13 Frozen Hash Brown Brands, Ranked
What's not to love about hash browns? Nice and crispy on the outside yet soft in the center, hash browns are one of the tastiest ways to enjoy potatoes — especially for breakfast. Typically made with not much more than shredded potatoes, diced onions, a little flour, and some oil, the main trick to cooking great hash browns is leaving them alone long enough in a hot pan to form a solid crust.
Even though hash browns are made with just a few simple ingredients, making them from scratch still takes time and can be somewhat labor-intensive. Gathering the willpower to shred thin strands of raw potatoes, soak them in some water to release their starch, and squeeze them totally dry is a lot to ask of most people shortly after at the crack of dawn. Luckily for us, frozen hash browns are here to save the day.
Frozen hash browns take most of the work out of the equation — all that's really left to do is warm them up. Frozen hash browns can also take on a variety of forms. Of course, there are the classic shreds of potato, but sometimes they're also shaped into a patty or diced into small chunks. No matter how you cut it, hash browns tend to have one thing in common: they're delicious. That said, there can be noticeable differences between brands. The good news is that we've taken the time to sift through plenty of options to give you the run-down.
13. Jimmy Dean
Hash browns are almost always paired with other breakfast foods, like sausage and bacon. But what if it all came wrapped up in one delicious package for easy consumption? That's the idea behind Jimmy Dean's Meat Lovers Stuffed Hash Browns.
Ham, bacon, and sausage are tightly enveloped in a hash brown patty, which is tucked into a crisping sleeve. The concept behind this is great, but the official preparation method on the package leaves much to be desired; it simply instructs customers to warm these up in the microwave. As you can imagine, microwaving hash browns don't exactly lead to the crispiest results. Many people have reported better results by removing the sleeve and warming them up in the oven instead, which makes the outer layer of potatoes much crunchier.
Preparation method aside, these hash browns are also loaded with sodium and saturated fat. While that's going to be true for just about any frozen microwavable meal, kicking off the morning with large servings of sodium and saturated fat can't be a good thing. There's no doubt that it would be much more nutritious to warm up some plain frozen hash browns and pair them with an egg or another form of fresh protein. All in all, the sheer convenience level of these is fantastic, but this product isn't something we'd recommend for frequent consumption.
12. Ore-Ida
The name Ore-Ida is a mashup of the names Oregon and Idaho, which is a nod to the fact that the company sources its potatoes from both states. Ore-Ida sells a handful of potato products, including tater tots and French fries. The company also makes several types of hash browns, which come in shredded, diced, and patty-shaped varieties.
Ore-Ida's Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes are made with potatoes, dextrose, and sodium acid pyrophosphate to retain the product's color. According to Healthline, sodium phosphate is used in a variety of prepared food products, including cured meats, fast food, canned tuna, and other processed foods. The company's shredded hash browns have received mixed reviews from customers. While this product has a high overall rating, some have reported dark spots on the potatoes and suspected that they weren't cleaned enough during production. On the other hand, we like that these potatoes aren't pre-seasoned. This allows us to season them with as much (or as little) salt and pepper as we like.
11. Great Value
First launched in 1993, Great Value is a Walmart brand. Much like the store itself that houses its products, Great Value is known for its low cost. Considering the rising cost of food across the country, being able to score a good deal on groceries is the name of the game for many Americans. Great Value makes an eclectic assortment of different products, including everything from bacon bits to honey to hot sauce to parmesan cheese. Among Great Value's sprawling inventory, you'll also find bags of frozen shredded hash browns.
These shredded hash browns are mostly made with just potatoes. The biggest lure to these is undoubtedly the cheap price tag, clocking in at just a few bucks per hefty bag. The only issue here is that some customers report that these hash browns are exceptionally challenging to get crispy. On the other hand, it's possible that this could be rectified by simply letting the potatoes sit in the pan undisturbed during the cooking process for a longer period of time.
On the plus side, other customers say that these frozen hash browns don't come all squished together in a frozen block, which makes it easier to break off into smaller portions, so you don't have to cook the whole bag at once. At the end of the day, these hash browns are a good deal, but there are still higher-quality options available.
10. Hill Country Fare
Hill Country Fare is a private label of Texan grocery chain H-E-B. The company makes shredded hash browns, Southern-style hash browns, and hash brown patties. Its products are low-priced and come in large portions, making them a great value.
