A pound of ground beef browned with onion and drained, then a pound and a half of cubed Yukon Golds with red pepper, garlic, smoked paprika and thyme.
Half a cup of broth, a lid, and fifteen to eighteen minutes on medium-low; then the lid comes off for four or five minutes so the potatoes brown at the edges.
Why This Recipe Works
- The lid comes off again. Covered, the potatoes steam through; uncovered, they brown. Doing only the first gives a soft hash, and the second stage is what earns the word skillet.
- Only half a cup of broth. It is enough to steam a pound and a half of potato and little enough to have evaporated by the time step 4 needs a dry pan.
- The beef is browned first and drained. Potatoes are efficient at soaking up fat, and undrained beef leaves the whole dish greasy rather than crisp.
- Yukon Golds rather than a floury potato. They hold their cubes through eighteen minutes of steaming and then take colour cleanly; a russet would collapse before it browned.
- Smoked paprika and thyme do the seasoning on their own. It is a short list because a classic beef-and-potato skillet is meant to taste of beef and potato — the cheddar is marked optional for the same reason.
The Lid Goes On, Then It Comes Off
Three different things happen in one skillet, and the lid is what separates them. Miss the last stage and you have a perfectly good beef and potato hash with no crisp edges anywhere.
Brown the beef
A pound of ground beef with the diced onion over medium-high until no pink remains, then the fat drained. Draining matters here: the potatoes come next and they will absorb whatever fat is left in the pan.
Steam the potatoes15 to 18 minutes, covered, stirred twice
Potatoes, pepper, garlic, paprika, thyme and seasoning in, then half a cup of broth, the lid on and the heat down to medium-low. Fifteen to eighteen minutes with two stirs — this cooks the potato through, and only that.
Brown them again4 to 5 minutes, uncovered
Lid off, four to five minutes. The remaining broth evaporates and the potato faces that have been sitting on hot metal finally colour. This is the stage that turns a steamed pan into a skillet.
Ingredient Notes
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- A pound and a half in half-inch cubes. Waxy enough to hold their shape through the covered stage and to brown cleanly in the uncovered one.
- Ground beef
- One pound, browned and drained. Draining is what keeps the potatoes from turning greasy rather than crisp.
- Low-sodium beef broth
- Half a cup, and no more. It is a steaming liquid that is meant to disappear, not a sauce.
- Smoked paprika
- A teaspoon, smoked rather than sweet. In a short ingredient list it is doing most of the flavour work.
- Cheddar cheese, optional
- A cup, and marked optional by the recipe itself. The dish is complete without it — that is why it is the last thing added.
How to Make It
Brown the beef and onion
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and onion until no pink remains; drain excess fat.
Add the vegetables and seasoning
Add the potatoes, bell pepper, garlic, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper.
Broth and lid
Pour in the broth, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring twice, until the potatoes are tender.
Lid off, brown the edges
Uncover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, allowing the potatoes to brown at the edges.
Cheese, if using
Sprinkle with cheddar if using and cover for 2 minutes, until melted.
Serve
Serve hot.
Success Tips
- Cube the potatoes evenly; uneven cubes give a mix of firm and mushy.
- Drain the beef properly before the potatoes go in.
- Stir only twice during the covered stage — more and nothing sits still long enough to cook.
- Take the lid off and let it go dry; that is where the browning happens.
- Add the cheese at the very end with the heat already off if the pan is very hot.
Serving Ideas
A fried egg on top makes it breakfast; a sharp green salad makes it dinner. Neither is required.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It reheats better than most potato dishes because the cubes were browned rather than boiled.
Freeze
Freezing is not recommended. Cooked potato cubes go grainy on thawing and texture is most of this dish.
Reheat
Reheat in a hot skillet with a little oil so the potatoes crisp again. A microwave leaves them soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add rice or make it creamy?
Both change what this is. It is a classic skillet — beef, potato and pepper browned in one pan, with no rice and no cream sauce.
The potatoes were still firm.
Cut larger than half an inch, or the heat was too low to hold a simmer under the lid. Cube size is what the fifteen-to-eighteen-minute window assumes.
Nothing browned at the end.
There was still liquid in the pan. Give step 4 its full four to five minutes uncovered and turn the heat up slightly if it is still wet.
Can I use ground turkey?
Yes, though it is leaner and browns less, so add a little more oil. Ground turkey needs 165°F rather than the 160°F this beef recipe states.
