When Hanukkah rolls around every year, I have a hard time straying away from the traditional potato latke recipe passed down from my Papa Leo. Crispy, salty, savory potato pancakes in all their glory - it doesn’t get any better than this, folks.
We top them simply with a little sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and apple sauce. That’s it. End of story. There is nothing else needed – this is your one way ticket to latke perfection.
A few tips I’ve learned over the years:
- Using a food processor with the grading attachment to shred the potatoes and onions will save you time and prevent bloody knuckles. Trust me on this one.
- Squeeze out as much water as possible from the grated onions. Paper towel or a kitchen tower work really well. Keep squeezing until you can’t squeeze any more. Note: If using a food processor, do the potatoes separately from the onions so you can squeeze them. Onion juice = flavor. Potato water = soggy sadness.
- Make more than you think you’ll need. More than likely, you’ll only make these once a year. Go crazy and make a double batch. Your family will thank you.
- Serves: 4
- Serving size: 4-5 Pancakes
- Calories: 720
- Fat: 57.2g
- Saturated fat: 4.2g
- Unsaturated fat: 53g
- Trans fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 47.8g
- Sugar: 2.8g
- Sodium: 610mg
- Fiber: 3.8g
- Protein: 7.1g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
- 4 russet potatoes – peeled and grated finely (water squeezed out)
- 1 medium onion – grated finely
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup matzo meal or more if needed
- canola oil for frying
- sour cream and apple sauce for serving
- Using a food processor or cheese grader, grate the potatoes and place in a bowl using a paper towel to remove excess water.
- Grate the onions then add to the potatoes.
- Add egg, salt and matzo meal to the potato/onion mixture and mix well with a fork. If mixture seems too watery, add more matzo meal.
- Heat 2-3 inches of oil over medium-high heat In a deep pan (or cast iron skillet). Add a drop of the potato mixture to test the heat of the oil. If it bubbles, it’s ready!
- Using an ice cream scoop or large soup spoon, drop potato mixture in to the oil being careful not to over crowd the pan. Flatten the pancakes with a metal spatula to ensure even cooking.
- After 3-4 minutes, check for color and flip once browned on one side. Flatten again with the spatula and cook until browned on both sides.
- Lay cooked latkes on plate or baking sheet lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Continue working in batches until all of the potato mixture is gone.
- Serve with sour cream and apple sauce.
Stop by the other blogs and check out these Chanukah Themed Recipes:
Latkes:
Jamie from Joy of Kosher made Zucchini Latkes with Tzatziki
Daniel from Peikes Cookbook made Potato and Fennel Latkes Fried in Duck Fat With Chinese Five Spice Apple Sauce
Susan from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen made Squash and Potato Latkes
Samantha from The Little Ferraro Kitchen made Ruby Red Beet Latkes with Cumin
Nechamah from TIforOA Food Ideas made Healthy Oatmeal Latkes
Liz from The Lemon Bowl made Traditional Potato Latkes
Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food made (I Can’t Believe They’re Crispy!) Baked Latkes
Laura from Mother Would Know made Three Variations of Sweet and Savory Latkes
Sarah from Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends made Kimchee Latkes
Shulie from Food Wanderings made Baked Panko Sweet Potato Leek Latkes
Donuts and Desserts:
Miriam from Overtime Cook made Shortcut Cannoli with Chocolate Mousse Filling
Leah from Cook Kosher made 5 Minute Donuts
Estee from The Kosher Scoop made Tropical Fruit Fritters
Melinda from Kitchen-Tested made Sweet Steamed Buns
Amy from What Jew Wanna Eat made Homemade Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Gelt
Avidan from Baking It Up As I Go Along made Orange Olive Oil Cake
Tali from More Quiche Please made Glazed Chocolate Donut Holes
Amital from Organized Jewish Home made Mom’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
Princess Lea from The Frumanista made Túrógombóc
Stephanie and Jessica from The Kosher Foodies made Beignets
Gigi from Gigi’s Kitchen made Bunuelos: Mini Powdered Cheese Donuts
Esther from Esther O Designs made Edible Menorahs
Patti from No Bacon Here made Hanukkah Oreo Balls
Shoshana from Couldn’t Be Parve made Churros con Chocolate
Shaindy from My Happily Hectic Life made Inside Out Apple Crisp
Eve from Gluten Free Nosh made Gluten-Free Hanukkah Sugar Cookies
Amy from Baking and Mistaking made Mini Cream-Filled French Beignets
Sarah from Food, Words, Photos made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Victoria from Itsy Bitsy Balebusta made Pure Vanilla Donuts
Vicky and Ruth from May I Have That Recipe made Dulce de Leche and Eggnog cream filled mini sufganiot
Dena from Oh You Cook made Poached Pears in Pomegranate Sauce
Michele from Kosher Treif Cooking made Tiramisu Cheessecake
Sharon from FashionIsha made Sparkly Chanukah Cookies
Yosef from This American Bite made Garlic, Zaatar and Olive Oil Popcorn
Appetizers, Soups, Sauces, Drinks and other Hanukkah Food:
Laura from Pragmatic Attic made Caramel Spice Applesauce
Jessie from Bread and Butter made Honey Spiced Hanukkah Martini
G6 from Guess Who’s Coming 2 Dinner made Sweet Potato Leek Soup
Claire from I Love Soup made Sweet Potato, Coconut & Lemongrass Soup
Jennifer from Juanita’s Cocina made Kugel
Liz from Kosher Like Me made Ready, Stuff Roll!
