Easy Cast-Iron Breakfast Skillet Recipe with Bacon

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The breakfast of champions, this Easy Cast-Iron Breakfast Skillet is full of delicious ingredients such as smoky bacon, diced crispy potatoes, ham, bell peppers, jalapenos, eggs, and melty cheddar cheese!

A cast-iron breakfast skillet with potatoes, ham, bacon, peppers, and eggs, topped with cheese.

Any day is a good day for this hearty breakfast skillet recipe. Full of all things good for you, this foolproof breakfast recipe, sometimes called a Cowboy Breakfast Skillet, is impressive enough for guests yet simple enough for beginner cooks.

A stick-to-your-ribs breakfast skillet, it is perfect to serve with either my Sheet Pan Pancakes From a Mix or my French Toast Bites for special occasions or during the holidays.

While it’s a hearty way to start the day, it’s also perfect as a brunch recipe and great to serve for lunch or even a light dinner. The whole family will love it.

Using frozen diced breakfast potatoes saves time and aggravation without compromising the tastiness of this dish. Adding bacon and ham gives it extra flavor and makes this breakfast casserole nothing less than extraordinary.

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Reasons to love this recipe:
Ingredients notes and substitutions:
How to make Cast-Iron Breakfast Skillet:
Serving suggestions:
Recipe variations:
How to make it ahead:
How to store and reheat leftovers:
Recipe FAQs:
Expert tips and tricks:
More cast-iron skillet recipes:
📋 Recipe:

Reasons to love this recipe:

Like my Southern Sweet Potato Hash, it makes the perfect breakfast because It’s packed with protein and flavor and will keep you full and satisfied all morning.
This is one of my easy breakfast recipes, and like my Cajun Shrimp and Grits, it’s quick to make. This country breakfast skillet takes only 25 minutes to cook and is as perfect for busy weekday mornings as it is for lazy weekends.
Like my Mushroom and Broccoli Frittata, one of my favorite things about this recipe is it’s all made in one pan, which means minimal cleanup.

Ingredients notes and substitutions:

Breakfast skillet ingredients include potatoes, ham, bacon, cheese, and bell pepper.

Meat: besides adding flavor, crispy bacon and ham make this a satisfying and filling country-style breakfast.
Vegetables: frozen diced potatoes, red bell pepper, yellow onion, and jalapeno pepper. White, sweet, or red onion can be used instead of the yellow onion. Also, green bell peppers can be substituted for the red bell pepper.
Seasonings: kosher salt, ground black pepper, and ground cumin, season this breakfast skillet to perfection.
Eggs: add lots of flavor and a creamy, rich texture to this breakfast skillet. This is especially true in this recipe. Plus, eggs are always a great way to start the day.
Cheddar cheese: melts beautifully, creating a gooey and golden brown topping and cheesy potatoes. You can substitute another easy-melting cheese such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend.
Optional: green onions or scallions for garnish; add some color and flavor.

How to make Cast-Iron Breakfast Skillet:

Preheat your broiler to medium or low. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon on the stove over medium heat until it is crispy and golden brown, then place it on a paper towel to drain. Do not remove the rendered bacon grease from the skillet.

Three slices of bacon cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Add the potatoes, ham, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, black pepper, salt, and cumin to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring once or twice. It is important not to stir too often and to allow the potatoes to fry nicely. While this is cooking, chop up the bacon.

Diced potatoes, chopped red bell pepper, cubed ham, and chopped onions in a cast iron skillet ready to cook.

When the onions have begun to turn translucent, turn heat down to low and gently fold the bacon into the pan.

Cubed potatoes and other veggies cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Use the back of a spoon (a soup spoon works well) to create four wells in the potato mixture, evenly spaced from one another around the pan. The wells should go all the way to the bottom of the skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high, crack an egg into each well, and cook for 3 minutes.

Breakfast skillet with wells created in the vegetables to add eggs.

Sprinkle cheese over your veggies and eggs, and then remove from the stovetop.

A cast iron skillet full of potatoes and veggies topped with shredded cheese.

Place the skillet under the pre-heated broiler on a rack about 10 inches from the broiler element. Broil for 5 minutes to achieve a slightly runny yolk with set egg whites. If you prefer your yolks to be firmer, cook for 8 minutes under the broiler.

