Pyttipanna (Swedish Hash with Fried Egg)

About This Recipe

Pyttipanna is a real, traditional Swedish dish, known as Swedish Hash with Fried Egg. A skillet of diced potatoes, onions and leftover meat fried until crisp, topped with a fried egg and pickled beets.\n\nPyttipanna, literally 'small pieces in a pan', emerged in the 19th century as a practical way for Swedish households to use up leftover roast meat and boiled potatoes, and it remains a beloved comfort dish today.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Swedish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gboiled potatoes(diced small)
• 300 gcooked ham or leftover roast beef(diced)
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 3 tbspbutter
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 4eggs
• 4 tbsppickled beets(sliced, to serve)
• 2 tbspchopped parsley

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the potatoes

   Melt half the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the diced potatoes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 12 minutes.

2. 2

   Fry the onion

   Push potatoes aside, add remaining butter and fry the onion until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the meat

   Stir in the diced meat and fry everything together until the meat is heated through and slightly crisped at the edges, 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Season

   Season with salt and pepper and keep warm over low heat.

5. 5

   Fry the eggs

   In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up with crisp edges.

6. 6

   Serve

   Plate the hash, top each portion with a fried egg, scatter parsley on top, and serve with pickled beets on the side.

Variations

• •

  A vegetarian version swaps the meat for extra mushrooms and diced bell pepper.

• •

  Use leftover sausage or bacon lardons for a smokier version.

• •

  Some serve it with a dollop of ketchup alongside the pickled beets, a common modern touch.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions