Crispy Latkes
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These crispy, golden latkes are a classic Hanukkah favorite. Whether you prefer the traditional stovetop method or the mess-free oven method, this latkes recipe makes it easy to enjoy delicious potato pancakes anytime.
Latkes are traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, when it’s customary to eat foods fried in oil. At any Hanukkah party, you’ll likely find an apron-clad Jewish mother standing at the stove frying up these onion-scented potato pancakes. This tradition can be fun, but it can also be messy and hectic with hot oil splattering all over the stove and children running underfoot. That’s why I was thrilled to discover that potato latkes can also be fried in the oven!
This recipe offers two methods: the quick stovetop method, which requires cooking in batches, and the oven method, which takes longer but cooks all the latkes at once and is less messy.
Traditionally, latkes are served with applesauce and sour cream—and honestly, it doesn’t get much better than that. But there are plenty of other delicious toppings and sides you can try. Smoked salmon with sour cream or crème fraîche feels festive, fresh herbs like chives or dill add brightness, and if you want to get fancy, a little caviar takes them over the top.
For a complete meal, pair latkes with roast chicken or brisket, a crisp green salad, or a simple bowl of chicken noodle soup.
“These turned out great! I used the oven method and they were so crispy and delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Potato Latkes
- Russet Potatoes: These starchy potatoes are perfect for latkes, giving them a crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
- Yellow Onion: Adds a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Eggs: Help bind the ingredients together, ensuring the latkes hold their shape when frying.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of the potatoes and onions.
- All-Purpose Flour & Baking Powder: The flour helps absorb moisture and the baking powder adds a bit of lift, making the latkes light and crisp.
- Vegetable Oil: Used for frying.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the potatoes. Peel the potatoes, then grate them along with the onion—either in a food processor (fast and easy) or by hand with a box grater if you don’t mind a little workout.
Step 2: Squeeze out the liquid. Transfer the potato-onion mixture to a fine sieve set over the sink or a large bowl. Use a wad of paper towels or a clean dish towel to press down firmly and wring out as much liquid as you can—the drier the mixture, the crispier your latkes will be.
Step 3: Mix it all together. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the potato-onion mixture along with the salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir until everything is evenly combined and the potatoes are well coated.
Step 4: Fry the latkes. You can cook them on the stovetop or in the oven—see instructions below for each method.
Stovetop method: Heat about ¼ cup of oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop mounds of the potato mixture into the hot oil and gently flatten them with a spatula. Turn the heat down a bit and cook until the bottoms are golden and crispy. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 4 to 5 minutes.
Oven method: Preheat the oven to 425°F and position two racks in the center. Pour ½ cup oil into each of two heavy, rimmed nonstick baking sheets and slide them into the oven for about 10 minutes to heat. Carefully pull the hot pans out, drop mounds of batter onto the sheets, and flatten them slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bottoms are golden. Remove the pans, flip the latkes, and bake for another 10 minutes or so, until they’re crisp and golden all over.
Step 5: Drain and serve. Once the latkes are done—whether fried on the stovetop or baked in the oven—transfer them to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Latkes are at their best hot and fresh, but they also reheat beautifully and can even be frozen for up to three months.
More Hanukkah Recipes You May Like
Latkes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (2 to 3 potatoes)
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled (about the size of a baseball)
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Sour cream and applesauce, for serving
Instructions
- If using the oven method, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.
- Make the Batter: Peel the potatoes, then coarsely grate them with the onion together using a food processor fitted with the grating blade—or by hand, using a box grater. Place the potato and onion mixture in a fine sieve over the sink or a large bowl and press down firmly with a wad of paper towels or a clean dishcloth to wring out excess moisture. Stir and repeat a few times with fresh paper towels until the liquid is mostly drained. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the potato and onion mixture, salt, baking powder, and flour. Mix until evenly combined.