Cast iron breakfast full of potatoes, veggies, ham, bacon and eggs ready to serve.

To serve: Cut the dish into quarters, and then use a pancake turner or fish spatula to scoop each serving onto a plate. Garnish with chopped scallions, if desired.

Cast iron skillet with breakfast potatoes, veggies, and eggs with a serving removed.

Serving suggestions:

I like to serve this savory breakfast skillet with my Breakfast Fruit Salad or Southern Ambrosia, a slice of Apple Bread, Apple Cranberry Muffins, Orange Cinnamon Rolls, or a side of Hoe Cakes. And if it’s a holiday or special occasion, a Mimosa would be a welcome addition.

You can also serve it with hot sauce, salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

Recipe variations:

You can easily make this breakfast favorite with just bacon or just ham. If you make it with just bacon and use 5-6 slices instead of just three, you’ll need to drain off some of the rendered fat before adding the vegetables to the pan.
If you don’t have bacon and decide to use only ham, you won’t have any bacon grease, so I recommend adding 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil or butter to the pan and allowing it to heat before adding the ham and veggies.
If you have neither of these, you could substitute in your favorite breakfast sausage. I recommend cooking it in the skillet first, and then removing it, the same as the bacon in the recipe.
You can substitute for frozen hash brown potatoes in a pinch, though they will cook a little faster, and the texture will be different. If you wish to use fresh potatoes, they would need to be cubed, parboiled, and dried before placing them in the skillet.

How to make it ahead:

You can prepare this dish to the halfway point and then refrigerate it in the skillet for up to 12 hours. Remove the skillet from the heat after you have cooked the vegetables and before you add the eggs and stick it in the fridge after it has cooled a bit.

When you’re ready to serve, preheat your broiler, and then place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. When you hear your veggies sizzling, continue with the rest of the steps of this recipe.

How to store and reheat leftovers:

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave. They can also be reheated in a skillet over medium heat on the stove. Add a splash of water or chicken stock to prevent them from drying out. Stir occasionally until they are heated through.

Recipe FAQs:

How do you care for a cast-iron skillet?

Cast-iron skillets are the workhorses of pots and pans. I have had mine for over 30 years; it was my mother’s before. By following just a few simple tips, your skillet will last a lifetime:

1. Wash your cast-iron skillet by hand with a nylon dish scrubby or sponge. Never put it in the dishwasher. It’s okay to use a small amount of dishwashing liquid. If the food is really stuck, add some water to the pan and simmer for a few minutes before washing.

2. Dry your skillet thoroughly and use a paper towel to wipe it down with a very light layer of vegetable oil. (I use peanut oil.) Too much oil will form a sticky residue.

3. Cooking in and using your cast-iron skillet regularly is the best way to keep your pan looking and performing well. If your skillet needs to be re-seasoned, check out these easy tips by Lodge: How to Season a Cast–Iron Skillet.

How can I tell if the bacon and ham are cooked through?

The bacon is cooked through when it is crispy and golden brown. The ham is already cooked, so it just needs to be heated.

Can this recipe be made vegetarian?

Yes! You’ll need to omit the bacon and ham, use a couple of tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil to fry the veggies, and then add a teaspoon of kosher salt.

The eggs can also be easily left out, negating the need to place the pan under the broiler. Instead, after the veggies are mostly cooked, stir a third of a cup of nutritional yeast into the mixture to replace the cheese and allow it to heat through before serving.

Is this dish spicy?

Because the ribs and seeds are removed, the jalapeno doesn’t add much heat, if any, so this recipe isn’t spicy. If you would like your dish to be spicy, don’t discard the seeds or ribs of the jalapeno.

Expert tips and tricks:

All oven broilers are different, and the time it takes to cook your eggs will vary depending on how far the skillet is from the broiler element and the temperature of the broiler. So watch your eggs carefully to avoid overcooking them.

Your frozen potatoes do not need to be thawed before cooking them. You can add them to the skillet along with the other ingredients.

Be careful not to overcook the potatoes. They should be tender but still slightly firm.

For the best flavor and texture, serve this breakfast skillet immediately after cooking.

If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a 10-inch non-stick skillet. However, your potatoes might get quite as crispy on the bottom.