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It took years of trial and error, but I now have a foolproof recipe for perfect latkes!
Golden brown and crispy on the outside, tender and savory on the inside, they're so good, I make them not just for Hanukkah.
While potatoes are not something I would eat daily, I make this traditional recipe for Hanukkah. We all partake - the kids a bit more, my husband and I just one or two. After all, it's a beloved holiday tradition.
I've been making these latkes for many years now. They are excellent, and I consider this a foolproof recipe. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
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- Ingredients
- Variations
- Latkes Instructions
- Expert Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Fritter Recipes
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these latkes. Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact measurements. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Onion: I use a large yellow onion. Some people like to use green onions, but I find that yellow onions are more flavorful.
- Potatoes: I use Yukon Gold potatoes or Russet potatoes. I like Yukon Gold's flavor, but Russet's high starch content helps keep the latkes from falling apart.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.
- Salt and pepper: I use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Garlic powder: Alternatively, use a teaspoon of fresh minced garlic.
- Avocado oil: A neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, suitable for high-heat cooking.
Variations
- Cook the latkes in a fat other than avocado oil. Ghee is an excellent option. It's delicious!
- Add more spices. This is nontraditional, but you can add a pinch of dried thyme.
- Another nontraditional but delicious option is to add ¼ cup of grated parmesan to the mixture. The parmesan has the added benefit of absorbing extra liquid.
- As mentioned above, you can use green onions instead of yellow. The latkes shown in the photo below were made with half a cup of chopped green onions. White onions are an option, too, and so are shallots.
Latkes Instructions
Making this recipe is easy, especially if you own a food processor. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here's an overview of the steps:
Your first step is to shred the onion and potatoes. It's easy to do in your food processor.
Drain them well (really well!) and mix them with eggs and spices.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into hot oil and fry on both sides until crispy.
Place the latkes on paper towels to drain, then serve them with your desired toppings.
Expert Tips
Get Rid of Liquid
Extract as much liquid from the potato/onion mixture as possible by placing it in a colander and repeatedly pressing it with your hands or the back of a large spoon. The drier the mixture, the crispier the latkes will be. Here's the water left in the bowl after draining the potatoes - that's a lot of water!
Don't Worry About Discoloration
The shredded potatoes will quickly darken. That's expected and will not negatively affect the pancakes' taste or texture:
Make Them Crispy
You want the lacy edges to be brown. Proper brown, not golden brown. The middle can be golden brown. If you flip them and they're still pale, you can flip them back and keep cooking until they're browned:
Some Latkes Will Cook Faster
Remove them to paper towels and add more of the mixture to the skillet. It's OK to add more uncooked latkes while some of them are still cooking in the skillet:
Use Two Skillets
You use two skillets to cut the frying time in half, as shown in the photo below:
Recipe FAQs
What potatoes are best for latkes?
I like Yukon Gold potatoes. Russet potatoes are also an excellent option. Their high starch content makes for sturdier pancakes less likely to fall apart. But I like the flavor of Yukon Gold potatoes better. As long as you drain the water thoroughly, they crisp up just fine and don't fall apart.
Can I use green onions?
The onions are an excellent addition that adds tons of flavor. Some people prefer to use green onions (white and green parts), and that's certainly an option. While milder in taste, latkes made with green onions are prettier. Having said that, in terms of flavor, I prefer to use yellow onions.
Can I use a pre-shredded frozen hash browns mix?
Sadly, no. You shouldn't use frozen hash brown potatoes in this recipe. I tried, and it’s just not the same. The latkes turn out much less flavorful and quite soggy. It's best to use fresh potatoes.
Should I add flour?
There's no need for flour. The flour is supposed to help bind the ingredients and prevent the fritters from falling apart. But latkes made without flour taste significantly better. As mentioned above, if you thoroughly drain the potato/onion mixture, the pancakes will crisp up and not fall apart.
Can you make these latkes ahead of time?
You can, although they taste best fresh out of the skillet. Having said that, I often finish making them an hour before dinnertime and keep them in a warm (170°F) oven until it's time to serve them.
Serving Suggestions
Latkes are traditionally served with sour cream and applesauce. You can also serve them with salsa or hot sauce. However, they are excellent on their own, so they don't need any of these toppings.
Here's how I like to serve them, with bowls of sour cream, applesauce, and salsa:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in a 300°F oven. They won't be as good as fresh, but they will still be quite good. You can also freeze the leftovers in a single layer in freezer bags.
I sometimes use the leftovers as a side dish. In the photo below, I served them with London Broil steak, veggies, and pickles:
More Fritter Recipes
- Baked Latkes
- Cabbage Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Patties
- Spinach Fritters
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Recipe Card
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Perfect Latkes
It took years of trial and error, but I now have a foolproof recipe for perfectlatkes!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Jewish
Servings: 24 latkes
Calories: 200kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (8 ounces)
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled (or Russet potatoes)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 16 fluid ounces avocado oil
Instructions
Set the oven to warm (170°F). Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
Peel the onion, quarter it, and process it in the food processor until finely chopped. Place it in a colander, and place the colander on top of a bowl.
Using the fine shredding disc of your food processor, shred the potatoes. Place them in the colander.
Use your clean hands or a large spoon to mix the onion and potatoes. Press on the mixture with your hands or the back of a large spoon repeatedly to extract as much liquid as you humanly can. This is the single most important step in this recipe. The drier the mixture, the crispier the latkes and the less risk of them falling apart. Resist the temptation to add flour to help absorb the liquid; it is unnecessary and will result in suboptimal results.
Whisk the eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
Place the drained potatoes and onions in a large bowl (you can use the bowl that collected the liquids after pouring them out and wiping the bowl with a paper towel). Add the egg mixture to the drained onion/potato mixture and use a fork to mix well.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. The oil should cover the bottom of the skillet and be about ½ inch deep. The oil is hot enough when it gently bubbles around a toothpick placed in the skillet.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture per pancake into the skillet, pressing on them a little with a spatula to flatten. If using a 12-inch skillet, you’ll be able to fry 4 latkes at a time. I fry in 2 skillets simultaneously – it cuts the frying time in half and is quite doable.
Cook the latkes until their undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn them over and cook until the other side is browned, about 5 more minutes. If the oil becomes too hot, lower the heat to medium. For crispy latkes, you'll want the lacy edges to be brown. Proper brown, not golden brown. The middle can be golden brown.
Transfer the cooked latkes to paper towels to drain, then place them on the prepared baking sheet and keep them in the warm oven while you finish frying more batches. Remixthe egg/potato/onion mixturebetween batches. It tends to separate.
When all the latkes are cooked, serve them with sour cream, applesauce, and (if desired) salsa.
Video
Notes
- I typically use Yukon Gold potatoes. Russet potatoes have an advantage, though - they have a high starch content, which helps the latkes crisp up and also helps prevent them from falling apart when you cook them.
- Don't use frozen hash brown potatoes in this recipe. I tried, and it’s just not the same. The latkes turn out much less flavorful and quite soggy. It's best to use fresh potatoes.
- The shredded potatoes will quickly darken. That's expected and will not negatively affect the pancakes' taste or texture.
- Some of the latkes will cook faster. Remove them to paper towels and add more mixture to the skillet. It's OK to add more uncooked mixture while some latkes are still cooking in the skillet.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in a 300°F oven. They won't be as good as fresh, but they will still be quite good. You can also freeze the leftovers in a single layer in freezer bags.
- This is not a low-carb recipe.
Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 2latkes | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 565mg | Fiber: 2g
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Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
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