Trader Joe’s frozen hash brown patties are well-known as a delicious way to start your morning. The fact that they’re pre-cooked makes them even better! But when you’re in a rush, waiting ten minutes to get your crispy taters can feel way too long. Is there a faster alternative?
While it doesn’t say it on the packaging, you can cook your Trader Joe’s hash browns in the toaster, and in a fraction of the time. For the best results, place them in your toaster and cook them twice in order to ensure they’re fully defrosted.
There you go — an easy, fool-proof way to get your delicious hash browns in half the amount of time it says on the packaging. Let’s go over different ways you can make this work for you and your morning!
How Do You Cook Trader Joe’s Hash Browns?
According to the package, there are two ways to cook them:
• Oven
• Stovetop
The packaging gives simple instructions for each, providing easy methods that any household will likely be able to do.
Oven
In order to cook your Trader Joe’s hashbrowns in the oven, follow these steps:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place your hashbrowns in a single layer on an un-greased baking sheet.
3. Cook them for 20-25 minutes until they’re golden brown and crispy. Flip them halfway through to ensure that they’re cooked evenly on both sides.
4. Season them and serve after! (Paprika and garlic powder both go well with potatoes. Yum!)
Stove Top
Cooking your Trader Joe’s hashbrowns on the stovetop is going to be slightly faster. Here’s how:
1. Heat 2-4 tablespoons of an oil of your choice in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Place your hash browns in a single layer and fry them for 8-9 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy. Flip as needed to ensure that they’re evenly cooked on both sides.
3. Drain your potatoes on a paper towel before eating, as they may get a bit oily.
4. Season and enjoy!
Additional Ways to Cook Trader Joe’s Hash Browns
While both of those methods are excellent and effective ways to cook TJ’s potatoes, there are other ways that might fit your needs better. This includes:
- Toaster
- Air fryer
- Toaster Oven
- Microwave
Let’s look into these methods further:
Two-Slice Toaster
Cooking your hash browns in the toaster is super easy:
Put a hashbrown in each slot of your toaster.
Cook them twice, as it can be difficult with this kind of toaster for them to defrost completely.
Season and enjoy!
Toaster Oven
This is also an easy and effective method!
Turn your toaster oven to medium heat.
Place your hash browns on the top rack of your toaster oven. Let them cook for approximately 8-10 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy. Flip halfway to ensure even cooking.
Season and enjoy!
Make sure to clean out the bottom tray of your toaster oven, as oil and crumbs can collect.
Air Fryer
The air fryer is another quick and easy method to cook your hash browns! Here’s how:
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
Coat the air fryer tray with an oil of your choice. It’s easiest if you have a can that you can spray.Fry for 8-9 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy.
Microwave
The microwave will be the fastest way to heat your hash browns, but their texture will be different than the other methods we’ve mentioned.
It might be worth it to fry them quickly after to make sure you can get the crispy texture you’re looking for.
Personally I like to throw them into my air fryier for a couple of minutes after microvaving them. It gives it a lightly fried texture that you dont quite get in the toaster.
If you opt to put it in the toaster you’ll get a slightly crispier texture. You’ll need to watch it closely though as it can easily burn if put in right after being microwaved. Usually a minute will be more than enough to toast it.
To microwave your hashbrowns, follow these steps:
Put your hashbrowns on a plate in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. If you’re cooking more than one, then add another 1-2 minutes for each additional patty.
Let them cool, season, and enjoy!
Optional: Pan-fry them for 1-2 minutes on each side to add crispiness.
What Method is the Best for CookingTrader Joe’s Hash Browns?
Ultimately, putting your hash browns in the toaster or the air fryer is going to be the best method compared to what they say on the packaging. Let’s talk about why:
Putting your hash browns in the toaster will have them crispy and ready to eat in five minutes or less. If you use the air fryer, they’ll be ready in eight minutes.
These are both significantly faster options than putting them in the oven, which is going to take 20+ minutes. If you’re looking for a fast breakfast, this is definitely the way to go.
Cooking these hash browns is going to be easy no matter what. That’s why we love them! However, while pan-frying your hash browns technically takes the same amount of time as air frying them, there’s significantly more to clean up afterward.
Not only does the toaster involve no clean-up or effort, but your hashbrowns will be equally cooked on both sides without you having to do anything! It’s a win-win situation.
If you’re using an air fryer or a toaster oven (as opposed to a traditional two-slice toaster), then there’s still going to be an element of clean-up involved, but it will be less than the other methods.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of different ways to cook your Trader Joe’s hashbrowns, and no one way is significantly better than the other.
They’re going to be delicious, regardless! However, putting them in your toaster is the easiest and fastest way to ensure you end up with some delicious morning potatoes.