- Fry the Latkes:Stovetop Method: In a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about ¼ cup (60 ml) of oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, drop mounds of batter (about 3 tablespoons) into the hot pan (the batter should sizzle when you drop it in). Flatten the mounds slightly with a spatula. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bottom of the latkes are golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. Transfer the latkes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as necessary.Oven Method: Fill two heavy nonstick rimmed baking sheets with ½ cup oil each (see note). Place the pans in the oven for 10 minutes to heat the oil. Wearing oven mitts, very carefully remove the pans from the oven. Drop mounds of batter (about 3 tablespoons) onto the baking sheets, spacing the latkes about 1½ inches (4 cm) apart. Using the back of a spoon, press down on the latkes to flatten just slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are crisp and golden. Carefully remove the pans from oven and flip the latkes (tongs are the best tool as a spatula may cause oil to splatter). Place the pans back in the oven and cook until the latkes are crisp and golden brown all over, about 10 minutes more. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the latkes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Serve the latkes warm with sour cream and applesauce.
Notes
- If using the oven method, you'll need two heavy nonstick rimmed baking sheets. Be sure they are truly nonstick and in good shape, otherwise the latkes will stick.
- Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 2 tablespoons of the oil is absorbed into the latkes when frying.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Latkes are best served fresh from the skillet or oven, but they reheat well. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 375°F-oven for about 10 minutes, or until hot. They can also be frozen for up to three months; reheat directly from the freezer; allow a few extra minutes in the oven.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Tienen versión en español de esta receta
Hola Mónica, ninguna de mis recetas está disponible en español, pero puedes probar con Google Translate para ver si te funciona. (Así es como envié esta respuesta). 😊
This is my second year using your recipe, first year using the oven method. The latkes were amazing, even after I scaled up to serve 20. Thank you!
Delicious and amazing recipe! I did the oven method and it was perfect. Quick question please- is it advisable to swap shredded for mashed potatoes in this recipe?
So glad you like them! I’m not confident that this would translate well to using mashed potatoes. If you wan to use mashed potatoes, for the most predictable results, I’d use a recipe designed for them.
Hi Jenn,
I made your baked brie this Thanksgiving and it was a hit even among people who normally don’t eat cheese. It was gobbled up in less than 10 minutes.
Anyway, I want to make the latkes and was wondering if I could use the air fryer. I have used my air fryer for egg rolls and they turned out well.
Thank you for all your lovely recipes.
Deborah
So glad to hear the brie was a hit! I don’t recommend an air fryer for the latkes — I’m sorry!
Dear Jenn,
Last year, I made your latkes using the oven method. Because I made them larger than in your photos, even after doubling the recipe, it produced only 20 latkes, enjoyed by 10 hungry people! When my mother was alive, she fried latkes *once* and said it was too much work, so we always had a potato kugel instead of latkes for our Chanukah feast. Too bad she didn’t have your recipe 40 years ago! I bought the same OXO sheet pans as shown, and this is now my go-to recipe. They are so delicious; thank you very much for providing us with another way to enjoy latkes! I definitely am my “mother’s daughter”: I dislike frying latkes in several frypans at once. The oven method is equally delicious and a lot less work!
💗
Made this recipe. I cooked it in the oven at 450 for 20 mins, than flipped and cooked 10 more mins. Came ot great. Thank you for posting this classic go to recipe!
Made a half order for dinner tonight. I decided to soak the shredded potatoes before squeezing them dry, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The oven method worked perfectly. They came out looking like the photo and were yummy.
Another winner from Jenn!
Latkes were outstanding. I used the skillet method. The only change I made was to use matzo meal instead of flour.
The only confusing part of the recipe is where it says to grate the onion and potatoes with a food processer’s “steel blade.” Using a Cuisinart, I opted for the grater blade. I image the steel blade would work well if you like a smoother mixture. If you use a grater blade, make sure it’s one the coarsely grates. Some, I believe, are reversible.
Outside of that, this recipe is a five-star winner!
What size baking pan do you recommend for the 1/2 c oil? My pans are huge and not sure if that is enough oil. Thank you!
Hi Jan, I use half sheet pans which are 13 x 18 inches. Hope that clarifies!
I made one pans of latkes in each of my two ovens at the same time and the latkes came out great.
I used only one oven the second time and had a lot of trouble. Some of the latkes came out great. Others did not brown and stuck to the pans. I wasn’t sure which two middle oven racks to use. So I used the middle rack and the lower middle rack. Please advise. I love the oven method.
Hi Ellen, Gladyou liked the latkes, but I’m sorry you had a problem with them the second time around. I suspect that your oven may have some hot spots which can cause them to bake unevenly. (The racks that you used were fine; it really doesn’t matter if you use the lower middle or the upper middle rack In addition to the middle one.)