This foolproof potato latkes recipe makes golden potato pancakes that are crunchy outside and creamy inside! I share a few tips to ensure your latkes are crispy and delicious every single time. Serve them up with a quick and easy savory herbed sour cream, or go the more traditional route with applesauce and sour cream.
My mom used to tell us horror stories of her mom making potato pancakes. They were cooked well beyond nicely browned or even a little charred - they'd be totally blackened - and completely bitter.
I'm guessing my grandma loved them because mom said she made them frequently. And the more they showed up on the dinner table, the more my mom despised them. I can understand why I was an adult when I finally got to try a potato pancake for the first time!
Latkes are lovingly known as Jewish potato pancakes.
Like fried foods in general, latkes are a Hanukkah (Chanukah) tradition that symbolize the miracle of the oil that happened around 200 B.C. The oil burned for eight days at the rededication of Second Temple in Jerusalem when there was only enough oil for one day.
You can read more about the history of Hanukkah, also called The Festival of Lights, on History.
Best Tips for How to Make Crispy Latkes
- Soak the grated potato in ice cold water for 30 minutes.
- Make sure to get the potato as dry as possible after soaking.
- When you drain the water after soaking the potatoes, keep the sludgy white stuff (it’s potato starch) in the bottom of the bowl.
- Use duck fat or chicken fat (schmaltz) to fry the latkes.
- Be sure to use enough fat for frying; you will need about ¼ to ½-inch in the bottom of the pan. I find that ½ cup is good for a medium-large skillet.
The Best Crispy Potato Latkes Recipe
I love these golden French onion latkes served with a savory herbed sour cream to brighten up their flavor. However, this is completely optional. You can go a more traditional route and serve them with applesauce and sour cream if you prefer.
Ingredients
Latkes:
- Potatoes – this is the base of our latkes; I used yellow potatoes (Yukon Gold), but starchy potatoes (such as Russets) work very well
- Coarse kosher salt – to season the potato
- Cold water – for soaking the peeled, grated potato
- Butter – this is for caramelizing the onion; if you don’t have salted butter on hand, use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt
- Yellow onion – we caramelize the onion and add it to the potato mixture before frying the latkes
- Egg – egg added to latkes acts as a binder to help our potato pancakes stick together
- Potato starch – this is a very forgiving component of this recipe; you can also use tapioca starch, all-purpose flour, or matzo meal
- Baking powder – just a little goes a long way here
- Duck fat – for frying the latkes; you can also use chicken fat, which is known as schmaltz, but I prefer the lighter, more subtle flavor of duck fat for frying latkes
- Coarse kosher salt – sprinkle a little on top as soon as the latkes are fried
Step by Step Instructions
How to Caramelize Onion:
- Add the butter to a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion.
- Cook until deep golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the onion starts to burn in spots before it is fully caramelized, you can turn the heat down a bit and/or add a splash of water. Cool slightly.
How to Make Potato Latkes:
- Add the grated potato and salt to a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Mix it briefly to help disperse the salt. Soak for 30 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes well in a fine mesh sieve, pressing with a spoon to get out as much water as possible. When you drain off the potato water, try to leave the sludgy white stuff in the bottom of the bowl. It is potato starch, and it’ll help make our latkes super crispy.
- Add the well-drained potato to the bowl with the potato starch in the bottom, along with the egg, flour, and baking powder. Stir to combine.
- Mix in the caramelized onion.
- Add the duck fat to a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot (around 365 to 375F), add 3 tablespoons of the potato mixture per latke. Try to drain off any excess liquid before adding the potato mixture to the skillet.
- Fry the latkes until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Transfer the fried latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil. Immediately sprinkle the tops with a little coarse salt if desired. Continue this process until all the latkes are fried.
Storage and Reheating
Once latkes are cooled, you can store them layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can reheat latkes in the oven or in an air fryer. No matter what method you use, you don’t need any extra oil to reheat latkes.
Preheat the oven to 400F, arrange the latkes in a single layer on a baking tray, and bake until warm, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, preheat an air fryer to 350F, arrange the latkes in a single layer in the basket, and air fry until warm, about 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Potato Latkes Recipe FAQs
Can I Skip the Caramelized Onion Here?
Yes. This recipe adds caramelized onion for depth of flavor and to make these latkes unique, but it’s completely optional.
If you prefer, you can grate half an onion and press it through the fine mesh sieve along with the grated potato to remove the excess liquid.
What is the Best Oil to Fry Latkes?
Look for an oil with a high smoke point. I like to use duck fat for the best flavor and crispy texture. Chicken fat (schmaltz) is another great option. Or you can use any oil that you normally use for deep frying.
What Type of Potato is Best for Latkes?
