Chicken Hash is a comforting, warming, filling breakfast or dinner recipe great for using leftovers or meal prep. This budget-friendly family favorite is full of veggies, protein, and nutrients.
About Chicken Hash
This chicken hash is glorious. It's comforting, warming, filling, and full of veggies.
Plus, it's downright delicious.
One of my grandmother Nan's go-to breakfast recipes was hash. Usually turkey or beef hash, but really it was any type of meat she had left over from the night before (or found in the freezer).
The version is made with chicken.
You can use leftover chicken, or buy & cook some chicken before making the hash. This will add only about 10 minutes to your cooking time.
While this old fashion chicken hash isn't a super quick recipe, it doesn't require a lot of effort. Just time.
Nan always made this for breakfast, but it's great for dinner. I love making a big batch and freezing it for later.
You can serve it as is or over grits.
Nan insisted that you boil the potatoes in unsalted chicken broth or vegetable stock for maximum flavor, so I always do this.
Especially because you add the potatoes with their cooking liquid to the hash, the broth flavors this chicken hash recipe.
And when you cook the potatoes in broth, you keep the potatoes from tasting bland.
The hash is better the longer you let it cook, but it's so tasty that it's hard to wait.
Ingredients
Broth: Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth can be used to make this chicken hash recipe. Homemade or storebought will both work, but I recommend using low-sodium or no-salt-added to keep the sodium from being super high in this dish.
In a pinch, you can use water, but you'll want to add extra seasoning to the hash to compensate for the lack of flavor.
Potatoes: White potatoes, red potatoes, and yellow potatoes are great for hash and stews because they retain most of their texture when cooked. Russet potatoes are also a good option and were used for testing the recipe.
Butter: To sauté the veggies (and cook the chicken if needed), use butter, olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or bacon grease.
Chicken: This is a great recipe for using leftover cooked chicken (or turkey). Or simply cook the chicken in the same pot before you start sauteeing the veggies. You can use chicken breasts, thighs, or ground chicken.
Veggies: Onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and potatoes are the veggies in this hash. Any color of onions will work, and you can adjust the amount of each veggie you like.
Spices: Paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt, and fresh thyme season this recipe. You can adjust as desired or add other spices you enjoy.
Cornstarch: To thicken the hash, mix cold liquid with cornstarch then add it to the pot. After it simmers for about 10 minutes, it will thicken. You can use water or extra broth, but make sure it is cold.
Recipe Cost
- chicken broth 3 cups: $1.71
- potatoes 1 pound: $0.60
- butter 2 tablespoons: $0.24
- chicken breast 1.5 pounds: $6.89
- onions 2 medium: $1
- celery 6 stalks: $0.84
- carrots 4 medium: $0.80
- mushrooms 8 ounces: $1.98
- garlic 3 cloves: $0.18
- paprika 1 teaspoon: $0.15
- black pepper 1 teaspoon: $0.12
- cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon: $0.02
- nutmeg ⅛ teaspoon: $0.02
- salt 1 teaspoon: $0.01
- fresh thyme ½ teaspoon: $0.04
- cornstarch 1 tablespoon: $0.06
TOTAL COST: $14.66 or $1.83/serving (Based on San Diego grocery stores 2024)
Note that this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.
How to Make Chicken Hash
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Chicken Hash is a comforting, warming, filling breakfast or dinner recipe great for using leftovers or meal prep.
- In a large pot, cook the chicken. Chop.
Or chop cooked chicken, and set aside.
- In a medium pot, boil chopped potatoes in chicken broth.
- Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in the large pot.
- Add mushrooms and garlic.
- Stir in spices and chicken.
- Pour potatoes and broth into the large pot.
Add fresh thyme, and simmer.
- Whisk together cold water and cornstarch. Stir into pot.
Simmer.
- Once the hash has thickened, enjoy!
Great served over grits.
Recipe Tips
*If you are using leftover cooked chicken, you'll only need 1 tablespoon of butter for sauteing veggies.
*Make sure you use cold liquid to mix with the cornstarch. Otherwise, you might get undesirable lumps in your hush.
Variations
Ingredient Options
Garlic: Garlic powder can be used in place of fresh garlic. Use 1 teaspoons of garlic powder.
Fresh thyme: Fresh rosemary can be used in place of fresh thyme. Mince it before adding it to the hash. Additionally, you can use dried thyme, which you will add with the other seasonings.
How to Make Allergy-Friendly
This chicken hash recipe is naturally gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free. Use oil or bacon grease instead of butter to make it dairy-free.
How to Fix a Mistake
Too thin: Simmer for an additional 15-30 minutes until it thickens. Or stir together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 2 tablespoons of cold liquid and pour into chicken hash. Cook for 5-10 minutes until thickened.
Too thick: Pour in water or broth in ½ cup increments, stirring between additions, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Lacking flavor: Add extra spices, a squeeze of lemon juice, or a dash of hot sauce.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Chicken hash is ideal for making in advance, so it's great for meal prep. Simply follow the directions and store in the fridge or freezer.
It's helpful to freeze in smaller containers, so you don't have to defrost the entire batch if you only need a few servings.
Storage Suggestions
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
To reheat:
- In the microwave: Put in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 45 seconds at 100% power. Stir and microwave for another 30-45 seconds until warm.
- On the stovetop: Transfer hash to a pot, and heat over medium. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hash has a more gravy-like consistency whereas stew has a more soup-like consistency.
Otherwise, they have similar traits.
Nutrition Benefits
This old-fashioned chicken hash recipe has over 12 cups of veggies including onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, and potatoes.
Plus, one (2-cup) serving provides 23 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, 115% RDA of Vitamin A, 29% RDA of potassium, and 24% RDA of Vitamin C.
What to Serve with Chicken Hash
My favorite way to enjoy chicken hash is over grits, preferably cheese grits.
Technically, this can be served on its own because it has a nice balance of protein, carbs, and fat.
Since I typically serve it for breakfast, I like to add a side of bacon and fruit.
Final thoughts:
My whole family loves this old-fashioned chicken hash recipe, and you will too!
It's hearty, delicious, and nutritious. Great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken and to have breakfast or dinner in the freezer.
Even though it takes time to simmer, chicken hash is simple. In fact, it's one of my favorite easy meals.
I always get excited to have it for breakfast (especially since it makes so much and I only have to cook one pot to get 8 giant servings).
MORE HASH RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
Chicken Hash
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups chopped potatoes 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 ½ pounds chicken uncooked
- 2 ½ cups diced onion 2 medium onions
- 2 ½ cups diced celery 6 stalks
- 2 cups sliced carrots 4 medium
- 2 ½ cups sliced mushrooms 8 ounces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water or broth
Instructions
- In a medium pot, boil broth and potatoes for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is done (about 10 minutes). Set aside & shred to make 3 ½ cups cooked chicken.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pot, and add the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add in mushrooms and minced garlic, and sauté for about 7 minutes until the mushrooms release their juices.
- Add paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Stir well.
- Transfer the potatoes, the broth with the potatoes, and the chicken to the pot with the veggies. Stir together.
- In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch. Pour into pot, and stir well.
- Stir in fresh thyme. Let the mixture simmer for at least 30 minutes. Best if cooked for over an hour. Enjoy!
Notes
What to Use in This Recipe
Meme
This post was originally published on January 17, 2016. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Talk about comfort food in a bowl - perfect for January!
Meme
I know right?! I wish I had infinite bowls for this cold weather!!!