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Get ready to start your day with this hearty breakfast skillet recipe, loaded with all your morning favorites in one delicious dish! From crispy bacon and delicious cheddar cheese to tender potatoes and perfectly cooked eggs, this one-pan recipe is a quick and satisfying breakfast option. Whether you’re enjoying it for a leisurely weekend brunch or a cozy breakfast-for-dinner, the combination of flavors and textures in this country skillet will have you ready to tackle the day ahead. With its simple preparation and hearty ingredients, this bacon, egg, and potato breakfast skillet is a go-to choice for a comforting and filling meal any time of day.
This easy breakfast skillet is loaded with eggs, cheddar cheese, crispy potatoes, bacon, bell pepper, and all the seasonings that perfect it.
Also check out easy air fryer breakfast potatoes (so crispy!), sheet pan eggs, or this tasty Italian frittata. Don’t miss this fun breakfast lasagna either!
Why You’ll Love It
A quick brunch, breakfast, or lunch: This delicious dish takes only 35 minutes to prepare and is great for multiple meals.
Low mess: It’s an easy dish made in one skillet.
Crave-worthy: Eggs, bacon, and potatoes are the perfect breakfast. What’s not to love?
A great base to build on: This is a fun recipe because you can add anything you like, such as chopped jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, goat cheese, or even breakfast sausage.
Ingredients for a Breakfast Skillet
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Bacon: Use high-quality, thick-cut bacon for a richer flavor and crisp texture.
Frozen cubed potatoes: Use cubed frozen potatoes for their outrageous crunch. Thawing them first helps them cook evenly and develop a crispy exterior when fried. You could also use real potatoes (par boil them first) or leftover cooked potatoes.
White onion: You could also use red, but white onions add savory flavor.
Red and green bell pepper: The mix is lovely, but you could use just one color if you like.
Paprika: Choose smoked paprika for a subtle, smoky depth or sweet paprika for a milder flavor.
Red pepper flakes: Introduce a hint of heat and spice.
Cheddar cheese: Cheddar melts beautifully, creating a creamy, gooey texture that binds the ingredients together.
Eggs: Fresh eggs are the star of the skillet recipe, providing protein and richness. Use whole eggs or egg whites only.
Green onions: Use them as a fresh pop of oniony garnish.
How to Make a Cowboy Breakfast Skillet
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the bacon: In a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon for 15 minutes or until a nice golden brown, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove the bacon and scrape out the excess fat and any burnt pieces. You can leave as much bacon drippings as you like, or you can replace/add olive oil for crispier potatoes.
Cook the potatoes: Add potatoes to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add vegetables and spices: Add onion, green and red bell peppers, salt and pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Prepare the bacon: Cut or crumble it into small pieces once it has cooled.
Combine ingredients: Add the crumbled bacon to the skillet and toss everything together.
Add cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Add eggs: Make four small wells in the potato mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cook for 3 to 6 minutes over a medium heat until the eggs reach your desired doneness.
Finish and serve: Remove the large skillet from heat and top the cheesy potatoes and egg with sliced green onions and black pepper. Serve warm.
Substitutions and Variations
Bacon: Swap bacon with maple sausage, ham, turkey, or vegetarian bacon for a different protein in your breakfast in a skillet.
Potatoes: Instead of frozen cubed potatoes, use diced fresh or sweet potatoes. Frozen hash browns are another option.
Vegetables: Mix and match vegetables based on preference or what you have on hand. Try mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, or jalapeños.
Vegetarian breakfast skillet: Load up on veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini. Add tofu or meatless sausage for protein. Finish with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
Spicy breakfast skillet: Amp up the heat with jalapeños, chili powder, and hot sauce. Add diced jalapeños to the mix and top with sliced avocado and a drizzle of sriracha. Yes!
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Start off with a bowl of granola and some fruit or this ultra-cool blue smoothie bowl. I also love starting with a batch of these savory breakfast muffins (if you want a protein-rich treat).
