Perfect Potato Latkes with just a few ingredients and a bit of soaking time have the crispiest exteriors with the fluffiest centers. There won’t be a single one left over.
Perfect Potato Latkes for the win on the fourth day of Hanukkah! Ha! I wasn’t going to post this recipe this year, in fact I had convinced myself I would post it next year a month before the holiday and give myself a bit of a break from cooking in the holiday season. 
But then I was sitting on the couch thinking about how special latkes are to our Chrismukkah celebrating household and even though you all either don’t eat latkes or have already enjoyed them for the season I decided it was best to post them now. 
So here we are on the fourth day of Hanukkah and I’m making a second batch of latkes because our first batch didn’t even outlast the next morning and it is reminding me of my husband’s grandmother. 
She was the absolute kindest soul and every year she would look over at my plate with latkes and *GASP* ketchup and say in total shock, “You’re putting KETCHUP on your latkes?!!?” I miss her terribly (I know way more personal than I normally get on here) but making latkes and celebrating with family was the perfect medicine. 
So I’m just going to leave this Perfect Potato Latkes recipe out here, hanging in the deserted wind where hopefully you all will find it next year in time for the holidays and enjoy them as much as we did. 
Tools Used in the making of these Perfect Potato Latkes:
Cast Iron Skillet: Perfect for frying all things, keeps heat extremely well. This is my go to skillet for pan frying.
Fish Spatula: I’m very careful about my latke flipping so I use my super flexible fish flipper. I have an All-Clad one I use from a set I got for our wedding but my backup is this Winco one for 5$ and honestly… it is every bit as useful. Save the cash and go for that one!
Cookie Sheet: Perfect for putting in the oven to keep the latkes warm when used with…
Cooling Rack: Using the cooling rack with your latkes will help prevent the bottoms from getting soggy while your finish frying the rest of them. Remember never cool anything fried on a paper towel (steam will build up and make them soggy!).
Ingredients
- 12 medium Idaho potatoes , peeled
- 4 eggs , beaten
- 2/3 cup flour (if you have matzoh meal go for that to keep it classic, I found flour adds to crispy texture)
- 1 yellow onion , grated
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- canola oil for frying (about an inch deep in your frying pan)
- Ketchup *GASP*, Applesauce or sour cream as toppings (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl halfway with water.
- Grate all the potatoes and put them into the water.
- I let them sit in the water for an hour, but as much/little time as you can give them the crispier your latkes will be. This water bath removes a lot of the starch.
- Take the potatoes out one handful at a time and squeeze them as dry as you can and put them into a second large bowl.
- Add the eggs, flour, onion, Kosher salt and black pepper to the potatoes and mix well.
- Heat the oil in your frying pan and using ¼ cup measure form them into patties about ¾ inch thick and fry on medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside but still fluffy in the middle.
- To keep warm in the meantime while frying set your oven to 250 degrees or "keep warm" setting and keep these on a cooling rack set on top of a cookie sheet while you fry the remaining latkes.
Nutrition
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These look great! I have to tried the water bath but squeezing out water after grating. Have you prepared these & frozen them? I like to do that when Im having a party, & take them out & heat up in the oven??Then I only cook up one batch prior to the party
Yes, latkes are still awesome out of the freezer. They will never be as good as freshly cooked but we often reheat in a 400 degree oven, somewhere between 10-15 minutes.
How many eggs and onions would you use for a 5lb bag of potatoes?
Hi Jaime, I’m so sorry this comment got stuck and I just came across it. I know your meal is long gone now. I made it by potatoes, I would just count them? I’m sorry I don’t have the weight of my potatoes written down, it was made a few years ago. I will try to recipe test it again this year for you.
I love brisket and latkes
The absolute worst part of making Latkes is the grating of the potatoes. This has prevented me from making them more often. I’ve used a food processor, but it really does not produce the same texture. Someone I know used frozen shredded potatoes. Another friend used a boxed “Latke base.” Both were awful. I’ve looked for frozen grated potatoes online, but can’t find any. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.
I’ve only ever used potatoes so I don’t really have any experience with the shortcuts. I would think frozen would add too much liquid and make it harder for the latkes to stick together. Good luck!
Try the dehydrated hash browns in the little milk carton looking containers at costco. They turn out great.
I make Latkes often, but I never thought of soaking them (in order to eliminate most of the starch). I’ll definitely try that next time. We like ours crispy around the edges, so I always use flour. Idaho OR Russet potatoes? Most folks I know use Russets, so I’m wondering if you feel that Idaho potatoes work better in Latkes, and why. We enjoy our Latkes with sour cream as opposed to applesauce, but KETCHEP!!!!???? Oy 🙁
Either work fine. I just like the taste of Idaho potatoes so it’s just a personal preference.
Need to know how to make potoes kanish.
I’m so sorry I don’t have a recipe for those but I would suggest checking out https://www.joyofkosher.com . All of her recipes are amazing!
Your recipe is almost identical to the one I use. I have never done the water bath. I’ll have to give that a try for our second eighth night.
It really does take a lot of the starch out to make them crispier. Hope you enjoy them!
We don’t celebrate Hanukkah, but my whole family adores potato latkes. These ones look fantastic!
Oh yum! I would love to try this! Looks really good!
Thanks Jen!
I’ve never tried potato latkes! These look SO delicious!
Give them a try! You won’t be disappointed!
My family will really enjoy these!! They look absolutely delicious!!
Thank you Katerina!
These sound incredible! Any type of potato, for me, is a total comfort food!
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Robin
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I’ve only made latkes once, and they were an oily mess. I cannot wait to make these – they certainly look and sound perfect! Happy Hanukkah to you and yours!
Yes, definitely try again and come back to let me know how they turned out.
I love latkes, they are such a great way to enjoy potatoes.
I don’t celebrate Hanukkah, but these just look really good anyway! I might just try to make a gluten-free version anytime.