Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash with Sausage and Eggs

This Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash is the recipe you didn’t know you needed in your life … until now!

It. is. so. darn. delicious.

The recipe calls for staples like sausage and eggs alongside savory diced sweet potatoes, and two unexpected ingredients that set this hash apart – a dash of cinnamon and subtly sweet coconut oil. It’s easily modified for a plant-based hash recipe or a vegetarian sweet potato recipe.

It’s time to take breakfast to the next level!

But before we begin …

Let’s just go ahead and address the elephant in the room: this is not a typical Sweet New Roots plant-forward recipe. Sausage and preserved meats can do really nasty things to our bodies. Every now and then, on occasion and in moderation, we enjoy sausage. And that’s the beautiful thing about a plant-forward approach to eating. You don’t have to give up everything you enjoy eating if you focus on healthy, plant-forward foods the majority of the time. 

Whew. Not that we’ve addressed that, if you’re looking for a foolproof sweet potato breakfast recipe, look no further than this sweet potato hash right here. It’s savory. It’s sweet. It’s hearty and feeds a crowd. And, it’s wildly flavorful for very little effort.

In case this absolutely delicious sweet potato skillet hash isn’t your thing, check out these Snickerdoodle Donuts or snag a healthier recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes – because breakfast is better with carbs. I’ve also included variations and substitutions below. This is an easy recipe to modify and make your very own.

What is Hash?

The word ‘hash’ refers to a mix of meat, potatoes and onion that’s chopped, pan-fried and served hot. These days hash is often served with a soft fried egg on top or to the side to create a sauce. 

Are Sweet Potatoes Healthy?

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of essential nutrients like Vitamins A, B6 and C, as well as potassium and fiber. Purple sweet potatoes are bursting with super healthy anthocyanins, while sweet potatoes with an orange flesh are rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant known to protect against certain types of cancer, heart disease and cognitive decline.

The Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes – Skin on or skin off, it’s completely up to you. 
• Spices – Cinnamon, smoked paprika and cumin bring major flavor.
• Coconut oil – A subtly sweet cooking oil with a high smoke point.
• Onion – I like white onion but use what you’ve got.
• Breakfast sausage – I use spicy pork sausage but sweet sausage or any variation works here. If you’re on a low-sodium diet, remove the sausage or consider ground turkey breast for a sweet potato turkey hash.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – Tastes great with sweet potato and eggs, but totally optional!
• Eggs – Over-easy or sunny side up work best. 
• Garnishes – Diced green onions, freshly cracked black pepper and a dash of Louisiana hot sauce. Feta and sliced avocado are also delicious.

Substitutions + Variations

• Russet potatoes – Not a fan of the sweet potato? Russets work well here too.
• Meat alternatives – Chicken or turkey sausage can be used in place of pork sausage. Or, feel free to use a plant-based meat alternative. 
• Avocado oil – A solid alternative for coconut oil. Canola and grapeseed oils also work.

If skillet sweet potato hash isn’t your thing, this recipe can be modified to make some seriously delish sweet potato breakfast recipes. 

Make a sweet potato breakfast bowl.

Cook up your meat or plant-based alternative, prepare your crispy roasted sweet potatoes per the cooking instructions and cook your eggs to order. Create a breakfast bowl by adding the ingredients to a serving bowl and topping with avocado, black beans and cilantro or the toppings of your choice.

Make a sweet potato breakfast burrito.

Take the recipe and add it to a warm flour tortilla. Serve alongside salsa or hatch green chiles for a delicious breakfast burrito that’s sure to please a crowd. Use smaller flour or corn tortillas to create sweet potato breakfast tacos.

Make it a vegetarian sweet potato hash.

Eliminate the sausage. That’s it! Or, feel free to add extra veggies or a plant-based protein like black beans or pinto beans.

Go for a plant-based or vegan sweet potato hash.

