Potato Latkes

These classic potato latkes are light, crispy, and tender. I fry them up and serve them with sour cream and apple sauce. This recipe has been passed down for generations and is our most cherished Hanukkah recipe. We love them so much, we make them more than just once a year. I learned how to make these from my mom, who learned from my grandma, who learned from her mother. I also make some variations of this recipe, like Carrot Potato Latkes, Cheddar and Jalapeno Latkes, Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Latkes, and Cheddar Leek Latkes.

What are Latkes?

A latke, which originated in Central and Eastern Europe, is a type of potato pancake or fritter that is traditionally eaten to celebrate Hanukkah. Potato Latkes are eaten for Hanukkah to remind us of the miracle of oil. The reason hanukkah is 8 days long is because once upon a time there was only enough oil to have light for one night, but miraculously the light lasted for 8 days. Potato Latkes are fried in oil to remind us how magical oil can be.

This potato latke recipe has been passed down for generations in my family and is one of our most cherished Hanukkah recipes. We love them so much, we make them more than just once a year. There is somewhat of a debate as to what should be served with potato latkes. Should you serve them with sour cream or should you serve them with apple sauce? Try them both and let me know what you prefer.

How to Make Potato Latkes

Potato Latkes, also known as Potato Pancakes, are like hash browns. They are made from freshly grated potato, which I season liberally, add some flour and egg so that they hold together, and then I fry them up into little potato patties.

1. First, grate your potatoes. You can use a box grater just like you would use to shred cheese, but I prefer to use my food process. It grates a full potato in seconds. Once my potatoes are grated I use a thin towel or cheese cloth to squeeze as much liquid out of the potatoes as possible.
2. Puree your onions and squeeze out as much onions as possible.
3. Then, combine the grated potatoes with spices, eggs, baking powder, and flour.
4. Lastly, fry the latkes in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. I add about 1/4″ oil to the bottom of the pan, heat it on medium heat, and then I add the latkes once the oil is hot. I cook them on each side until they are golden brown (about 3-4 minutes on each side) and then I transfer them to a paper towel lined plate so remove the excess oil. Sprinkle with sea salt!
5. Serve with sour cream or apple sauce.

Gluten Free Potato Latkes

When I originally made this recipe, I used tapioca flour instead of regular flour and they came out fantastic! However, I created this recipe for all-purpose flour since that is what most people have in their pantrys.

If you use tapioca flour or arrowroot flour, use 1/2 cup of flour in your recipe.

Best Potatoes for Potato Latkes

A lot of people say they use russet potatoes, but you definitely have to peel those before grating. I don’t have that type of time anymore, so I now use Yukon Gold Potatoes. The skin is super thin and golden, so you don’t need to worry about removing it.

No matter what type of potato you use, you should note that once you grate your potatoes, they will quickly start to turn a light brownish color due to the oxidation process. This is normal and you should not worry. Once you form your potatoes and fry them up, you will not see any discoloration.

Easy Potato Latkes Recipe

Makes 12-15 Potato Latkes

INGREDIENTS  

• 4 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 1 Shallot (optional)
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Seasoning Salt like a Garlic and Herb seasoning or Lawry’s
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• additional salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Grate the potatoes using the grating disc of your food processor or by using a box grater. You do not need to peel the potatoes if you are using yukon gold potatoes.
• Take half of the grated potatoes and add them back to a food processor and pulse a few times until they start to resemble mashed potatoes. You want half to be grated and half to be a mashed consistency. This will ensure creamy, but crunchy latkes.
• Drain all water from the potatoes by using a thin towel nut milk bag, or cheese cloth. This step is very important. If you dont remove all of the water, the latkes will never crisp up
• Once all the water is removed, add the potatoes to a large bowl.
• Throw the onion (and optional shallot) into the food processor and pulse until it starts to look like a paste. Squeeze all water from the onions using a cheese cloth or nut milk bag and add the onion mixture to the potatoes.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with the salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Pour egg mixture over potatoes and onions, and mix well.
• Add flour and baking powder to the mixture and mix well.

Frying Instructions

• On medium heat, heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom. Once oil is hot, drop 1 spoonful of the potato mixture into the oil. Only drop one as you will be testing the salt level with this one. I use a heaping tablespoon and then I use the back of the spoon to flatten the latke once it is in the oil. Fry it for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Once it is done cooking, add it to a paper towel lined baking sheet to absorb the oil. Once it cools slightly, taste it and decide if you need to add a little more salt to the rest of the mixture.
• Fry the remaining latkes

How to Store and Reheat Potato Latkes

To Freeze: I have made a large batch to freeze many times. The best way to do this is to arrange your cooled latkes in a single layer on a baking sheet and then freeze them on the baking sheet overnight. In the morning, you can toss all of the individually frozen latkes into a freezer ziploc bag and freeze them up to one month.

If you do not have a lot of space in your freezer to fit a baking sheet, you can lay down three potato latkes at the bottom of a long piece of aluminum foil. Gently roll the aluminum foil up so that the latkes are covered, and then add in another three latkes. Keep rolling the latkes up and adding an additional three latkes. Once you get to the end, tighten the aluminum foil and add it to a ziploc freezer bag.

To Refrigerate: You can keep them in an airtight container for up to 5 days once cooked.

To Reheat: Air Fry at 300F until they are crispy and warmed through. You can also lay them out on a baking sheet and bake them at 325F for about 15 minutes. The time will depend on whether they were frozen or not.