Latkes (Stovetop & Oven Method)
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Make your Hanukkah celebration extra special with golden crispy latkes. You can make them on the stove or in the oven — your choice!
Latkes, or crisp onion-scented potato pancakes, are traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, when it is customary to eat foods fried in oil. At any Hanukkah party, you’ll likely find an apron-clad Jewish mother standing at the stove frying and serving up these savory treats. This tradition can be fun, but it can also be messy and hectic with hot oil splattering all over the stove and children running underfoot. That’s why I was thrilled to discover that potato latkes can also be fried in the oven!
This recipe offers the option of using either the traditional stovetop method or the oven method. The stovetop method is faster, but requires cooking the latkes in batches. The oven method takes longer, but allows all the latkes to be cooked at the same time and is less messy. The latkes are delicious either way. Serve them warm with sour cream and applesauce. Now that you’ve got latkes covered, check out my other Hanukkah recipes to round out your holiday celebration.
Table of Contents
“These were brilliant!! I used the oven method which resulted in the perfect crispy brown result I was looking for without having the mess from the frying pan.”
What You’ll Need To Make Potato Latkes
- Russet Potatoes: These starchy potatoes are perfect for latkes, giving them a crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
- Yellow Onion: Adds a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Eggs: Help bind the ingredients together, ensuring the latkes hold their shape when frying.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of the potatoes and onions, making the latkes more flavorful.
- Baking Powder: Adds a touch of lift, making the latkes light and crisp.
- All-Purpose Flour: Helps absorb moisture and adds structure to the latke batter.
- Vegetable Oil: Used for frying, it creates a golden, crispy crust.
- Sour Cream and Applesauce: Classic, tangy and sweet accompaniments to balance the taste of the savory latkes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
If using the oven method, you’ll need two heavy nonstick rimmed baking sheets. Be sure they are truly nonstick and in good shape, otherwise the latkes may stick.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Batter
Peel the potatoes, then coarsely grate them with the onion together using a food processor or by hand, using a box grater.
Place the potato and onion mixture in a fine sieve over the sink or a large bowl and press down firmly with a wad of paper towels or a clean dishcloth to wring out excess moisture. Stir and repeat a few times with fresh paper towels until the liquid is mostly drained.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the potato and onion mixture, salt, baking powder, and flour.
Mix until evenly combined.
Fry the Latkes: Stovetop Method
In a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about ¼ cup of oil. Once the oil is hot, drop mounds of batter into the hot pan. Flatten the mounds slightly with a spatula and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the bottom of the latkes are golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. Drain on paper towels and repeat with the remaining batter.
Fry the Latkes: Oven Method
Preheat oven to 425°F and put 2 oven racks in the centermost positions. Fill two heavy nonstick rimmed baking sheets with ½ cup oil each.
Place the pans in the oven for 10 minutes to heat the oil. Wearing oven mitts, very carefully remove the pans from the oven. Drop mounds of batter onto the baking sheets, spacing the latkes about 1½ inches apart. Using the back of a spoon, press down on the latkes to flatten just slightly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are crisp and golden. Carefully remove the pans from oven.
Flip the latkes (tongs are the best tool as a spatula may cause oil to splatter).
Place the pans back in the oven and cook until the latkes are crisp and golden brown all over, about 10 minutes more.
Drain the Latkes
After cooking on the stovetop or in the oven, transfer the latkes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.
Serve the latkes with sour cream and applesauce.
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Latkes (Stovetop & Oven Method)
Make your Hanukkah celebration extra special with golden crispy latkes. You can make them on the stove or in the oven — your choice!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (2 to 3 potatoes)
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled (about the size of a baseball)
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Sour cream and applesauce, for serving
Instructions
- If using the oven method, preheat the oven to 425°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.
- Make the Batter: Peel the potatoes, then coarsely grate them with the onion together using a food processor fitted with the steel blade or by hand, using a box grater. Place the potato and onion mixture in a fine sieve over the sink or a large bowl and press down firmly with a wad of paper towels or a clean dishcloth to wring out excess moisture. Stir and repeat a few times with fresh paper towels until the liquid is mostly drained. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the potato and onion mixture, salt, baking powder, and flour. Mix until evenly combined.
- Stovetop Method: In a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about ¼ cup of oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, drop mounds of batter (about 3 tablespoons) into the hot pan (the batter should sizzle when you drop it in). Flatten the mounds slightly with a spatula. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bottom of the latkes are golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is golden, another 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. Transfer the latkes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as necessary.
