Pytt i panna (Swedish hash)
August 14, 2026 · 2 min read
Pytt i panna is Sweden's answer to leftovers — "bits in a pan," a hash of crisp fried potatoes, browned diced beef, and soft onion, each cube cut small so it all cooks fast and even. A fried egg goes on top and pickled beets on the side, the sweet-sharp bite that cuts the richness. It's a weeknight dinner built from whatever meat you have left over.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and diced small
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 12 ounces cooked beef or steak, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup pickled beets, to serve
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Steps
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the diced potatoes 10–12 minutes, turning now and then, until deep golden and crisp at the edges.
- Add the diced onion and cooked beef and fry 5 minutes more, until the onion softens and the beef warms through and browns.
- Season with the salt, pepper, and allspice, and toss so everything picks up color. Push the hash to one side of the pan.
- Crack the eggs into the empty side of the pan, or a second skillet, and fry to your liking, 2–3 minutes for a runny yolk.
- Divide the hash among plates, top each with a fried egg, and serve with pickled beets and a scatter of chives.
How it comes together
Makes 4 servings — read left to right; each column combines what's behind it.
PrepDice the potatoes, onion, and meat the same small size so they crisp at the same rate.
| 1½ lb · 680 g waxy potatoespeeled and diced small | Fry the potatoes | Plate with beets and chives | |||
| 2 tbsp · 28 g butterdivided | |||||
| 1 yellow oniondiced | Add onion and beef | ||||
| 12 oz · 340 g cooked beefdiced | |||||
| 1 tsp salt | Season the hash | ||||
| ½ tsp black pepper | |||||
| ¼ tsp ground allspice | |||||
| 4 eggs | Fry the eggs | ||||
| ½ cup · 85 g pickled beetsto serve | |||||
| 2 tbsp · 6 g chiveschopped |
Scaling adjusts quantities only — cooking times and pan sizes may need judgment. Grams are rounded for the kitchen.
Notes and swaps
The dish is a template, not a strict recipe. Any cooked meat works — leftover roast, steak, ham, or sausage — so pytt i panna is what a Swedish kitchen makes on a Monday. Dice everything the same small size so it crisps at the same rate, and give the potatoes room in the pan, since crowding steams them instead of browning them. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better than starchy ones.
Tell Nordic Diet Companion "pytt i panna with beef and a fried egg" and it logs the plate against your day — potatoes, meat, and egg, no measuring required.
FAQ
What does pytt i panna mean? It's Swedish for "bits in a pan" — a hash that uses up small amounts of cooked meat and potato. Traditionally it turns leftovers into a full meal without waste.
What meat is best? Whatever you have cooked already: leftover steak, roast beef, pork, ham, or Swedish sausage all work. Dice it the same size as the potatoes so everything crisps together.
Do I have to peel the potatoes? No. Scrubbed skin-on potatoes give a more rustic hash and save a step; peeling gives a smoother, more traditional result. Either way, dice them small and dry them well before frying.
What's served with it? Pickled beets are the classic partner, with the fried egg on top. Some cooks add a spoon of mustard or a few cornichons. A simple green salad rounds it into dinner.
New to this way of eating? Start with the Nordic diet guide. For another hearty Nordic plate, try the baked cod with potatoes and peas.