Russet potatoes are commonly thought of as being the best potato for latkes or potato pancakes. This is because of their high starch content, which helps the latkes stick together and brown nicely.
However, with the preparation (soaking in ice cold water and using the potato starch that collects in the bottom of the bowl) and cooking method (shallow frying in duck fat at a fairly high temperature) that I share in this recipe, you can basically use any type of potato you like! Personally, I think the best latkes are made with yellow potatoes.
What Toppings are Good for Latkes?
Applesauce and sour cream are traditional latke toppings.
I like going a savory route and serving latkes with a garlicky herbed sour cream. It only takes a couple minutes to whip up, and it really brightens up the flavor.
More Favorite Potato Side Dishes
- Crispy Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
- Salad Olivier Recipe (Russian Potato Salad)
- Creamy Dijon Potato Salad
Let's Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
Crispy Potato Latkes Recipe with Caramelized Onion and Herbed Sour Cream
Ingredients
Herbed Sour Cream:
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 small clove garlic crushed
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Latkes:
- 1 ¼ pounds yellow potatoes peeled and grated on the big side of a box grater
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- Ice cold water
- 1 ½ tablespoons salted butter or unsalted butter with a pinch of salt
- ½ large yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup potato starch or tapioca flour, all-purpose flour, or matzo meal
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup duck fat or chicken fat or vegetable oil
- Coarse kosher salt for topping (optional)
Instructions
For the Herbed Sour Cream:
- Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until using.
For the Latkes:
- Add the grated potato and salt to a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Mix it briefly to help disperse the salt. Soak for 30 minutes, and then drain the potatoes well in a fine mesh sieve, pressing with a spoon to get out as much water as possible.
- When you drain off the potato water, try to leave the sludgy white stuff in the bottom of the bowl. It is potato starch, and it’ll help make our latkes super crispy.
- While the potatoes soak, caramelize the onion. To do so, add the butter to a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until deep golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the onion starts to burn in spots before it is fully caramelized, you can turn the heat down a bit and/or add a splash of water. Cool slightly.
- Add the well-drained potato to the bowl with the potato starch in the bottom, along with the egg, flour, and baking powder. Stir to combine, and then mix in the caramelized onion.
- Add the duck fat to a medium-large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot (around 365 to 375F), add 3 tablespoons of the potato mixture per latke. Try to drain off any excess liquid before adding the potato mixture to the skillet.
- Fry the latkes until golden on both sides, about 4 minutes total, flipping once halfway through. Transfer the fried latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil. Immediately sprinkle the tops with a little coarse salt if desired. Continue this process until all the latkes are fried.
- Serve warm, along with the herbed sour cream. Alternatively, serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Faith's Tips
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes a total of 12 latkes or 4 servings. Each serving is 3 latkes.
- Storage: Once latkes are cooled, you can store them layered between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat latkes in the oven or in an air fryer. No matter what method you use, you don’t need any extra oil to reheat latkes. Preheat the oven to 400F, arrange the latkes in a single layer on a baking tray, and bake until warm, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, preheat an air fryer to 350F, arrange the latkes in a single layer in the basket, and air fry until warm, about 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- What Type of Potatoes: Russet potatoes are commonly thought of as being the best potato for latkes or potato pancakes. This is because of their high starch content, which helps the latkes stick together and brown nicely. However, with the preparation (soaking in ice cold water and using the potato starch that collects in the bottom of the bowl) and cooking method (shallow frying in duck fat at a fairly high temperature) that I share in this recipe, you can basically use any type of potato you like! Personally, I think the best latkes are made with yellow potatoes, such as Yukon Gold.
- What Type of Oil for Frying Latkes: Look for an oil with a high smoke point. I like to use duck fat for the best flavor and crispy texture. Chicken fat (schmaltz) is another great option. Or you can use any oil that you normally use for deep frying.
- Topping Ideas: Instead of going with this savory herbed sour cream, you can serve your latkes with the traditional applesauce and sour cream accoutrements.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on June 18, 2009. It was updated with new photos and more information on December 11, 2022. As a point of comparison to show how much my photography has evolved, I kept one of my original photos (below).
Betsy says
I’ll never forget the first time I tried these latkes, after having eaten my mother’s horrifying version of potato pancakes all throughout my childhood! I said “These aren’t potato pancakes! They taste awesome!” Lol!
joanne says
Very impressed with these. I chose to fry mine instead of oven bake but they still turned out delicious. Lovely hot or cold!
Recipe man says
wow ! looks great. i love to add in half a large carrot grated.
thanks
nora@ffr says
wow faith!! ive never tried this before :) sound terrific.. m sure gonna try this out soon
cheers!!