We like that Hill Country Fare offers a few types of hash browns, which provides customers with a couple of different choices. The cut of the Southern Style Hash Browns differs from the Breakfast Country Style Hash Browns. Instead of being shredded, the Southern Style Hash Browns are diced into little chunks. In some ways, we prefer this style of breakfast potato, since it's easier to taste the creaminess of potatoes when they're diced, instead of thinly shredded.
On the other hand, shredded potatoes tend to be a little easier to get crispy, which we also appreciate. Unlike the Southern Style Hash Browns (which are unsalted), the Breakfast Country Style Hash Browns come pre-seasoned with salt, which makes them even easier to prepare. This variation in approach to seasoning is part of what nudges Hill Country Fare ahead of some of its competitors since it caters to different dietary needs.
9. Publix
Like many of its competitors, Publix sells its own brands of products at its stores. These brands include the labels Publix, Publix Premium, and GreenWise. The Publix brand is focused on more value-based deals, while the Publix Premium brand tends to be a little more upscale. The company's GreenWise brand tends to offer more health-conscious products with higher-quality ingredients. The store sells Southern Style Diced Hash Brown Potatoes through its Publix brand.
The diced-shaped of these hash browns offer a more tender bite, compared to shredded potatoes. That said, it can be a little harder to get the same level of crispness in diced potatoes. While this bag of hash browns is a couple of bucks more than some of the other choices on this list, we feel that it's worth it. The potatoes hold together well and are less apt to get mushy or fall apart during the cooking process. The cubes are also very uniformly diced, which not only gives the hash browns a more professional-looking presentation, but it also makes it easier to achieve a consistent level of doneness throughout the potatoes.
8. Mr. Dell's
What started as a humble produce company in 1969 has blossomed over the years into a respected hash brown operation. Mr. Dell's distributes three different types of hash browns to restaurants and grocery stores, making its freshly-frozen potato products available to the masses. What sets Mr. Dell's apart from the pack is the fact that it sells products that are free from additives and preservatives. On the ingredients label for its Shredded Hash Browns, you'll only find one word: potatoes.
While many other frozen food brands resort to using additives to maintain color, Mr. Dell's has prioritized keeping its products more natural. Let's face it, when you're in the mood for hash browns, what you're really craving is just the simple taste of potatoes. Mr. Dell's delivers that without overcomplicating the recipe with a bunch of additional ingredients.
The size of the shred on these hash browns is just right; not too thick or too thin. Those who want a little extra texture and flavor in their hash browns will enjoy Mr. Dell's O'Brien Hash Browns, which come with onion and pepper shreds. Mr. Dell's beats out several of its competitors by providing good quality products that don't resort to additives and preservatives.
7. Steak 'n Shake
Hash browns may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Steak 'n Shake. You're more likely to envision ice-cold creamy milkshakes and steaming hot cheeseburgers. But the truth is that, even though the company isn't really known for breakfast, it sells some delicious hash browns at grocery stores.
Customers tend to praise Steak 'n Shake's Silver Dollar Potato Hash Browns for their overall texture and flavor. They come in rounded discs that are a little smaller than your typical hash brown patty, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. While this might make them a little too small to function in a breakfast sandwich, this is still a great size for munching. The size of these also makes it a little easier to control your portions — rather than having to eat a bigger hash brown patty, you could simply snack on a smaller one — but good luck stopping at only one! In the world of frozen hash browns, Steak 'n Shake is an unlikely contender, but its holding its own.
6. Season's Choice
Season's Choice is a store brand by Aldi, a grocery chain that has more than 10,000 locations around the world. Aldi is widely known for offering good quality products for reasonable prices — and that's also true of its Season's Choice hash brown products. Season's Choice has some hash browns that come in patties, mini patties, and shredded potatoes. The Mini Hash Brown Patties are a particularly nice find. Some have compared them to the beloved Bo-Tato Rounds sold at the fast food chain Bojangles.
But don't let that stop you from checking out the full-sized patties or the Shredded Hash Browns. The full-sized Hash Brown Patties come in a sleeve of 20, which may seem like a lot of hash browns to buy at once. But if you put this pack in some Tupperware or zip it up in a bag, it's very easy to just warm them up to order while saving the rest. These Hash Brown Patties are well-formed and hold together well. They're also great to throw on an English muffin with a sausage patty for a hearty breakfast sandwich. Affordable, tasty, and with a few tempting options on the table, Season's Choice is definitely a solid pick.