Main: For breakfast, serve this as is or with a bit of sausage gravy, and for lunch, serve it with a light salad.
Dessert: End with a batch of sheet pan buttermilk pancakes or a plate of pretty banana split.
How to Store a Breakfast Skillet
Store: The leftovers can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This is a great dish for meal prepping.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this breakfast skillet recipe.
Top Tips
Prep ingredients ahead: Chop the vegetables and thaw the potatoes in advance to streamline the cooking process and ensure everything is ready to go when you start cooking.
Even cooking: Spread the potatoes in a single layer in the skillet for even browning. Avoid overcrowding the pan to ensure they get crispy.
Egg doneness: Watch the eggs as they cook. If you like sunny side up eggs with runny yolks, cook for a shorter time; for firmer yolks, cook longer. Cover the skillet with a lid to help cook the eggs evenly.
Serve hot: Enjoy the skillet right after cooking while it’s hot and the cheese is still melty. If serving later, cover it with foil and keep it warm in a low oven.
Country-Style Breakfast Skillet FAQs
Make sure the skillet is well-heated and coated with enough bacon fat or oil before adding the potatoes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, and avoid overcrowding the pan to allow even browning.
If your skillet isn’t large enough, cook the ingredients in batches and combine them. You can also use a large, oven-safe dish to finish cooking the eggs and melting the cheese in the oven.
To serve more people, simply increase the quantity of each ingredient. Use multiple skillets or cook in batches to ensure even cooking.
Breakfast Skillet Recipe
Breakfast Skillet
Ingredients
- 8 Ounces bacon
- 1½ Pounds frozen cubed hash browns, or frozen cubed potatoes, thawed
- ½ Cup white onion, chopped
- 1 Cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Cup red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ Teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ Teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ Teaspoon ground paprika
- ⅛ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 eggs
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat add the bacon. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the bacon and scrape out the excess fat and any burnt pieces of bacon. You can leave as much fat as you would like in the skillet. You can also replace the bacon fat with olive oil or even add more olive oil, especially if you like crispier potatoes.
- Add the potatoes to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes
- Add the onion, bell peppers, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Once the bacon has cooled cut or crumble the bacon into smaller pieces.
- Add the bacon back to the skillet. Toss until everything is combined.
- Top the skillet with the cheddar cheese.
- Make room in the pan to make 4 holes to place the eggs in each hole.
- Add the eggs to each hole.
- Cook for 3 to 6 minutes or until you reach the doneness of the eggs you like.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and top with green onions and more black pepper if you like.
Notes
Even cooking: Spread the potatoes in a single layer in the skillet for even browning. Avoid overcrowding the pan to ensure they get crispy.
Egg doneness: Watch the eggs as they cook. If you like sunny side up eggs with runny yolks, cook for a shorter time; for firmer yolks, cook longer. Cover the skillet with a lid to help cook the eggs evenly.
Serve hot: Enjoy the skillet right after cooking while it’s hot and the cheese is still melty. If serving later, cover it with foil and keep it warm in a low oven.
Nutrition
This delicious breakfast skillet is a great dish made in the same skillet. The sauteed potatoes, diced onions, peppers, and eggs make for the heartiest and tastiest breakfasts. This is a great dish to serve when having people over or just for a weekend breakfast.
Other Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Make fuss-free twice-baked breakfast potatoes as the perfect side to your fried eggs.
- Skillet sweet and sour meatballs are the kind of dish you’ll crave (often!)
- Pop an apple gouda sausage casserole into the oven – it’s so impressive, you guys!
- Try this easy and fun bagel bake casserole this weekend. It’s such a fun way to use up bagels.
- Make a healthy and tasty oatmeal breakfast bowl to keep you going all day long.
- Here’s a fun recipe for breakfast crescent cups using leftover ham.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Breakfast is a big deal at our home. And I am so glad I found the perfect recipe to serve to my family.
My family loves this breakfast dish. They’ve been asking me to make it for them!!