Swedish Pytt i Panna
Swedish skillet hash of diced potato, cooked beef, and onion with fried egg and pickled beetroot.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 20 min · Total: 35 min · 4 servings
Ingredients
- 400 g cooked chilled potatoes — Cut into 1 cm cubes.
- 250 g fully cooked beef leftovers — Refrigerated, fully cooked, and cut into 1 cm cubes.
- 1 pc medium onion — Peeled and finely diced.
- 300 g pickled beetroot, drained — Serve cold on the side; check packaged ingredients.
- 4 pc eggs — Contains egg; fry just before serving.
- 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil — Use 1 tbsp for the hash and 1 tbsp for the eggs.
Instructions
Measure and keep chilled
Measure 400 g cooked chilled potatoes, 250 g fully cooked beef, 1 medium onion, 300 g drained pickled beetroot, 4 eggs, and 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil. Keep the beef and eggs refrigerated until needed.
Cooked ingredients are measured and chilled.
Dice and drain
Cut the potatoes and beef into roughly 1 cm cubes. Peel and finely dice the onion. Drain the pickled beetroot and keep it separate; it is a cold accompaniment, not part of the hot skillet hash.
Even 1 cm potato and beef cubes; beetroot drained.
Heat the skillet
Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Do not let the oil smoke.
Oil shimmers without smoking.
Fry onion, potato, and beef
Add the onion and stir for about 3 minutes until softened. Add the potatoes and fry for 7–8 minutes, turning occasionally until golden. Add the cooked beef and fry for about 4–5 minutes more, stirring until it is hot throughout; work in batches if the pan is crowded.
Onion is soft, potato golden, and beef hot.
Pan-fry the hash: 960 seconds
Check the hash
Check that the potato cubes are golden outside and hot inside, the onion is soft, and the previously cooked beef has reheated to 74°C/165°F throughout. Transfer the hash to four plates and keep it warm while cooking the eggs.
Potato is golden and reheated beef reaches 74°C/165°F.
Fry the eggs
Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and reduce to medium heat. Crack in the 4 eggs and fry about 3–4 minutes until both whites and yolks are firm; an egg-dish thermometer check should reach 71°C/160°F. Wash hands after touching raw egg or shells.
Whites and yolks are firm; an egg-dish check reaches 71°C/160°F.
Fry the eggs: 240 seconds
Serve or refrigerate
Top each of four hash portions with one fried egg and serve the drained pickled beetroot alongside, about 75 g per person. Refrigerate any leftovers in separate shallow covered containers at 4°C/40°F or colder within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C/90°F).
Four hot portions with egg and cold beetroot.
Tips
- Use chilled cooked potatoes so the cubes hold their shape.
- Fry in batches if the skillet is crowded; otherwise the hash steams.
Common mistakes
- Deep-frying is not needed; a thin film of oil in a skillet is enough.
- Adding pickled beetroot to the pan stains the hash and removes its cool contrast.
Substitutions
- Other fully cooked leftover meat may replace the beef by equal weight; reheat it to 74°C/165°F and check allergens.
Storage
Use only cooked potato and beef leftovers that were chilled safely and are still within their original use-by period. Refrigerate hash and beetroot separately in shallow covered containers at 4°C/40°F or colder within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C/90°F); use within 3 days or the original leftovers' earlier use-by date. Fried eggs are best made fresh.
Reheating
Reheat the hash alone to 74°C/165°F throughout. Serve with cold beetroot and a freshly fried egg; do not warm the pickles with the hash.
About this recipe
Pytt i panna is a Swedish skillet hash built from small pieces of potato, meat, and onion. Fried egg and pickled beetroot are common accompaniments; this version uses cooked beef leftovers.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.