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Toasts & sandwiches · 28 minutes

Sweet-Potato Hash Brown Breakfast Sandwich

Crispy air-fried sweet-potato hash browns replace the English muffin, so the bread is the best part of the sandwich and the whole thing is gluten-free.

Prep
10 min
Cook
18 min
Total
28 min
Serves
2
Jump to recipe
VegetarianGluten-freeAir fryerStovetop

Every breakfast sandwich is secretly about the hash brown on the side, so we made it the bun. Shredded sweet potato, squeezed dry and bound with egg and cornstarch, gets shaped into thin patties and air-fried until crisp and browned at the edges. They’re sturdy enough to hold, sweet and salty, and naturally gluten-free.

Inside goes a fried egg with a soft yolk and a slice of sharp cheddar melted right on top in the pan. A smear of hot honey or sriracha mayo is optional but highly encouraged. Eat it with your hands, and keep a napkin close.

The recipe

Sweet-Potato Hash Brown Breakfast Sandwich

Prep 10 min · Cook 18 min · Total 28 min · Serves 2

Ingredients

Tap to tick off as you go.

For the hash brown buns

For the filling

Method

  1. Step 1: Squeeze the sweet potato

    Pile the grated sweet potato in a clean towel and wring out as much liquid as you can. This is what makes the patties crisp rather than steamy.

  2. Step 2: Shape the patties

    Mix the sweet potato with the egg, cornstarch, scallion, salt and paprika. Divide into 4 portions and press each into a thin patty about 4 inches across and ¼ inch thick on a piece of parchment.

  3. Step 3: Air-fry the buns

    Spray the basket and the patties with oil. Air-fry at 400°F for 8 minutes, flip carefully with a thin spatula, spray again and cook 5–7 minutes more until deep golden and crisp at the edges. Work in batches if needed.

  4. Step 4: Fry the eggs

    In the last few minutes, heat the butter in a skillet over medium. Crack in the eggs, season, and cook until the whites are set, about 3 minutes. Flip if you like, lay a slice of cheddar on each, add the spinach to the pan beside them and cover for 30 seconds to melt the cheese and wilt the spinach.

  5. Step 5: Stack and serve

    Sandwich each egg, cheese and spinach between two hash brown patties. Add hot sauce and eat straight away.

Good to know

  • Sweet potato burns faster than regular potato because of its sugar. Check at the 12-minute mark and pull them when the edges are dark brown, not black.
  • Keep the patties thin. Thick ones stay soft in the middle and fall apart when you bite.
  • Line the basket with a perforated parchment round for the first side if your patties stick; take it out when you flip.

Swaps

Egg in the patties
1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes
Fried egg and cheddar
Make it vegan: a seasoned slice of seared tofu, vegan cheese, and the flax binder in the patties
Sweet potato
Russet potato, squeezed very dry; add 2 minutes to the cook time

Questions people ask

How do you make sweet potato hash browns crispy?

Squeeze out as much moisture as possible, add a little cornstarch, press the patties thin and cook at a high heat like 400°F. Wet, thick patties steam instead of crisp.

Can you make sweet potato hash browns in the air fryer?

Yes. Spray thin patties with oil and air-fry at 400°F for 13–15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp at the edges.

Are sweet potato hash browns gluten-free?

They are when bound with egg and cornstarch rather than flour, as here. Check that any seasoning blends you add are gluten-free too.

Get the sweet potato, scallions and spinach from a farmer.

This recipe is only as good as what goes in it. Find a farmers market or CSA farm near you, or get a produce box delivered when there’s no market this week.

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