Sweet Potato Bacon Hash is a satisfying breakfast or brunch recipe full of onions, sweet potatoes, and bacon topped with a fried egg made all in one skillet.
About Bacon Sweet Potato Hash
If you're looking to change up your breakfast but still want it to be nutritious and enjoyable, I highly suggest this Sweet Potato Bacon Hash.
I've always been a big fan of hash, like chicken hash, mushroom and sausage hash, and corned beef and cabbage hash. I love how you get a complete meal in one pot usually with potatoes, veggies, and some kind of tasty protein with lots of flavors.
This bacon sweet potato hash is no exception; plus, it's simple and budget-friendly making it great for breakfast, brunch, and even weeknight dinners.
My absolute favorite part of this recipe though is that you can do everything in one skillet - yay for washing fewer dishes.
You'll start by frying the bacon and then cooking the veggies in the bacon grease.
Sautéing the veggies in the small amount of bacon grease released from frying your bacon gives a depth of flavor to your hash without too much richness.
Finishing off the hash, you'll add some fresh herbs and salt. Then you'll fry an egg to top your hash.
The herbs and egg are optional, but I think the herbs are worth it because they really brighten up the flavor. I prefer thyme but rosemary is also tasty. Plus, you can also use dried herbs.
As for the eggs, I like to fry them, but you can serve them any way you like. Or like I said, omit them if you want. If you don't mind washing two pots (one used to make the hash and one used to fry the eggs), you can fry the eggs while you are finishing the hash.
Ingredients
Bacon: Whatever bacon you like is what you should use. Regular, thick-cut, or center-cut bacon are all good options. Center-cut bacon has less fat content if that is something you monitor.
Sweet potatoes: When buying sweet potatoes, look for ones without sprouts or bruises. You'll need 1 to 1.25 pounds of sweet potatoes which is 2 medium-large potatoes or 3 small-medium potatoes.
Onions: I like to use a combo of white or yellow onions with red onions. Honestly, any type of onion will be delicious in this bacon sweet potato hash. You could also add a bell pepper in place of one onion if desired.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is my go-to, but garlic powder will also work if you don't feel like mincing garlic.
Thyme: My favorite herb to use in this Sweet Potato Bacon Hash is fresh thyme. However, I've used dried thyme as well as fresh & dried rosemary. See notes for measurements.
Salt: The bacon adds some sodium, but I really think the potatoes and onions need some salt to bring out the richness of the dish along with the sweetness of the onions.
Eggs: All eggs are great options here. I typically buy large eggs since they are the standard for most recipes, but use whatever you have. When it comes to eggs, I don't bother spending extra on brown or cage-free, but that is a personal preference.
Cost
- bacon 4 slices: $1.50
- sweet potatoes 2 medium: $0.96
- yellow onion 1 medium: $0.50
- red onion 1 medium: $0.98
- garlic 2 cloves: $0.12
- fresh thyme 1 teaspoon: $0.08
- salt ½ teaspoon: $0.02
- eggs 4 large: $1.44
TOTAL COST: $5.60 or $1.40/serving (Based on San Diego grocery stores 2023)
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 Sweet Potato Bacon Hash
Time needed: 45 minutes
Here are the steps for how to make Bacon Sweet Potato Hash:
- Cook the bacon.
Add the chopped bacon to a cold skillet, and cook until done.
- Remove the bacon from the skillet.
Drain bacon.
- Cook sweet potatoes.
Add the sweet potatoes to the bacon grease, and cook.
- Add the onions to the skillet, and sauté.
- Season the potatoes and onions.
Stir in garlic, thyme, and salt. Remove from the skillet and plate.
- Fry the eggs in the skillet.
Top the sweet potatoes and onions with a fried egg and bacon crumbles. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Variations
Ingredient Options
Onions: You do not have to use one red and one yellow. You can use two onions of any type or color.
Thyme: Dried thyme will work; use ½ teaspoon in place of the 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme.
If you use dried herbs, add them when you add the onions to give it time to release its flavor. Or use fresh (1 teaspoon) or dried (½ teaspoon) rosemary, oregano, or parsley in place of thyme.
How to Make Allergy Friendly
This is already gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free.
