Crispy Potato Latkes
on Nov 29, 2021, Updated Nov 21, 2024
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These Crispy Potato Latkes get topped with crème fraîche, salmon roe, and chopped chives. Latkes are a staple for us the second Hanukkah comes around. The latkes need to be golden brown and crunchy on the outside, and slightly soft on the inside, with a delicate, savory, and salty flavor. You can take a look at our Hanukkah recipes for pairing ideas!
Check out our other potato recipes like Fondant Potatoes which are buttery and garlicky, Crispy Parmesan Potatoes, or Paprika Roasted Baby Potatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Versatile: Latkes are a type of potato pancakes/fritter that are popular in Ashkenazi Jewish culture that are celebrated and made during Hanukkah. They are generally eaten for Hanukkah, but you can enjoy them throughout the year.
- Crispy and Golden: They have a super crunchy texture while being soft and tender on the inside, the best of both worlds!
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can most definitely prep these in advance, and then re-heat to toast in the air fryer or oven if you’re having a lot of people over.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the ingredients you need to make this recipe, including all our tips and substitutions.
Potatoes: We used Russet potatoes here, which are the best choice for this recipe.
Eggs, baking powder, and matzo meal: Eggs, matzo meal and baking powder help add structure to the latkes and hold the shredded potatoes together while they’re frying.
Onion: For a bit of sweetness and savory flavor. The onions also add structure to the latkes and help with any dryness.
Vinegar: To keep the potatoes from browning while you’re grating them.
Oil: Use any neutral oil for frying. Vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil or even grapeseed oil are some good options.
Toppings and pairings: Experiment with sides and toppings like Crème Fraîche, sour cream, salmon roe, and chopped chives.
Seasonings: We used kosher salt and crushed black pepper.
The full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Tips & Substitutions
- Potato swap: For this recipe, we’re using russet potatoes. That is the potato that we’ve grown up using and that our family has used for latkes. You can use yukon gold potatoes, but using a sturdy potato works best for this.
- Matzo meal swap: If you can’t find matzo meal, you can sub with unseasoned dry breadcrumbs.
- Oil matters: Use a neutral oil for shallow frying. Canola, vegetable, and peanut oil work great here. You can also use schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) to fry these latkes. This will give a really nice depth of flavor.
- Squeeze it right: Make sure you squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the potatoes. The key is to remove moisture to help the potatoes get nice and crispy when fried.
How to Make Crispy Potato Latkes
Step 1: Using a box grater, grate your potatoes. Set in your colander, over a bowl of water and ice. Repeat until all your potatoes are grated. Repeat the same by grating your onions, and adding in the same colander over the ice bath.
Step 2: In a large bowl, once the potato mixture is dry, add in your eggs, baking powder, matzo meal, salt and pepper in the shredded potatoes mixture. Mix well with your hands until fully coated.
Step 3: Heat up a cast iron skillet. Fill a 1/4 cup measuring spoon with the mixture and add it in the hot oil, and press. Let your latkes fry on one side until crispy, about 4-5 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. Drain on paper towels, finishing with salt.
Step 4: Top with a spread of Crème Fraîche, then salmon roe and chives. You can also serve alongside sour cream and applesauce, which is the traditional way to eat latkes.
The full detailed instructions can be found on the recipe card below.
Serving Recommendations
You can enjoy the potato latkes with the toppings of your choice, or team them up with some sides. Here are a few good ideas to inspire you.
- Sides: Team up the latkes with a dip like Spinach Artichoke Dip, Spicy Pimento Cheese Dip or Roasted Garlic and Herb Yogurt Dip. If you have some eggplant, you can also consider making some classic Baba Ganoush.
- Dinner: You can also make them a part of your dinner by serving them with some Matzo Ball Soup.
- Complete your Hanukkah Meal: with Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, Salmon Gravlax (Cured Salmon!) and Cheese Bourekas.
Crispy Potato Latkes FAQs
Latkes are a type of potato pancakes/fritter that are popular in Ashkenazi Jewish culture that are celebrated and made during Hanukkah. Personally, I sometimes have them throughout the year, as well but generally they are eaten for Hanukkah!
Growing up around this time of the year, my family and I always get together and eat latkes, sufganiyot and light the Menorah together. It is a special tradition that I cherish every year, and even more now that I am grown up!
Keeping the peel on adds some nice crispness and crunch, so if you don’t mind it, skip peeling it. If you really want to though,you can peel your potatoes and then use them for the recipe.
Absolutely! Just fry as you would on the stovetop the same way and they should turn out super crispy.
Flip the latkes over once they have turned golden brown on one side. This will ensure that they are cooked to perfection, but still have that soft interior you’re looking for.
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Crispy Potato Latkes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 3 medium sized russet potatoes, or 2 large, grated, peeled or skin on
- 1 onion, grated
- 1/4 cup matzo meal
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- neutral oil, for frying
- serve with Crème Fraîche or sour cream, salmon roe and chopped chives
Instructions
- In a bowl, add water and ice with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Set a colander inside of the bowl. This will help the potatoes from discoloring and prevent oxidation as you're grating.
- Clean and scrub your potatoes. Peel if you prefer! We kept the skin on. Using a box grater or a chop attachment on a food processor, grate your potatoes. Set in your colander, over the bowl of water and ice. Repeat until all your potatoes are grated.
- Repeat the same by grating your onions, and adding in the same colander over the ice bath.
- When everything is grated, add the mixture in a cheese cloth or towel and squeeze out all the excess moisture until it's pretty dry. This will help the latkes get crispy.
- Once it's dry, add in your eggs, baking powder, matzo meal, salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands until fully coasted.
- Next, heat up a cast iron with oil until hot. This is a shallow fry, so you don't need to add that much oil here.
- Fill a 1/4 cup measuring spoon with the mixture and add it in the hot oil. Then press down with a spatula/fish spatula/burger press until thin (or your desired thickness).
- Let your latkes fry on one side until crispy, about 4-5 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. Set aside on lined paper towels on a plate. Season with flakey salt when it's out of the heat.
- Work in batches and repeat until all your latke mixture is done. Makes about 8-10 latkes.
- Top with a spread of Crème Fraîche, then salmon roe and chives (optional). You can also serve alongside sour cream and apple sauce, which is the traditional way to eat latkes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Matzo meal swap: If you can’t find matzo meal, you can sub with unseasoned dry breadcrumbs.
- Use a neutral oil for shallow frying. Canola, vegetable, and peanut oil work great here. You can also use schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) to fry these latkes. This will give a really nice depth of flavor.
- Squeeze it right: Make sure you squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the potatoes. The key is to remove moisture to help the potatoes get nice and crispy when fried.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My go-to for every year at Hanukkah! I hope you enjoy this recipe! 🙂