Shelley from The Kosher Home made Hanukkah Crafts and Printables
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Your latkes take me straight back to my childhood! I wish chicken fried steak had zero calories!
I’m so glad to hear!!!
Thats exactly the ratios I use when I make my potato latkes, except I don’t use any matzah meal. Russet potatoes are the best when making latkes!
Loving that you stuck with tradition for this post. It balances out the “shake up the norm” approach I took with my post for this blog party!
These latkes look amazing!
I wish donuts had no calories. Specifically caramel donuts with chocolate glaze. Or maybe custard donuts. Or cinnamon twist donuts. Ok, skip that. Any donut. All donuts. Just donuts!
Can you tell I hate dieting on Hanukkah??
Awesome shot of the fryer- I’d be afraid to get my camera that close! I would say latkes too!
Don’t caramel sufganiyot have no calories already?
So glad you joined the blog party – can’t wait to see how you used the printables! http://thekosherhome.com/chanukah-sameach/
Shelley from The Kosher home!
you can never go wrong with a traditional recipe. My fiance would prefer your latkes over mine because they look so crunchy. Looks so delicous!
haha – I make them super crunchy!!!
Donuts. definitely donuts.
Just got a mini deep fryer and it was so easy to make fresh donuts and even easier to eat them up!
Liz, your latkes look amazing!
I love latkes so much it’s ridiculous. I don’t deep fry mine but the crispy edges are by far the best part so they are a must! Happy Hanukkah friend
I am a sucker for crispy edges!! Thanks friend!
I would have to agree and say that latkes with no frying would be wonderful.
I can’t even visually tell these were made in the food processor, you can always tell w/mine! Love the addition of matzo meal, we use bread crumbs.
I just made Eddie’s Moms recipe for latkes yesterday – almost the same! They were SOOOO good, and yours look amazing, Liz! xx
I wish sufganiyot had no calories!!!
I wish fried chicken had no calories : )
latkes would be right up there – any kind of veggie fried up latke style actually …. the possibilites are really endless.
I wish falafel had no calories. I love falafel.
This is tough, because I love fried foods! Probably Krispy Kreme raised glazed. These don’t present a problem to me now because there aren’t any in the state I live in, but if I come across one……
I don’t eat too many fried food, but topping the list are latkas and doughnuts – so if I could have them without the calories? Yum!
Potato Chips
Mmmm … crispy latkes … I can smell them frying!
I am totally eyeing these. I’m ready with my potatoes and my deep fryer, but haven’t figured out what recipe I’m going to use! Happy Chanukah!
I wish all fried food would be calorie free!!
Latkes…or sufganiyot.
I’m with you – latkes!
donuts.
Love that last image in the frying pan!
Fried chicken. I’d love to be able to eat non stop fried chicken!
I wish my deep fried wontons had no calories
I have only tried latkes a few times and neither were a great success. I can’t wait to try yours and so many other Hanukkah recipes to try! Thanks for sharing.
chocolate ganache!
Lattes from Starbucks. They are my addiction.
Jelly doughnuts! Too many calories, but soo good!
These are basically the latkes we made, although I made a quadruple batch. I freeze them and then serve them throughout the year.
And although I don’t really like fried foods, I would be OK with these having no calories for my once a year dinner.
Any fried food lol I fall for em all.
Latkes rock!
I just made a huge batch of latkes last night, happy chanukah to you.
Donuts!
They look so crispy!
Oh, I love when my hubs makes latkes!!!! In fact, this will be in my tummy soon… thanks for the reminder!
I hate to say it, but I wish McDonalds double cheeseburgers and fries had zero cals!! Yep.
Yumm..these look Perrrfect!!! And I love how you add the NI (or not?) haha
Potato latkes and sufganiot… but the smell of fried food is permeating in our apartment. Aside from opening all the windows while frying, any other ideas to clear the air, lest the odor/aroma will linger long after Chanukah is gone… when I’ll need to start my diet!
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