A skillet of browned sausage with tender sweet potatoes makes a satisfying meal any time of day. The potatoes turn golden at the edges, the sausage brings savory seasoning, and a little onion and bell pepper make the whole pan lively.
This hash pairs sweet potatoes with sausage in one pan, cooking each ingredient in the order that gives it the attention it needs. Cut the potatoes small, give them room to brown, and check the sausage with a thermometer for a dependable result.
Sweet Potato and Sausage: Ingredients and Timing
This sausage and sweet potato hash serves four. Allow about 15 minutes for preparation and 25 to 30 minutes for cooking. Use a 12-inch skillet with a lid, preferably heavy enough to hold steady heat, plus a plate, spatula, and instant-read thermometer.
- 1 pound raw pork breakfast sausage, loose or removed from casings
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 2 medium, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons water, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or sliced scallions, optional
The sausage, sweet potato, and onion bring plenty of flavor on their own. Paprika adds a gentle smoky note; choose a mild sausage if you want to control the heat, or use a spicy one for a livelier pan. The small amount of salt leaves room for the seasoning already in the meat.
How to Make the Hash
- Prepare the ingredients. Scrub the sweet potatoes and peel them if you like. Cut them into even 1/2-inch cubes so they cook at roughly the same rate. Dice the onion and pepper. Keep the vegetables separate from the raw sausage and wash your hands after handling it.
- Cook the sausage. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage in several large pieces and cook, turning and breaking them into bite-size chunks, for about 7 to 10 minutes. Leave a few pieces large enough to check with a thermometer: raw ground pork sausage must reach 160°F in the center. Transfer the cooked meat to a clean plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan; discard excess once cool enough to handle, or add a little oil if the pan is dry.
- Brown the potatoes. Add the tablespoon of oil if needed, then spread the cubes in the skillet in as close to a single layer as possible. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, undisturbed at first, until their undersides begin to brown. Turn them with the spatula and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Soften the centers. Add the water and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once. The water creates steam that helps the potatoes become tender. If the pan dries before they soften, add another tablespoon of water. A knife should slide into a cube with little resistance.
- Add the vegetables. Uncover, raise the heat to medium, and add the onion and bell pepper along with the paprika, black pepper, and measured salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is soft and the pepper is tender with a little bite. Let any remaining water evaporate.
- Bring it together. Return the cooked sausage and any juices on its plate to the pan. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until everything is hot. Taste a potato cube with a piece of sausage, then add a little salt or pepper if needed. Scatter parsley or scallions over the top and serve.
The finished sweet potato, sausage, and vegetables should be hot throughout, with browned spots on the potatoes and soft centers. If a cube resists the tip of a knife, give the pan another splash of water and cover it for a few minutes before returning the sausage. Let the surface dry again before serving.
Choose Raw or Fully Cooked Sausage
Raw breakfast sausage gives the hash its savory base and leaves flavorful fat in the pan. Pork is the choice used here. Cook it through first, keeping a few larger pieces intact so you can insert the thermometer into their centers. Brown color alone cannot tell you whether ground meat has reached a safe temperature.
For sweet potato and sausage, raw turkey or chicken sausage works well, too. It must reach 165°F rather than the 160°F required for ground pork sausage. Both temperatures are specified by FoodSafety.gov. Lean poultry sausage may leave little fat in the pan, so add enough oil to coat the bottom before cooking the potatoes.
For a hash of sweet potatoes and sausage made with fully cooked links, check the package to make sure they are labeled fully cooked. Slice them into rounds and brown them briefly in the skillet, then transfer them to a clean plate. Return them after the vegetables are tender and heat through according to the package directions. Smoked or browned appearance alone does not establish that a sausage is fully cooked; follow the label.
Seasoning varies widely. A sage-forward breakfast sausage tastes familiar with eggs, while a smoked variety gives the skillet a deeper flavor. Taste the completed dish before reaching for extra salt. If using a strongly seasoned link, you can begin with less paprika and add more at the end.
Get the Potatoes Tender and Golden
The best part of a potato and sausage hash is the contrast between a browned outside and a soft center. Evenly sized cubes help you achieve both. A 1/2-inch cut cooks much faster than a large chunk, and the initial undisturbed time lets the flat sides make contact with the hot pan.
Steam comes next, after some color has developed. The small amount of water and a lid trap enough moisture to soften the centers without boiling the potatoes. Remove the lid once they are nearly tender, then let the remaining moisture evaporate. The sausage can return to the potatoes after the onion and pepper have softened.
If the potatoes start to darken too quickly while the insides are firm, lower the heat and add a splash of water before covering. If they are tender but pale, uncover and let them sit against the pan for a minute or two. Stirring constantly keeps the sides from making enough contact to brown.
A fork or the tip of a small knife is a better guide than the clock alone. Test more than one cube, especially if the pieces are uneven. The potatoes should yield easily without collapsing when you turn them. Leave the skins on for a little extra texture, or peel them for a softer finish.
Give the Pan Room
A crowded skillet traps moisture and makes the vegetables steam. For sweet potato and sausage with browned edges, use a wide pan and spread the potatoes out before covering them. A little overlap is fine, but a deep heap will take longer and brown unevenly.
If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, brown the potatoes in two batches after cooking the sausage. Return them all to the pan with the water, cover until tender, then uncover to evaporate the moisture. If the pan is still crowded when you add the vegetables, cook the onion and pepper separately in the same skillet and combine everything at the end. This takes a few extra minutes but still leaves only one pan to wash.
When doubling this hash of sweet potato with sausage, work in batches rather than piling everything into one skillet. Hold the cooked components on clean plates, then return portions to the pan to heat through. Avoid letting the finished food sit out for more than two hours while you prepare the rest.
Serving and Storage
Serve this sausage hash with sweet potatoes for breakfast with a fried egg on top, or make it supper with a green salad and hot sauce. For a Southern-style plate, add wilted greens and a piece of cornbread. A spoonful of plain yogurt or a squeeze of lemon can brighten a rich sausage and sweet potato skillet; add either after cooking and taste before adding more.
You can cut the vegetables ahead and refrigerate them in a covered container. Store raw sausage separately on the bottom shelf, where it cannot drip onto ready-to-eat food. For a quick morning, measure the seasonings the night before and keep the pan and spatula ready.
Refrigerate leftover sweet potato hash with sausage in a shallow covered container within two hours, or within one hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Keep it at 40°F or below and use it within three to four days, following USDA guidance. Reheat leftovers to 165°F, stirring so the center warms evenly; a covered skillet with a splash of water helps heat the potatoes, and a final uncovered minute can restore some browned edges.
