Potato Pancakes might be the most well known Hanukkah food, but there's no reason to limit it to just 8 nights a year! They're simple to make, perfectly crispy and goes great with both holiday and non-holiday meals all year round!
There are some dishes I've been meaning to make forever but just hadn't gotten there yet. These potato pancakes used to bear near the top of that list, until now. Man, was I missing out!
I love a good potato side dish, and this simple and classic latke recipe gives you that crispy yet filling side dish that goes perfectly with almost any protein. The process here is super simple, giving you a made from scratch favorite with minimal effort. I'll be making these potato pancakes in December, July and every month in between!
Nerd Chef's Tips and Tricks
- As with most fried potato recipes, you really want to make sure to use Russet potatoes here. The good news is they aren't hard to find, usually in large bags. Russet potatoes have low amounts of stored moisture, which - as we'll get into - is very important.
- There's really two key steps here - and while they are seem counter to teach other they're each critical in their purpose. Submerging your grated potatoes in water helps to remove any starch from the potatoes, which helps them get strictly crispy when they fry. But the most important is then draining the water our, ringing it out by squeezing it in your fists and pressing it against a paper towel in a colander. You really want to get as much moisture out of it as possible to make the best pancakes.
- This recipe is for classic potato pancakes, which taste great on their own. But, obviously, you can get more creative as well, like this recipe from Chef John at Food Wishes for a Kimche Potato Pancake. Once you've mastered the classic pancake, feel free to get creative.
Let's Make Potato Pancakes
Potato Pancakes: Prep
Begin by peeling your russet potatoes and discard the peels. Fill a large bowl about a ⅓ of the way with very cold water and grab a large cheese or box grater. Grade the potato using the larger side of the grater directly into the bowl, so that your potatoes fall directly into the cool water.
Next, grate, one small yellow onion into the bowl as well. The water will help to pull the starch out of the potatoes, as well as the acid from the onions, giving you a cleaner, milder bite. When potatoes and onions are all grated, add more cold water until completely submerged and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
Once your potatoes and onions have sat in the fridge for 30 minutes, drain them into a colander. I typically let me sit for a couple minutes, then really start pressing them to help get all the excess water out. Then, I grab fistfuls and squeeze to get any remaining water, placing the drained potatoes on a separate plate covered with paper towel. You really want to get all the water out you can possibly get.
Potato Pancakes: Mix it up
In a small bowl, beat two eggs well. Mix in flour, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and smoked paprika (my one twist on the otherwise classic dish). Place grated potatoes back in a large bowl (make sure it's a dry bowl!) and pour egg mixture on top.
Mix well until potatoes are well covered with egg mix. Cover potato mix tightly with plastic wrap, as it can oxidize quickly as it sits out.
Potato Pancakes: Let's Get Cooking!
Preheat a large frying pan (affiliate) over medium heat. Add enough about a ¼ of cooking oil the the bottom of the pan. I used Avocado Oil for this, but you can easily use vegetable oil as well. I suggest starting with just one small pancake first, then tasting for salt and other seasoning. To do so, place a tablespoon of the potato mix in the preheated oil and press flatly with a spatula.
Cook for about 3 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Then flip and cook until opposite side is golden brown. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired, if needed.
If seasoning is on point, continue cooking with slightly larger pancakes, using the same process. Do not overcrowd the pan and cooked in batches. I could fit about four on at a time in my pan. When they are finished, remove to a plate with a paper towel to drain. Serve warm, goes great. Serve hot and enjoy!
Classic Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Potato Pancakes might be the most well known Hanukkah food, but there's no reason to limit it to just 8 days a year! They're simple to make, perfectly crispy and goes great with both holiday and non-holiday meals all year round!
Ingredients
- 2 lb russet potatoes
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Avocado oil (or other cooking oil (for frying))
Instructions
- Begin by peeling your russet potatoes and discard the peels. Fill a large bowl about a ⅓ of the way with very cold water and grab a large cheese or box grater.
- Grate the potato using the larger side of the grater directly into the bowl, so that your potatoes fall directly into the cool water.
- Next, grate one small yellow onion into the bowl as well.
- When potatoes and onions are all grated, add more cold water until completely submerged and place in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Once your potatoes and onions have sat in the fridge for 30 minutes, drain them into a colander. I typically let me sit for a couple minutes, then really start pressing them to help get all the excess water out. Then, I grab fistfuls and squeeze to get any remaining water, placing the drained potatoes on a separate plate covered with paper towel. You really want to get all the water out you can possibly get.
- In a small bowl, beat two eggs well.
- Mix in flour, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and smoked paprika (my one twist on the otherwise classic dish).
- Place grated potatoes back in a large bowl (make sure it's a dry bowl!) and pour egg mixture on top.
- Mix well until potatoes are well covered with egg mix. Cover potato mix tightly with plastic wrap, as it can oxidize quickly as it sits out.
- Preheat a large frying pan (affiliate) over medium heat.
- Add enough about a ¼ of cooking oil the the bottom of the pan. I used Avocado Oil for this, but you can easily use vegetable oil as well.
- I suggest starting with just one small pancake first, then tasting for salt and other seasoning. To do so, place a tablespoon of the potato mix in the preheated oil and press flatly with a spatula.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, until edges begin to brown. Then flip and cook until opposite side is golden brown.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired, if needed.
- If seasoning is on point, continue cooking with slightly larger pancakes, using the same process. Do not overcrowd the pan and cooked in batches. I could fit about four on at a time in my pan.
- When they are finished, remove to a plate with a paper towel to drain. Serve warm and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Hanukkah, Holiday, Jewish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 0
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 0
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 0
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 0
- Cholesterol: 0