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–+ servings
3 potato latkes with 3 toppings made with the best latke recipe

The Best Potato Latke Recipe

Beth Lee
Crispy potato pancakes, or latkes are such a treat for celebrating Hanukkah. If you're looking for the best latke recipe, you're in the right place! This recipe includes all the step-by-step instructions to get you the crispiest result every time!
4.89 from 17 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Jewish Holiday Cooking
Servings 30 pancakes
Calories 202 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pounds russet potatoes peeled and grated by hand or in a food processor
  • 2 medium onions grated by hand or in a food processor
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup matzo meal
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup chopped parsley optional
  • oil of choice for frying

Instructions
 

  • Grate your potatoes and onions.
    Beth Lee grating potatoes in a food processor and wearing a red apron.
  • Have a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a towel ready over a large bowl.
    Strainer and cheesecloth suspended in a large glass bowl.
  • Squeeze as much of the liquid as possible out of the potato onion mixture.
    Close up showing potato mixture being wrung out of cheesecloth.
  • Before you toss that liquid, there should be some potato starch accumulated at the bottom of the liquid. Pour off the liquid reserving that potato starch and add that potato starch to your potato pancake batter.
    Potato starch accumulated in the bottom of the bowl.
  • In a separate bowl mix the eggs, baking powder, matzo meal, white and black pepper, salt, and parsley.
    Latke batter in red bowl before mixing with potato and onion.
  • Put the strained potato and onion mixture back in the large bowl with the reserved potato starch. Add in the egg mixture and combine well.
    Shredded potatoes and onions mixed with the egg mixture in a large stainless steel bowl.
  • Have two or three paper towel lined sheet pans ready and the oven preheated to 200 degrees or so to keep cooked latkes warm. Heat one or two 10- or 12-inch frying pans on the stove top with a ¼ - ½ inch of oil in them. If you are working alone, I’d say use only one. Heat to about medium to medium high – you don’t want the oil to splatter but you want it to “get excited” when you drop in some latke batter. The proper temperature is 350°F - 375°F.
    Testing oil temperature in a cast iron pan before adding latkes.
  • Drop in a small amount and test it out. See if it starts to cook vigorously. And cook it through and taste it for flavor. You can adjust seasoning before cooking all of them.
    Testing oil in cast iron pan with a small piece of potato.
  • Flatten the batter right after you place it in the pan so it is an even depth and cooks all the way through. Don’t crowd them when you drop the batter in. Give them room to spread and room to cook.
    Red spatula smashing a potato latke in cast iron pan.
  • When they are dark brown on one side (nearly burnt as my friend's mom would say), flip them over.
    Four latkes ready to flip in a cast iron pan.
  • Remove them from the oil when the underside takes on the same color and place them on the paper-towel lined sheet pans.
    Four potato latkes turned over in a frying pan.
  • If you have a helper, have them salt them immediately. If you salt while hot, it adheres and the latkes taste so good, your guests will tell you they are the best latkes ever!
    Crispy potato latkes on a paper-towel-lined sheet tray ready to eat.
  • If you are not serving them right away, they will crisp back up in a hot oven (recommend reheating on a baking sheet at 350°F - 375°F). Really they will. Don’t stress out trying to make enough latkes for a crowd while the crowd is there!
    A sheet tray full of latkes.

Notes

  • Serve with sour cream, apple sauce or cranberry jam. Or if you are feeling fancy, serve with crème fraiche and smoked salmon or caviar!
  • Be careful to strain as much liquid as possible out of your grated potatoes and onions.
  • Bring your oil up to temperature between each batch of potato pancakes. Test with a small bit of potato or an instant-read thermometer.
  • Latkes that start crispy, will reheat to be crispy. So don't be afraid of making your crispy potato pancakes ahead of time! Reheat on a baking sheet at 350°F - 375°F.

Nutrition

Serving: 4pancakesCalories: 202kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 167mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 4.9mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 0.8mg
Keyword Hanukkah, potato latkes, potato pancakes
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