5. Pacific Valley Foods
Pacific Valley Foods makes everything from fruit juice and popcorn to dried beans and cheese. Under its vast umbrella of food products are its beloved Tater Patties. These are mostly made with potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt. They are meant to be baked in the oven for about 15 minutes until they're golden brown and crispy.
We actually prefer baking hash brown patties, rather than having to cook shredded hash browns in a pan, because it's much easier. Cooking shredded hash browns in a pan requires much more attention, but baking these patties is as simple as throwing them on a pan, sliding them in an oven, and setting a timer. Plus, there's something undeniably satisfying about biting into a crunchy, well-formed patty.
Also, they're easier to eat on the go, and can also be incorporated into different breakfast sandwiches more easily. As one customer on Influenster simply puts it, "This is one of my favorite sides for breakfast in the morning! It's quick, easy, and tasty. I always keep a pack in my freezer because the price is pretty fair, too."
4. Strong Roots
With a dedication to providing the market with more plant-based prepared food options, Strong Roots sells a handful of unique and tasty meals. Some of these include veggie burgers made with kale and quinoa, Broccoli and Purple Carrot Bites, and Mixed Root Vegetable Fries. The company also has a few interesting twists on hash browns made with unconventional ingredients, including hash browns made with zucchini and cauliflower. The Sweet Potato Hash Browns, in particular, are one of our favorite offerings from Strong Roots.
Made with a blend that includes sweet potatoes, carrots, potato flakes, and a touch of chipotle powder, these hash browns are deliciously complex. The inherent sweetness of the sweet potatoes is well-balanced with other seasonings. Strong Roots' gets high marks for offering a refreshingly different type of hash brown that's still flavorful and satisfying. The company's creative culinary approach lands it a respectable spot in our ranking.
3. Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's is known for selling high-quality products that are unique. At Trader Joe's, you can find interesting products like taco-flavored gouda cheese, pulled jackfruit in barbecue sauce, and ravioli stuffed with a filling made from bacon, parmesan cheese, and brussels sprouts. Trader Joe's also makes hash brown patties mostly made with potatoes, salt, and vegetable oil.
These hash brown patties are nice and thick and feature rounded edges. These hash browns are made with Idaho potatoes, and, because they're fully cooked, they don't require too much time for preparation. They also happen to turn out fantastic in an air-fryer and only need to be cooked for about 10 minutes or so at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (with a flip about halfway through). If you'd rather cook them in a pan, you don't really need to add any oil, because it already contains some. Simply get a pan nice and hot, lay the patties down, and let them get crispy on both sides. These hash brown patties from Trader Joe's deserve a high spot in our ranking since they're so consistently tasty and extra easy to prepare.
2. Wegmans
The grocery store chain Wegmans — which also makes certain grocery products — beats out most of its frozen root vegetable competition with its delectable hash brown options. The company offers a handful of different choices, including hash brown patties, diced hash browns (plain, and also with onions and peppers) along with some hash browns made with cauliflower.
Wegmans lands a spot near the top for offering a wide variety of hash brown options. The Cauliflower Hash Browns are particularly interesting and are mostly made with cauliflower, onions, cheese, and garlic powder. The cheese helps hold everything together. The hash brown patties have also earned a nearly perfect rating on the company's website, with plenty of customers raving about how tasty and simple to prepare these hash brown patties are. These also happen to be unbelievably cheap. Between the low-prices and the nutritious cauliflower-packed option, Wegmans' hash browns rise to the occasion, surpassing nearly all of its competition.
1. Cascadian Farm
Reigning victorious in our top slot for best frozen hash browns is Cascadian Farm. The reason is simple: high-quality ingredients. Taking a peek at the ingredients list of these shows that all it's made with is organic potatoes. Unlike other brands, you don't have to worry about added oils or preservatives. These frozen hash browns are about as close as you can get to making them from scratch yourself.
Another thing that customers tend to love about these hash browns is how crispy they get. While other brands (and even freshly made hash browns) often get gummy, these hash browns can easily get crunchy. Let's be real: that's why we're all here, right? We're looking for frozen hash browns that are convenient at a fair price, but also deliver the perfect balance of crispiness and creaminess that we crave. That's what Cascadian Farm has accomplished here with these hash browns.