Swap the meat and eggs for your favorite plant-based alternatives or eliminate altogether and think of great veggies to add. So many delicious ideas come to mind, such as a sweet potato and kale hash or sweet potato Brussels sprout hash. 

Other breakfast ideas with sweet potatoes:

• Make a sweet potato and egg scramble. 
• Swap the sausage for turkey and create a healthy breakfast hash recipe.
• Make this hash for dinner and serve alongside a simple salad and whole wheat toast.

How to Make Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Add the diced sweet potatoes, spices and two tablespoons of coconut oil to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray, if desired, and add the sweet potato mixture, taking care not to crowd the pan. Roast for 20 minutes, stir, then roast for another 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and slightly crisp on the outside. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

3. As the sweet potatoes roast, heat a cast iron skillet or oven-friendly skillet over medium heat and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Sautee the diced onion until tender. Add the sausage and use a spatula to crumble into small pieces as it cooks. Top with red pepper flakes (optional).

4. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the roasted sweet potatoes, gently stirring to combine. Make 4-6 small wells within the skillet. Crack an egg into a small bowl, check for eggshell and remove as needed, then gently pour into the first well. Repeat this step for the remaining eggs.

5. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Your cook time will vary depending on how you prefer your eggs. For slightly runny yolks, cook for 10-12 minutes. Cook time for over-medium eggs is closer to 15 minutes.

6. Remove the skillet from the oven and plate into 4-6 servings. Garnish and serve.

Serving Suggestions

This is my go-to breakfast or brunch recipe for weekends when we’re hosting family or friends. We have a large cast-iron skillet that’s perfect for cooking for a crowd. That said, this recipe can easily be cut in half to serve two people. 

A few things to keep in mind:

• People tend to get real picky about how their eggs are cooked. Feel free to eliminate Steps 4 and 5. Instead, cook the hash and the eggs separately and simply top the hash with the eggs, garnish and serve. This is an easy way to ensure everyone’s eggs are cooked to their liking and you can shave 10-15 minutes off of your cooking time.
• Serving breakfast or brunch for a crowd? Add a simple side salad with a light layer of oil and vinegar, toasted whole grain bread and a bowl of seasonal fresh fruit. These Citrus Mimosas for a Crowd pair perfectly too!

Make Ahead + Storage

 Let’s save ourselves some time, shall we? 

• Dice the sweet potatoes up to a day in advance. Cover the potatoes with cold water and refrigerate. You’ll want to pull the bowl out of the fridge and strain the potatoes an hour or so before you plan to start cooking. 
• Measure your spices and put them in an airtight container. They’re all going to the same place at the same time. 

Leftovers are easy to store. Once the dish is completely cooled, transfer leftovers to an airtight container, refrigerate and consume within 2-3 days. 

I rarely have leftovers. This is one of those recipes that gets gobbled up quickly, but the few times we’ve had leftovers I’ve noticed that although the sweet potatoes lose their crispy texture the flavors melt together and the potato softens when reheated – it’s absolutely delicious!

What Else Should I Know?

I’m so glad you asked. Check out these notes before you dive in:

• Sweet potato skins are full of nutrients and perfectly fine for this recipe. Just scrub the potatoes well before you start dicing. 
• Speaking of dicing, a nice, even dice yields the best results. No need to aim for perfection, but a mostly consistent dice will ensure you don’t have a range of over- and under-cooked sweet potatoes in the same batch. 
• Same goes for overcrowding the sheet pan. Spread the sweet potatoes evenly for best results.
• You’re going to crack the eggs individually in a small bowl before adding to the skillet. This ensures you don’t lose an eggshell and it keeps the yolks intact.

This sweet potato breakfast hash recipe is a favorite in our home. It brings the comfort of a sweet potato breakfast casserole, but better. I recently tripled the recipe to feed a small crowd of hungry men when my husband’s friends flew in from our home state of Texas for a visit. They devoured it – and then they raved.

I hope you enjoy this recipe just as much as they did!

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Article originally posted October 25, 2022; Last updated August 28, 2023.