16 Perfectly Crispy Latke Recipes

Potato Latkes Recipe

No Hanukkah celebration is complete without latkes. Go classic potato for the first night, and then try borscht-inspired beet, cheesy cauliflower and Gruyère, and earthy-sweet carrot and curry variations on the other nights. The trick to crispy cakes with less oil is to start with a very dry grated potato mixture: Drain well, and then squeeze in a clean kitchen towel. The frying oil may get too hot during successive batches; remove pan from heat for a minute or two, and lower the temperature as needed.

Basic Potato Latkes Recipe

The reserved potato starch helps bind the potato-onion mixture and adds heft to this traditional Hanukkah treat.

Curried Carrot Latkes Recipe

No Hanukkah celebration is complete without latkes. Go classic potato for the first night, and then try borscht-inspired beet, cheesy cauliflower and Gruyère, and earthy-sweet carrot and curry variations on the other nights. The trick to crispy cakes with less oil is to start with a very dry grated potato mixture: Drain well, and then squeeze in a clean kitchen towel. The frying oil may get too hot during successive batches; remove pan from heat for a minute or two, and lower the temperature as needed.

Mini Latkes With Salmon-Olive Relish Recipe

The savory topping of smoked salmon and olives is what makes these little appetizer-size latkes extraordinary.

Sweet Potato-Parsnip Latkes Recipe

Branch out by using sweet potato and parsnips for your latkes instead of shredded baking potato. Top with easy Ginger Sour Cream to make them even more special.

Cilantro-Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Sour Cream Recipe

Add south-of-the border flavor to potato cakes with chopped jalapeño pepper and chipotle chile.

Potato-Apple Latkes Recipe

These 5-ingredient latkes get their sweetness from the addition of shredded apple and a sprinkling of turbinado sugar.

Cheesy Cauliflower Latkes Recipe

No Hanukkah celebration is complete without latkes. Go classic potato for the first night, and then try borscht-inspired beet, cheesy cauliflower and Gruyère, and earthy-sweet carrot and curry variations on the other nights. The trick to crispy cakes with less oil is to start with a very dry grated potato mixture: Drain well, and then squeeze in a clean kitchen towel. The frying oil may get too hot during successive batches; remove pan from heat for a minute or two, and lower the temperature as needed.

Potato-Scallion Latkes Recipe

You only need 5 ingredients to make these simple potato cakes for your traditional Hanukkah meal. The addition of green onions adds both color and flavor to the latkes.

Mashed Potato Latkes with Zucchini and Dill Recipe

These potato cakes are made with mashed potatoes instead of traditional shredded potatoes. You can combine and refrigerate the potato mixture up to a day ahead; dredge in matzo meal and sauté just before serving.

Root Vegetable Latkes Recipe

Add shredded parsnip and sweet potato to the shredded baking potato mixture for these earthy, hearty potato cakes.

Potato-Sauerkraut Latkes with Juniper Sour Cream Dip Recipe

Whenever I visited my grandmother Lisa for a few days, she would ask me for a list of the recipes I would like to eat during my little holiday. I used to give her a long list, always far too long for my short visit, but I loved this ritual. One of these meals, an absolute highlight, was German potato latkes, called Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen. Lisa fried them to perfection—crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. In western Germany, where I grew up, we usually eat potato pancakes with apple compote, sugar beet syrup, or, my childhood favorite, granulated sugar, but I had a new idea. 

I was raised on sauerkraut and it often tops the list when people think of my home country’s food—apart from wurst (sausage), of course. The classic version is served with mashed potatoes and soft southern liver sausage—that might not sound appealing, but it’s actually quite addictive—but why not experiment? I mix the sour fermented cabbage into grated potatoes and turn it into the sauerkraut Kartoffelpuffer featured in my latest cookbookEat In My Kitchen. It’s great, especially with a juniper-scented sour cream dip on the side.

Potato-Sauerkraut Latkes with Juniper Sour Cream Dip

Ingredients

Excerpted from Eat in My Kitchen: To Cook, to Bake, to Eat, and to Treat by Meike Peters. Copyright © 2016. Published with permission by Prestel Publishing. All rights reserved.

Potato Latkes with Herbed Sour Cream and Smoked Salmon Topping Recipe

This recipe was created by chef Todd Ginsberg of Atlanta restaurant The General Muir. Applesauce is a classic topping for potato pancakes, but all sorts of flavors pair wonderfully with fried potatoes, including this creative topping of smoked salmon with herbed sour cream. This simple but elegant recipe would be right at home at a Hanukkah gathering but it would also work for a cocktail party or a special breakfast or brunch. Ginsberg uses fresh chives, tarragon, and parsley that have been pureed in a blender in his sour cream sauce. To preserve the bright color and flavor of the herbs, he blanches them in boiling water with a bit of baking soda and salt for a few minutes, then immediately transfers the herbs to an ice bath to shock them. Our Test Kitchen raved about the dish, saying, “The herbed sour cream is light, refreshing, balanced, and the perfect accompaniment to the crispy latkes and salty smoked fish.” Ginsberg prefers frying latkes in clarified butter, but this recipe will work just as well with canola or vegetable oil. If you're cooking latkes for a crowd, you might get overwhelmed making them to order. This recipe is easy to make in advance. Simply cook the latkes up to 4 hours ahead of time, and don't refrigerate. A half hour before serving, crisp up the latkes on the griddle and then transfer them to a baking sheet with a thin layer of clarified butter on the bottom. Place them in a 400˚F oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Beet Latkes Recipe

When Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day, you’re almost obligated to make a breakfast dish that honors both holidays. Shalommmm. Let's talk about beet latkes. Mixing bright ruby red beets with potatoes adds festive color to traditional potato pancakes without sacrificing the consistency that you love so dearly. To make potato-beet latkes, you can either shred both vegetables by hand with a grater, or use a food processor to speed up the process. The beets will produce lots of juice, so wear gloves and an apron to save your clothes. These latkes tend to absorb oil very quickly, so make sure the oil is hot before frying. Drop a tiny amount of the beet-and-potato-mixture into the oil to test if it’s ready. Start cooking when the oil bubbles up.

Beet Latkes

Purple Sweet Potato Latkes with Tobiko Recipe

Crispy Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon Recipe

Frozen shredded potatoes are a fast cook’s friend: The excess liquid that usually needs to be squeezed out of fresh spuds is already gone, and they don’t need to be thawed before cooking. The raw eggs may clump slightly when added to the frozen potatoes; this won’t affect the finished latkes. Serve the potato cakes for brunch with a simple fruit salad, or for lunch or dinner with mixed greens. You could even make mini cakes for an impressive appetizer. Save the dark green parts of the green onions for sprinkling over top.

Crispy Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon

This recipe originally appeared on Cookinglight.com.