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McDonald’s hash browns served during breakfast are known around the world for being crisp and golden. But, could people make their own version at home that’s just as good – if not better?
Known online as The Air Fryer Geek, Daniele Di Nunzio tried to replicate the iconic fast food breakfast side order at home, but made “crunchier” with claims that it is also healthier as it avoids deep frying too. We have included a full list of the ingredients you’ll need to have to make four hash browns.
Ingredients:
- 6-7 medium-sized potatoes
- 1TBS cornstarch
- 1TBS of salt
- 3TBS of extra virgin olive oil
To start, Daniele grated some Idaho potatoes, which are typically what Brits would call Russet potatoes, into a bowl that was filled with salted water. He claimed that this step allowed the potatoes to absorb the flavour of the seasoning over the course of a few hours.
The next part of the recipe involved drying the potatoes off as much as possible by wrapping them in a towel and squeezing out any moisture. Daniele claimed: “We don’t want water, as I say, we want crispiness.”
The home cook demonstrates the technique of squeezing water from the potato back into the bowl before moving onto the two-part cooking process. Daniele prepares the raw and unshaped potato for his air fryer that has been preheated to 400F (200C).
He said: “Inside a bowl, I’m going to add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and then toss it. My potato will soak up a little bit of the oil which is really important.”
After eight minutes, he took the hash brown mixture out of the air fryer and seasoned with corn starch. Daniele said: “Inside a clean bowl, I’m adding corn starch that will help to keep the hash brown together.”
Then, he attempted to copy the iconic shape that McDonald’s uses by pressing 70g of his hash brown mixture into a biscuit cutter. People can just as easily eyeball the shape, but this allows all your hash browns to come out looking uniform like the ones at the Golden Arches.
To make sure these hash browns maintain their shape, Daniele put them into the freezer for a few hours before cooking. You could easily whip these up in advance of any mornings when you’re craving a McDonald’s-style breakfast and just miss the 11am cut-off.
To create the final product, Daniele preheats the air fryer at 400F (200C) for 10 minutes so the device to “super hot” and ready to cook the side dish “to perfection”. He placed two hash browns into the hot basket and then coated them again with a helping of olive oil and, with pre-heating, had crisp and golden hash browns after eight minutes.
Is it important to preheat my air fryer?
It is generally recommended to preheat your air fryer before cooking, although some air fryers may not require it. Preheating ensures the air fryer reaches the desired temperature, leading to faster cooking times, crispier results, and more even cooking.
However, some air fryers can be used without preheating but some recipes may not require it. Always refer to your air fryer’s user manual or recipe instructions for specific preheating recommendations.
Preheating can lead to better crisping, faster cooking times, and more even cooking, especially for frozen foods. If you don’t preheat, you might experience uneven cooking, with some parts of the food underdone while others are overcooked.
