Crispy homemade potato latkes! My family looks forward to these every single year. They’re a staple at our Hanukkah celebration and are roughly 1000x better than any frozen variety you can buy at the store. In this post, I’ll share my mother-in-law’s famous latke recipe (they truly are the best on the planet!), along with expert tips, answers to frequently asked questions, and how you can prep these ahead of time so you’re not frying the day of your celebration.
If you’re unfamiliar with potato pancakes, here’s the quick run down: they’re meant to be both light and crispy, yet tender and fluffy on in the inside. When pan fried properly (not deep fried!), they’re not greasy at all.
You’ll know you’ve achieved latke perfection when they fly off the cooling rack before they’ve had a chance to cool. Best enjoyed with homemade applesauce or sour cream, these are one of my top 10 recipes of all time. I’m honored to share this Laing latke recipe with you!
For more easy & delicious appetizer recipes, consider trying our marinated olives,, chopped chicken liver, or smoked salmon salad next!
Taste, Texture, and Flavor
Potato latkes are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They have a slightly sweet and savory flavor, with a hint of onion. The eggs and flour help to bind the potatoes together, and the frying process gives the latkes their signature crispy exterior.
We used to grate the potatoes by hand, but if you have a food processor, there’s really no need!
We recommend frying in a light, neutral oil, such as grapeseed, canola oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil, as they have higher smoke points than extra virgin olive oil. And with the amount you’ll be pan frying, you don’t want a cloud of smoke in your kitchen.
How To Make Crispy Potato Latkes
Before you begin, make sure you have a cast-iron or heavy bottom skillet (or two!) on hand for pan frying. We also recommend using a food processor for shredding the potatoes and onions. Quick and easy!
- Grate the potatoes and onions, then soak in water. Drain and replace the water a few times until the water is clear and the starches have sunken to the bottom of the bowl.
- Squeeze out excess moisture. Place the grated onions and potatoes in a cheese cloth or kitchen towel, then ring out as much water as possible. Work in batches as needed, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the latke ingredients. To the potatoes and onions, add matzo meal (or flour), eggs, baking powder, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix well.
- Heat the oil. You want enough oil to come up about ½-inch.
- Pan fry the latkes until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes on the first side, and then another 1-2 minutes on the second. Immediately drain on paper towels on a wire rack, then sprinkle lightly with salt. Enjoy while hot!
Our favorite way to serve latkes? With cinnamon applesauce or sour cream. If you’re hosting a party, it can be fun to enjoy them with a dollop of creme fraiche with smoked salmon and capers.
FAQs
Russet potatoes are the best choice for latkes because they are high in starch and low in moisture. This makes them easier to grate and helps them to hold their shape when fried.
After grating and rinsing the potatoes, transfer them to a clean dish towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. You can also place the grated potatoes in a colander and press down on them with a heavy object to extract the moisture. My mother-in-law uses old pillowcases!
Any high-heat oil, such as grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil, can be used to fry latkes. Be sure to heat the oil to a medium-high temperature before adding the latkes to the pan.
Definitely pan fry potato pancakes! You want enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan that it comes up about halfway the height of the latke. This ensure even cooking and less greasy pancakes. You’ll likely need to add additional oil to the pan between batches when you’re about halfway through.
The latkes should be a golden brown color with a crisp exterior, while still tender on the inside. Do not flip until they are crispy on the first side.
Expert Tips
- For extra crispy latkes, use a food processor to grate the potatoes and onions. This will produce a finer shred, which will result in a crispier latke.
- If you are having trouble getting the latkes to hold their shape, add a little bit more matzo meal (or flour) to the batter.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying potato pancakes. This will lower the temperature of the oil and prevent the latkes from cooking evenly.
- Fry the latkes in batches so that they have enough room to cook evenly.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- Make-ahead: Potato latkes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days. When we make double (or triple batches), we keep the leftovers for up to a week!
- Leftovers and storage: Store in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply place the latkes on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Freezing: Potato latkes can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, allow to cool completely, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. To reheat from frozen, thaw the latkes overnight in the refrigerator and then bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Be sure to share these with loved ones. It makes them taste so much better. If you make our family’s crispy Potato Latke recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! DON’T FORGET to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio !! We LOVE seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
More recipes to serve at Hanukkah!
- Flanken Ribs
- Cinnamon Applesauce
- Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
- Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Swirl
Light & Crispy Potato Latkes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes
- 2 large sweet onions
- 4 eggs slightly beaten
- ½ – ¾ cup matzo meal can substitute potato starch or flour
- ½ Tbsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 large bottles of canola oil
Instructions
- Peel and grate potatoes, then immediately place in a mixing bowl filled with warm water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then drain potatoes and re-cover with warm water, repeating the process a total of 3 times. You'll know you're done when there are very few bubbles at the top of the bowl.
- Squeeze out excess moisture. Working in batches and using a large cheese cloth, kitchen towel, or even an old pillow case, squeeze out all excess moisture from potatoes. Place drained potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, grate onions and ring out any excess water. Add onion to potatoes, along with most of the eggs (I'll begin by using ¾ of them, reserving the rest) , matzo meal, Kosher salt, baking powder, and black pepper, then mix well. If mixture seems too dry, add more egg a little at a time.
- Heat enough oil to fill a pan about ½”. When oil reaches 400F, drop about 1-2 Tbsp of latke batter into pan, making sure not to crowd the pan. Use the back of a spoon to pat them down a bit (you want them thin!). Fry about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown, then carefully turn and brown the other side for about 1-2 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels, then serve! Transfer latkes to a paper towel-lined cooling rack and immediately season with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Repeat process with remaining latke mixture. Serve immediately or keep warm on baking sheets in an oven heated to 250F. Serve with homemade applesauce or sour cream.
Notes
- Make-ahead: Potato latkes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days. When we make double (or triple batches), we keep the leftovers for up to a week!
- Leftovers and storage: Store in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply place the latkes on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Freezing: Potato latkes can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, allow to cool completely, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. To reheat from frozen, thaw the latkes overnight in the refrigerator and then bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Best Latke ever!!!! The best I ever made or ate, so crispy and delicious 5 lbs potatoes are not enough!
This means SO much from you, Dee! Thank you thank you! xo, Ari
Best latkes I have ever eaten! I complimented my wife but she gave credit to the recipe. They were perfect.
Mannie, I am SO happy to hear this!! Wish we could enjoy them together, they really are the best!! xo, Ari
Yum!!! This was only my second time ever making latkes, but decided to give this recipe a whirl and so glad I did. Everyone loved them! Wish I had more pans (and a larger kitchen/workspace) so I could’ve doubled or tripled the recipe and had multiple batches going simultaneously. I didn’t have it in me to make the homemade applesauce, but that looks delish. Maybe next year! 🤞🏻 Thanks, Ari!
Honestly our favorite latkes, we look forward to them every year! Thanks for trusting me enough to try the recipe! Happy Chanukah! xo, Ari
I’ve only made latkes once, 2yrs ago. I did something wrong, and they were not good. I found your MIL’s recipe through you, and they’re great! Thanks!
So thrilled to hear this! They are the best latkes we’ve ever had, bar none!! xo, Ari