbling potatoes. After a few more attempts (and a lot of frying oil), I finally landed on this version: perfectly crisp, golden hash browns with just the right amount that signature texture you can hear when you bite into them.

It’s now one of those recipes I come back to when I want something simple but nostalgic, and reliably good every time. Not to mention you’ll be eternally loved by anyone you make these for, so be sure to make them in bigger batches (and pair them with this vegan Just Egg copycat for the perfect scramble)!

Why We Keep Coming Back to These

I’ve been making hash browns for years – from Sunday brunches with the family, to early morning breakfasts before daycare that our little one will love. I even adapted them to some of my *wilder* instagram creations like this vegan breakfast double down sandwich. These really don’t miss!

• They beat the original. I grew up on golden McDonald’s hash browns, so I didn’t expect to outdo them. But after testing this recipe more times than I can count, I’m convinced I did it. These are thicker, crispier, and have that perfectly soft centre.
• Not just for breakfast. We’ve had these alongside everything from tofu scramble to late-night vegan burgers. They’re the kind of side that works just as well with a weekend brunch as they do next to our Vegan Chicken Big Mac.
• Simple ingredients, no extras. Just four basic ingredients, no fancy tools, and no hidden steps. We wanted these to be easy to make without sacrificing the taste we were chasing—and after all our testing, this version hits every time.

Where my recipe testing came in handy, was my findings about how to best reheat

• Microwave, no.
• Air fryer, better and gets crispy enough, but no.

What I found to be the best way, takes a little longer but always worth it for the mouthwatering crunch we all love! Try refrying them in a shallow amount of oil. It’s important to get the oil extra hot before placing the hash browns in. If it is not hot enough, the hash browns will absorb the oil instead of creating a crispy exterior.

Vegan Crispy Pan Fried Hash Browns (McDonald’s Copycat)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Greg Bellefontaine
• Prep Time: 1:10
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 1:20
• Yield: 4 large hash browns
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: pan fried
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This homemade vegan version of MacDonalds’ hash browns delivers all the satisfying texture and flavor of the original, with a few tweaks to make them bigger and even better.

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Ingredients

• 3 large russet potatoes peeled and chopped into thirds
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 3 tbsp JustEgg liquid vegan egg or homemade JustEgg
• 1 cup vegetable oil for shallow frying
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. In a medium pot over high heat, parboil the potatoes until slightly softened on the exterior. Remove from heat and cool in cold water before shredding into a large bowl with a box grater.
2. Add cornstarch, salt, pepper and vegan egg to the potato mixture. Stir until fully combined.
3. On a large baking sheet, form the potato mixture into four rectangle hash brown patties. (This calls for making the hash browns larger, but you can form them into 6 equal smaller patties instead).
4. Refrigerate the patties for an hour.
5. Bring a medium pan with oil to heat and fry each side of the hash browns evenly until golden brown on both sides.
6. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4