There are several ways to cook frozen hash browns. You can use an Air Fryer to cook hash browns if you have one of these, they cook in about 8-10 minutes at 175°C, turning them over half way through.  Then, of course, there’s one way to just reheat them and accept it’s food, but not the best way to do it 🙂

You do not need to defrost hash browns before you cook them – cooking from frozen is the usual way.  Frozen hash browns are triangle-shaped potato and onion rosti cakes, which have been made and partly cooked before being frozen, so they are already “half cooked” when you open the bag.

The photograph above shows Iceland Hash Browns, but I now prefer to use the Lidl Hash Browns, which are larger and darker in colour.  Lidl is, for me, just a few paces from my house too, whereas Iceland is some miles away.

To Cook Frozen Hash Browns in a Frying Pan

1. Pour a little cooking oil, or lard, into a frying pan (US: skillet).  You can use the oil you usually use when you fry chips, or fried eggs.  Just regular oil.  You just need enough to coat/cover the bottom of the frying pan.
2. Put the frying pan on your hob and heat the oil until it you can tell it’s hot.  You might hear it, or you might see small bubbles appearing.  Make sure your heat is medium, not full on.  You don’t want the oil to burn, or the hash browns to cook too quickly.
3. Remove all packaging from the hash browns and place them in the frying pan in a single layer, giving yourself enough room to be able to move them about a little, or to turn them over.  Fry for 2-3 minutes, then turn them over, repeat until both sides are nicely browned, just how you like them. Expect them to take about 8-10 minutes.
4. Turn the hash browns out onto a piece of kitchen paper to drain any excess fat off.  Serve.

To Oven Bake Frozen Hash Browns

1. Pre-heat your oven to 220°C (200°C for a fan oven), or Gas Mark 7.
2. Remove the hash browns from any packaging and place them on a baking tray in a single layer – there’s no need to grease the tray if it’s non-stick or if you’re confident they won’t stick as there will be a residue of fat from their cooking process in the factory.  If in doubt, just grease the tray very lightly.
3. Place the baking tray on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Turn them over half way through – the hash browns are cooked when they are the brown colour you want them to be!  Check they’re hot in the middle before serving as ovens do vary.

Can I Microwave Frozen Hash Browns?

Ah, there’s a question!  Can a hash brown be cooked in a microwave oven?

Frozen hash browns can be cooked in a microwave oven – and many brands even become brown.  I always cook hash browns in the microwave as it’s super quick and easy, so here’s how to cook hash browns in the microwave:

1. Remove all packaging and lay your hash browns down in a microwave safe dish – for some hash browns you will need to put a lid on the dish, or cover it, to retain the moisture, it’s optional if you have no lid, but some brands of hash browns will come out a little drier.  I find the Lidl Hash Browns are fine without a lid, whereas the Iceland Hash Browns needed one. Make sure the hash browns do not overlap, else they will stick together!
2. Microwave on full power (800 watts microwave) for 1½ minutes, then turn them over.  Repeat until you feel they’re “good enough to eat” which will be 3-5 minutes, depending on how many you are microwaving, the power of your microwave and the size/shape of dish or mug you are cooking them in.  I sometimes cook hash browns in a mug as I’m just cooking two and they fit, but they do lose their shape; hash browns are best cooked when kept flat!
3. Leave the hash browns to one side for a minute or two to “settle”.

Hash browns will ALWAYS look and taste better if you have managed to fry, bake or Actifry them.  But if that’s not an option, then it’s possible to use a microwave to cook them but you will have to accept that you won’t get the same experience, but they are at least edible and safe!  I actually enjoy eating hash browns cooked in the microwave oven, when the alternative is to go without.

Most of the time I use the microwave to cook hash browns because it’s quick and clean and unfussy!  If I use a dish large enough, I’ll even add the remaining breakfast items to the hash brown dish to use as my plate, to save on washing up 🙂