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Breakfast Skillet with Eggs and Potatoes

A cast-iron skillet turns diced potatoes, smoked ham, and peppers into a crisp breakfast base, then finishes the eggs in the oven with soft yolks.

Four soft-yolk eggs rest over crisp diced potatoes, smoked ham, onion, and red pepper in a cast-iron skillet.

This skillet builds its texture in stages: potatoes brown first, a short covered steam makes their centers tender, and an uncovered finish brings back crisp edges. The vegetables and ham join only after that work is done, leaving room for eggs to bake in individual wells.

The stovetop-to-oven sequence keeps the meal in one pan and gives the eggs a steady finish. Watch the whites at the end of baking, since they set quickly while the cast iron continues holding heat.

Build crisp potatoes in stages

Diced potatoes need enough direct contact with the skillet to brown, but that first sear alone will not make the centers tender. A brief covered steam softens them, and cooking uncovered afterward lets moisture escape so the edges crisp again.

Add vegetables after the potatoes

The onion and bell pepper soften in the same skillet after the potatoes are nearly ready. Smoked ham and paprika need only a short warm-through, which keeps the ham tender and the seasoning fragrant.

Raw eggs sit in wells among browned potatoes, smoked ham, onion, and red pepper before baking. — The crisped potatoes, softened peppers, and ham hold open wells for the eggs before baking.

Let the oven set the whites

Cracking an egg into each well keeps the yolks visible and makes it easier to judge doneness. Pull the pan when the whites have turned opaque and set but the yolks still move softly; the hot cast iron continues cooking them after it leaves the oven.

Bring the skillet to the table

A short rest lets the eggs settle while keeping the yolks soft for serving. Set the skillet on a heatproof surface and keep an oven mitt near the handle, which stays hot long after baking.

A glossy soft yolk and set white rest over crisp browned potatoes and smoked ham. — Set egg whites and softly moving yolks sit over browned potatoes, ham, and tender peppers.

Breakfast Skillet with Eggs and Potatoes

4 servings

47 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 8 oz smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp water
• 4 large eggs

Method

Heat the oven and prep
Set a rack in the center and heat the oven to 400 F. Cut the potatoes into even 1/2-inch dice, then dice the onion, bell pepper, and smoked ham while the oven heats.
Look for: Potato pieces are similar in size, and the oven is fully heated before the eggs go in.
Start browning potatoes
Heat the neutral oil in an oven-safe cast-iron skillet over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the potatoes in one layer, season with kosher salt and black pepper, and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes until the undersides are golden.
Look for: Oil shimmers before the potatoes enter, and their first-contact sides show patches of gold.
Steam until tender
Turn the potatoes, reduce the heat to medium, add the water, and cover the skillet. Steam for 6 minutes, until a paring knife slips into a potato cube with little resistance.
Look for: The covered skillet traps visible steam, and a potato cube is nearly tender when pierced.
Crisp the potato edges
Uncover and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes, turning once or twice as the remaining water evaporates. Keep them spread across the skillet until their edges are browned and crisp again.
Look for: No water pools in the skillet, and the potatoes have tender centers with crisp browned edges.
Soften the vegetables
Add the yellow onion and red bell pepper around the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent and the pepper softens without losing its shape.
Look for: The onion is translucent and the pepper bends easily while still holding distinct pieces.
Warm ham and paprika
Fold in the smoked ham and paprika, stirring so the paprika coats the potatoes and vegetables. Cook for 2 minutes, just until the ham is hot and the spice smells fragrant.
Look for: Paprika is distributed through the skillet and the ham is steaming at the edges.
Add the eggs
Make 4 wells in the potato mixture and crack the eggs, 1 into each well, keeping the yolks intact. Transfer the skillet carefully to the 400 F oven while the cast iron is still hot.
Look for: Each egg sits in its own well, with the yolks whole and the whites contained among the potatoes.
Bake until whites set
Bake for 8 minutes, then check an egg white near the center of the skillet. Remove the pan when the whites are opaque and set but the yolks still jiggle softly when nudged.
Look for: Whites no longer look translucent, while yolks remain glossy and softly mobile.
Rest and serve
Set the skillet on a heatproof surface using an oven mitt and rest for 2 minutes. The cast iron stays hot, so serve carefully from the pan while the yolks remain soft.
Look for: The eggs finish settling during the short rest, and the handle remains hot to the touch.