4 Versions of Viral Hash Brown Toast You’ll Want to Try ASAP
Viral recipes “go viral” for a couple of reasons: one, they’re good (like baked feta pasta), or two, they’re weird (like fruit roll-ups with ice cream). It’s always fun and games to shock your friends and try the weird ones but it’s a lot more satisfying to find and make the ones that will become regulars in your weekly recipe rotation.
With that in mind, allow us to introduce you to TikTok-approved hash brown toast—the viral breakfast recipe that replaces regular toast with a crispy, golden hash brown. We're pretty sure you'll be making them for snacks, apps and everything in between once you take a bite. You've been warned.
Related: 90 Best TikTok Recipes and Food Trends
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Related: 'I Tried the Viral McDonald's Hash Brown Ice Cream Sandwich and It’s Actually Amazing'
What Are Hash Brown Toasts?
TikToker and food blogger Kelsey Lynch (@traderjoesfoodreviews on IG and @kelseysfoodreviews on TikTok) created hash brown avocado toast in 2020 and it quickly went viral (because duh, it’s delicious). It’s a toasted hash brown patty (Lynch says the ones from Trader Joe’s are “the best hash browns in the world, they’re seriously better than McDonald’s”) topped with a variety of things. Some options include smashed avocado, fried eggs, peanut butter and ice cream (those last two can be explained by just one word: TikTok).
“It has become a favorite breakfast recipe for creators to make across all platforms! It’s crazy seeing how popular it’s become!” she says.
Lynch most recently started her “30 Days of Hash Brown Toast” challenge where every day, she comes up with and shares a new hash brown toast recipe.
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“I’ve loved making my creation for years now and decided to test myself to come up with new combos,” Lynch says. “That’s when 30 Days of Hash Brown Toast began!”
It’s fun to watch Lynch toss her TJ’s hash browns high into the air every day right into her toaster and see what delicious crispy combos she dreams up for the masses to try.
“My favorites have been the chili oil hash brown avocado toast and, surprisingly, the cookies and cream hash brown ice cream sandwich. Don’t knock it until you try it! It tastes just like dipping French fries in a milkshake,” she says.
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What Are the Ingredients for Hash Brown Toasts?
Lynch has made nearly all of the 30 recipes for hash brown toasts already this summer. Her ingredients are simple and straightforward, and items you probably already have in your pantry and fridge: eggs, avocado, chili oil, chicken, bacon and various cheeses.
I couldn’t decide on one of Lynch’s recipes to try and I like variety, so I made four:
• The breakfast hash brown with TJ mini pancakes, breakfast sausage and syrup (day 12)
• The smashed avocado and grilled honeyed halloumi with poached egg and chili flakes (day 6)
• The smashed avocado and hard-boiled egg with chili oil (day 11)
• The fried egg cooked in TJ’s Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto with sliced tomatoes, olive oil and flaky salt (day 10)
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
It took me a minute to score a precious pack of TJ's frozen hash browns, but after learning my lesson by going to the store and finding none, I called ahead before I went to make sure the product had been restocked.
It seems like I'm not alone in my hash brown challenges. Commenters on Lynch’s TikTok videos and on Reddit are also having trouble finding them. “My TJs was sold out of hash browns yesterday 😭” says one. “We’re on a strict case limit of only 2 per day. People have been going crazy with the limited stock and it’s pretty much sold out within a couple of hours of us stocking it,” adds a TJ's employee.
If you’re having trouble finding them, go early and go often and you will be rewarded—or just call ahead to avoid disappointment and a wasted trip.
Related: Hashbrown Breakfast Bake for Brinner Is Our Best Idea Yet
How Do You Make Hash Brown Toast?
It’s as easy as crisping up your hash browns, spreading on the toppings and serving. There’s no straight recipe, it’s just about getting creative in the kitchen and using what you have to top your “toasts.” And really, anything can be a hash brown topping if you wish hard enough.
Lynch uses both an air fryer and a toaster in her videos but you can also pan fry the patties in a skillet. If you have a griddle or similar flat-top, depending on which version you’re making, you can have all the ingredients cooking at once. The hash browns are incredibly forgiving, too so if you need to stick them back in the toaster or air fryer because your toppings aren’t quite done yet, they’ll withstand another round of browning just fine.
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
My Honest Thoughts About Hash Brown Toasts
I’m not afraid to admit that I am a millennial and I love my avocado toast. I also love some crispy hash browns and a fun new recipe, so this was a total win for me. Not only were Lynch’s videos entertaining and completely drool-worthy, but I couldn’t wait to follow her lead and try every single toast she posted.
Of the four I made, I really did love them all, but two came out on top for me: the breakfast toast and the honeyed halloumi toast. The breakfast toast had that sweet, sweet combo of maple syrup, apple chicken sausage and mini pancakes that made for the most perfectly balanced breakfast bite (and the pancakes are oh-so-cute). The syrup soaked into the hash brown just enough to add a fun sweet flavor without making the whole thing a soggy mess. I thought about topping it with another hash brown to help contain all the deliciousness in a sort of makeshift breakfast sandwich, but feared that might throw the ratio off.
The honeyed halloumi toast was also fantastic. Lynch has reminded me of the absolute joys of halloumi—the pan-fried, squeaky, gooey cheese melted just perfectly on top of the crispy golden rectangles and the touch of honey and chili flakes sent me to breakfast heaven.
An honorable mention here would be frying the egg in the kale pesto, which is genius. The edges of the egg crisped up just enough and the yolk was perfectly runny (ditto goes for frying an egg in chili oil, which was day seven for Lynch). This is one breakfast hack I'll definitely be making on repeat from now on...as long as I can find those hash browns.
