5-IngredientSweet Potato Hash Recipe (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

Cook up a big skillet of Sweet Potato Hash with just 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper). It’s delicious, whole-food cooking at its finest with plenty of color, texture, and flavor to tantalize your appetite. Top with eggs cooked to order and you’ll swear you’re at the best diner in town!

My friend Becca deserves all of the credit for this easy sweet potato hash recipe. She taught me her go-to breakfast recipe (or breakfast for dinner; do you!), which I now make in massive quantities every year when my family convenes for our annual log cabin vacation.

Calling for just 5 base ingredients, plus whatever toppings or serving accoutrement your crew craves, this sweet potato hash is almost as simple to make as it is to devour. Whip up a communal batch, cook eggs to order (psst…here’s how to fry eggs, soft boil eggs, hard boil eggs, scramble eggs, and poached eggs), then prepare to dive into a mountain of comfort food.

Or, make just the hash as a simple side dish to serve alongside other brunch potluck favorites like Glazed Ham, Homemade Crescent Rolls, Seven Layer Salad, and a big bowl of Fruit Salad.

Every crisp-tender, golden brown, savory-yet-sweet bite is unforgettably delicious. Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash is simply one of the best anytime-of-day dishes ever, with or without eggs.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

• Bacon: Or diced pancetta. For a vegetarian option, omit the pork products entirely and use 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking the veggies in Step #2.
• Onions: Yellow onions or white onions are classic in this recipe.
• Red bell pepper: These perk up the colors in this skillet recipe, but you can’t go wrong with yellow, orange, or green bell pepper, either.
• Sweet potato: Orange, purple, or whatever hue you desire. Or swap in regular russet potatoes.

Step by step instructions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a napkin-lined plate. Leave bacon fat in the pan (or reserve a few tablespoons for cooking eggs if desired).

2. Add onion and red pepper. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in sweet potatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the sweet potatoes begin to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Stir in bacon and thyme to skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Serve with grilled bread and fried eggs if desired.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon makes eight generous servings. For hearty appetites, top each scoop with two or three eggs instead of one, and have plenty of bread handy to sop up any runny yolk goodness.
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: The sweet potato hash can be made a day in advance. It holds really well! Just reheat on the stove-top and serve with grilled bread and eggs if desired.
• Paleo and Whole30 Compatible: Choose an uncured no-sugar bacon such as Nature’s Rancher No Sugar Added Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon and omit the bread for serving.
• Tasty substitutions: Use avocado oil instead of the extra-virgin olive oil. Add your favorite spices like garlic, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, and fresh parsley.
• Sausage Hash Brown Casserole: A cheesy sausage omelet meets crispy diner-style hash brown potatoes in this easy, delicious one-skillet breakfast recipe.
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes: MakeMashed Sweet Potatoes with fresh thyme, butter, and just a touch of brown sugar. This one-pot recipe always delivers delicious results, and is a perfect side to work into your weeknight routine.
• Sweet Potato Casserole: My easy Sweet Potato Casserole recipe has an easy marshmallow topping and requires just 5 minutes of bake time.
• Sweet Potato Chili: This delicious, nourishingSweet Potato Chili is loaded with black beans, vegetables, and all the classic spices. It’s naturally vegan, easy to make, and perfect for meal prep or popping in the freezer.