Bring golden, crispy perfection to your holiday table with this Hanukkah latke recipe—a classic potato pancake that celebrates tradition, flavor, and the joy of frying something truly worth it!
There’s a sound that defines Hanukkah—and it’s not just the songs or laughter, but the sizzle of potatoes hitting hot oil. This Hanukkah latke recipe captures everything beautiful about the Festival of Lights: warmth, togetherness, and the simple pleasure of crispy edges and tender centers.
Ingredients For Hanukkah Latke Recipe
- Yields: 18–22 latkes (7–8 cm / 3 in) — serves 6–8
- Active: 35 minutes Total: 55–60 minutes
Base
- 1,100 g (2 lb 6 oz) russet potatoes, peeled (3–4 large)
- 200 g (7 oz) yellow onion (1 large)
Bind & Season
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 35–40 g (⅓ cup) matzo meal or 30 g (¼ cup) plain breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp baking powder (lift without “pancake” vibes)
- 10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt (divided: 1 tsp for draining, 1 tsp for batter)
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Frying
- 500–700 ml (2–3 cups) neutral oil (peanut, canola, safflower) — 6–8 mm / ¼ in depth in the pan
Finishes (Choose Your Adventure!)
- Applesauce (unsweetened, warmed)
- Sour cream or labneh; chopped chives/dill
Bonus Board: Smoked salmon, lemon wedges, micro-dill
Equipment That Saves Your Sanity
- Box grater (coarse holes) or food processor with coarse shredding disc
- Large bowl + fine-mesh strainer or salad spinner
- Two clean kitchen towels
- 25–28 cm (10–11 in) cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet
- Wire rack set over a sheet pan + 95°C/200°F warm oven
- Instant-read thermometer (your oil truth-teller)
Hanukkah Latke Recipe
- Grate potatoes on the coarse side (long shreds = lacy edges); grate onion the same way. Toss together immediately so onion slows oxidation.
- Salt to draw moisture: sprinkle 1 tsp salt over the mix; toss. Transfer to a strainer over a bowl (or into a salad spinner). Rest 5 minutes.
- Squeeze like you mean it: grab fistfuls and wring hard in a towel until you feel the shreds lighten. Catch all the expressed liquid in the bowl—keep it.
- Save the secret starch: let that liquid sit 3–4 minutes. Pour off the brownish water. Scrape up the white potato starch stuck to the bowl and return it to a clean mixing bowl.
- Build the batter: add squeezed shreds to the bowl with the starch. Beat eggs; add eggs, baking powder, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp salt.
- Sprinkle in matzo meal/breadcrumbs and toss with a fork until shreds look lightly glossy and cohesive—not wet, not crumbly. If the mix weeps after 10 minutes, add 1–2 tsp more matzo meal and toss again.
- Heat with intent: film your skillet with 6–8 mm / ¼ in oil. Bring to 175–185°C / 350–365°F. A tiny shred should sizzle instantly and dance.
- Fry in calm batches: scoop heaping tablespoons (35–40 g). Drop, then flatten to 8–9 cm / 3–3½ in wide and 8–9 mm / ⅜ in thick with the back of a spoon. Fry 3–4 minutes until the underside is deep gold with frilly edges. Flip; fry 2–3 minutes more. Keep oil ~180°C/355°F—adjust heat as needed.
- Drain like a pro: rack, not paper. Sprinkle a pinch of fine salt while they’re still sizzling so it sticks. Hold trays in a 95°C/200°F oven—crisp stays, steam goes.
- Serve hot: applesauce on one side, sour cream on the other, herbs over the whole parade. If smoked salmon shows up, add lemon wedges and watch them disappear.
Texture Diagnostics (Know You Nailed It)
- Edges: Lacy and glass-crisp (they crackle).
- Centers: Moist, tender, fully set (no raw crunch, no glue).
- Color: Even deep gold—no pale spots, no bitter dark patches.
- Sound: A gentle hiss on the rack; silence means under-fried.
Make-Ahead, Reheat, And Leftovers (Peace Of Mind)
- Early Prep (Same Day): Grate/squeeze up to 2 hours ahead. Keep shreds wrapped in a dry towel in the fridge; mix with eggs/binder right before frying.
- Freeze For Later: Fry to just-gold, cool completely, freeze on a tray, then bag (up to 1 month). Reheat from frozen on a rack at 220°C/425°F for 10–14 minutes to sizzling-crisp.
- Reheat Tonight: 220°C/425°F, rack over sheet, 6–8 minutes. Skip the microwave; it swaps crunch for regret.
- Oil Care: If crumbs build up, pause, strain hot oil through a fine mesh (carefully), top off, return to temp. Fresh oil = clean flavor.
Variations I Trust (Same Backbone, New Mood)
- Scallion & Everything Spice: Fold in 2 thinly sliced scallions; dust hot latkes with everything bagel seasoning and a dab of labneh + dill.
- Sweet Potato–Ginger: Swap half the russets for sweet potato; add 1 tsp grated fresh ginger. Fry a touch cooler (170°C/340°F)—sweet potato browns faster.
- Zucchini–Potato (Summer Energy, Winter Flavor): Replace ⅓ of potatoes with zucchini; salt and squeeze zucchini separately within an inch of its life.
- Gluten-Free: Use 30 g (¼ cup) potato starch instead of matzo/breadcrumbs for binding.
Troubleshooting (Real Fixes, Zero Drama)
- Latkes Falling Apart: Batter’s too wet. Squeeze harder, mix in the saved starch, and add 1–2 tsp matzo meal.
- Greasy Taste: Oil’s too cool or the pan’s crowded. Keep 175–185°C and fry in smaller batches.
- Dark Outside, Raw Inside: Oil’s too hot or patties are too thick. Drop to 175°C/350°F and flatten to ⅜ in.
- Edges Not Crispy: Shreds too short or too much binder. Use the coarse grate and keep matzo meal light.
- Batter Turning Pinkish/Brown: Oxidation—harmless. Work faster and always toss potato with onion right after grating.
Serving Board Blueprint (People Eat With Their Eyes!!)
Warm platter, parchment liner, latkes overlapped slightly. Small bowls: warm applesauce, cold sour cream, chopped dill/chives. If you’re feeling extra, curl smoked salmon into roses and add lemon wedges. Tuck in tiny spoons so traffic flows. People will hover. Let them.
Light the candles, trust your squeeze, and keep that oil honest. With this Hanukkah latke recipe, you’ll turn a bowl of shreds into the kind of crunch people remember—and request—long after the menorah cools!
