Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
Crispy Breakfast Potatoes with Chickpeas (Mediterranean Style)
These are the crispiest breakfast potatoes I’ve ever made. Golden cubes with shatter-crisp edges, tossed with garlicky chickpeas, finished with butter, parsley, and a drizzle of chili crisp over creamy hummus. It’s a modern Mediterranean breakfast bowl that’s vegan, ready in 30 minutes, and works just as well for brunch or a savory weekend morning.
The trick is a two-step method most people skip. You boil the potatoes first, then toss them in cornstarch before they hit the pan. That cornstarch coating is what creates that crackly, restaurant-style crust without deep frying. Add chickpeas in the second half of the cook, finish with a hit of garlic butter and herbs, and pile the whole thing onto a thick layer of hummus. It looks impressive. It tastes even better.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
- 30-minute breakfast that feels like a restaurant brunch.
- Insanely crispy without deep frying, thanks to the cornstarch trick.
- High in plant protein with chickpeas adding a serious boost.
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free without any swaps.
Brunch-ready and beautiful enough to serve to guests
How to Make this Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
Boil the cubed potatoes in salted water until just fork-tender. Drain well.
Heat oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer and pan fry until deeply golden on all sides.
Add the butter, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Toss until everything is glossy and fragrant.
Transfer the drained potatoes to a bowl and toss gently with cornstarch until evenly coated. This is the secret to that shatter-crisp crust.
Add the drained chickpeas to the pan and let them crisp up at the edges.
Spread thick hummus or yogurt across a plate, pile the hot potatoes and chickpeas on top, scatter with extra parsley, finish with chili crisp.
Why Cornstarch Is the Secret
Boiled potatoes have a slightly damp, starchy surface. When you toss them in cornstarch, that surface dehydrates instantly and creates a thin powdery layer. The moment those coated potatoes hit hot oil, the cornstarch crisps into a crackly shell while the inside stays fluffy and tender.
It’s the same principle restaurants use for crispy fried chicken or salt and pepper tofu. No deep fryer needed, no fancy technique. Just boil, dust, fry.
How to Serve Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
On its own this is a generous breakfast. A few ways to round it out:
- Over hummus with chili crisp and parsley. The version in the photos.
- Over yogurt thick Greek-style or vegan, for a tangier base.
- With eggs a fried egg or vegan scramble on top makes it a full plate.
- In a wrap with hummus and pickled onions for a portable breakfast burrito.
Frequently Asked Questions about Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
Yukon golds or russets. Yukon golds give you a creamier interior, russets crisp up the most. Both work. Avoid waxy potatoes like red bliss, they don’t crisp as well.
You can, but the texture changes. Without cornstarch, you get pan-fried potatoes that are good but not crackly-crisp. The cornstarch is what makes these restaurant-level.
Yes, that’s what I use. Drain and rinse them well, then pat them dry with a kitchen towel before adding to the pan. Wet chickpeas will steam instead of crisp.
Avocado oil or olive oil both work. Avocado has a higher smoke point so it crisps slightly better. A neutral oil like sunflower also works.
Use a non-stick pan and skip the oil, but expect less crispy results. The cornstarch still helps. Replace the butter with extra hummus or a tahini drizzle to keep it creamy.
The potatoes are best fresh out of the pan. If you want to prep ahead, boil and cornstarch-coat the potatoes the night before, store covered in the fridge, and pan fry in the morning. Hummus stays separate.
More Recipes You Might Like
- Vegan Chickpea Quiche with Potato Crust — another savory plant-based breakfast.
- Crispy Potato Waffle — boiled potato pressed into a waffle iron with chili crisp on top.
- Pan Con Tomate — five-minute Spanish breakfast toast.
- Baked Batata Harra — Lebanese spicy potatoes with tahini-yogurt dip.
- Vegan Zucchini Fritters — crispy chickpea-flour fritters that work for breakfast or lunch.
- Balela Salad — Lebanese chickpea salad with pomegranate dressing.
Chickpeas are one of the highest plant-protein legumes you can eat, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Combined with potatoes and olive oil, this dish hits the core principles of a Mediterranean-style breakfast.
If you make this, leave a star rating below and tag @dr.vegan on Instagram.
Crispy Breakfast Potatoes with Chickpeas
Ingredients
Method
- Boil the potatoes. Add the cubed potatoes to a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until just fork-tender. Drain well.
- Toss with cornstarch. Transfer the drained potatoes to a bowl and toss gently with cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Pan fry. Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer and pan fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until deeply golden.
- Add the chickpeas. Add the drained chickpeas to the pan and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until they start to crisp at the edges.
- Finish with garlic butter. Add the butter, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Toss until glossy and fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Serve. Spread hummus across a plate. Pile the hot potatoes and chickpeas on top. Scatter with extra parsley and drizzle with chili crisp.
Nutrition
Notes
- Cornstarch is the secret. Don’t skip it.
- Dry the chickpeas. Pat them with a kitchen towel before they hit the pan.
- Single layer is key. Crowding the pan steams the potatoes instead of crisping them. Cook in batches if needed.
- Storage: Best fresh. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet or air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for 3 to 5 minutes to restore crispness.