If you want it to be vegetarian, omit the bacon. Sauté the potatoes and onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, avocado oil, or butter (this will make it no longer dairy-free).
Leave off the egg if you want this to be egg-free.
Alternative Prep & Cooking
You can poach the eggs or scramble them if you prefer poached eggs or scrambled eggs over fried eggs.
How to Fix a Mistake
Crunchy sweet potatoes: You want the sweet potatoes to be cooked and softened. So if they are hard, cook them for another 10-15 minutes.
To speed this up and ensure that they are cooked through, add ¼ cup of water to the hash. Then cook the hash over medium until the water evaporates.
Make Ahead Ideas
You can make the hash in advance up to 3 days before eating.
Store the crumbled & cooked bacon in one container in the fridge and the sweet potato-onion mixture in another airtight container in the fridge.
I don't recommend cooking the egg until right before serving.
To reheat in a skillet: Add sweet potato-onion mixture to a nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Cook the egg however you prefer just before serving, and sprinkle it with the cooked bacon.
To reheat in the microwave: Add sweet potato-onion to a microwave-safe bowl and cover lightly with a towel. Heat for 45 seconds, stirring between heating, until warmed through. Cook the egg however you like. Sprinkle with bacon.
Storage Suggestions
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Can be reheated on the stovetop using a skillet or heat in the microwave (as directed above).
I do not recommend freezing the mixture because the texture will not be the same once it defrosts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This bacon hash with sweet potato is the perfect example. The sweetness from the sweet potato balances the rich and savory bacon.
Absolutely! Sweet potatoes are great for a nutritious breakfast. This sweet potato bacon hash provides a balance of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates that help keep you full for hours.
Nutrition Benefits
Each serving of this bacon hash gives you 11 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, 327% RDA of Vitamin A, 16% of Vitamin C, 15% of potassium, 11% of iron, and 8% of calcium.
Even though onions don't have tons of color, they are still incredibly nutritious with polyphenols, micronutrients with potential heart disease and cancer-fighting powers, and quercetin which is an anti-inflammatory anti-oxidant. Same with garlic.
Sweet potatoes provide complex carbohydrates, fiber, and a hefty dose of Vitamin A.
Eggs are a good source of vegetarian protein. The small amount of bacon gives amazing flavor to your hash and helps you feel satisfied thanks to the protein it has.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Bacon Hash
While this bacon sweet potato hash is a balanced meal, the serving size you need can vary depending on your hunger level.
The serving size is not very large (about 1 cup of potatoes and onions + one fried egg + one slice of crumbled bacon), so I often eat double the amount of hash and bacon to make sure I feel full and satisfied.
Depending on how hungry you are, you might want to add a side of fruit, top the hash with an extra egg, or serve with a glass of milk.
Another option is to add a produce-filled pumpkin pie smoothie or berry white tea smoothie for extra nutrients.
Or for the adult crowd, you could serve this hash with a brunch cocktail like strawberry kombucha sangria or boozy bourbon hot chocolate.
Final thoughts:
I love this breakfast/brunch/dinner meal.
It's hearty and will taste great no matter what time of day you're eating it.
Plus, it's budget-friendly and made all in one skillet, so there's less cleanup! 🎉
MORE SWEET POTATO RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
- Crock-Pot Sweet Potato Bisque
- Easy Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato
- Crock Pot Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Peppers
- Breakfast Potatoes with Peanut Butter
Sweet Potato Bacon Hash
Ingredients
- 4 slices center-cut bacon chopped
- 2 medium sweet potatoes diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat. Remove and put on paper towels. Keep bacon drippings in pan (it's around 1 tablespoon)
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add sweet potatoes. Let them sit in the pan and cook on one side for 4 minutes then stir and cook another 3 minutes until they are golden and slightly softened.
- Add onions to the pan and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, fry eggs in a non-stick skillet, one at a time.
- Add in garlic, thyme, and salt to the sweet potato mixture. Cook for 2 minutes until very fragrant.
- Serve fried eggs over hash, and sprinkle with reserved bacon. Enjoy!
Notes
What to Use in This Recipe
This post was originally published on May 16, 2013. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.
Meme
Sweet Potato Bacon Hash Nutrition Facts
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