- Oven Method: Fill two heavy nonstick rimmed baking sheets with ½ cup oil each (see note). Place the pans in the oven for 10 minutes to heat the oil. Wearing oven mitts, very carefully remove the pans from the oven. Drop mounds of batter (about 3 tablespoons) onto the baking sheets, spacing the latkes about 1½ inches apart. Using the back of a spoon, press down on the latkes to flatten just slightly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bottoms are crisp and golden. Carefully remove the pans from oven and flip the latkes (tongs are the best tool as a spatula may cause oil to splatter). Place the pans back in the oven and cook until the latkes are crisp and golden brown all over, about 10 minutes more. Remove the pans from the oven and transfer the latkes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Serve the latkes warm with sour cream and applesauce.
- Note: If using the oven method, you'll need two heavy nonstick rimmed baking sheets. Be sure they are truly nonstick and in good shape, otherwise the latkes will stick.
- Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 2 tablespoons of the oil is absorbed into the latkes when frying.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer Friendly Instructions: Latkes are best served fresh from the skillet or oven, but they reheat well. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet in a 375°F-oven for about 10 minutes, or until hot. They can also be frozen for up to three months; reheat directly from the freezer; allow a few extra minutes in the oven.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (18 servings)
- Serving size: 1 latke
- Calories: 71
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 153 mg
- Cholesterol: 21 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These were a huge hit! Never frying on the stove again…can’t wait to convert my mom to this method!
Made these last night – needed slighlty more flour than the recipe called for to keep them together but these are ABSOLUTELY PERFECT and I will never stand over a stove and fry latkes again!
I do not have non-stick baking sheets to make oven fried latkes. Do you think it’s OK if I line the pans with non-stick foil instead?
Hi Marsy, I haven’t prepared these using no-stick foil, but a few readers have commented that have and have had success. Hope you enjoy!
My family was skeptical about these being as good as the fried ones but I served both side by side and the oven fried latkes were a hit. I would definitely make these again. One thing – after I heated up the oil i attempted to take aluminum sheet out of the oven but spilled some. I guess the sheey was too light. I had two additional sheet pans in oven but instead of taling out i just extended rack and loaded latkes. It worked out fine.
Hi. Made these last year and were great!! Will a Silipat mat work on my rimmed baking sheet (it’s not non-stick) ? Can any part of this be made ahead of time— perhaps grating the potatoes and letting them drain ahead of time while I cook a main dish? I was thinking your brisket (to reheat 45 min) but only have one oven…
Thanks Jenn!
Hi Patricia, glad you enjoyed these! Unfortunately, I don’t think a Silpat mat will work here. Also, I wouldn’t suggest grating the potatoes ahead of time – they will discolor as they sit. While latkes are best served fresh out of the oven, if it’s just not possible, you can make them ahead and reheat them.
Hello ladies. Patricia, latkes freeze and reheat nicely, in case you haven’t tried it.
Place them directly on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, simply places them in a Ziploc bag. I’ve actually left them for a couple of months. Reheat on a cookie sheet. Voila! Not exactly as they are when fresh, but delish nonetheless!!!
I made these last night, and because I’m lazy, I DID use aluminum foil to line my heavy baking sheet, but I put parchment paper on top of it to prevent sticking. They were wonderful! And — again lazy — I used Trader Joe’s Shredded Hash Browns. They’re just shredded potatoes and some dextrose (a form of sugar from corn) that prevents the potatoes from turning grey. I made the batter ahead of time and the latkes went in the oven as guests arrived. Came out on time with crispy outsides and soft insides — delicious!!
Hello Jenn-
This Chanukah I am definitely going to try frying latkes in the oven. Is there a way to tell if my baking pans are non-stick? I’ve had them a while and I’m not sure.
Thanks.
Merril
Hi Merril, Non-stick baking sheets have a bit of a sheen on them that looks like a coating. If your baking sheets are pretty old or you don’t feel confident that they are non-stick, it’s worth investing in new ones if you really want to make these. You won’t get a good result without non-stick pans. Hope that helps!
Hi. I saw cornstarch as a gluten free alternative. Have you tried other flours? If so which ones? Thank you!
Personally, I haven’t Ebonni, but I suspect an all-purpose gluten-free flour would work here. Please LMK how they turn out if you try them!
When grating in a food processor should the S blade be used or do we want the match stick grater? This is for both the potato and onion. Thanks!
Hi Liorah, You would use the match stick grater. Enjoy!
Can you store the batter in fridge for a day or so before cooking?
Hi Paula, Unfortunately, this batter cannot be made ahead. Sorry!
Chicago Metalic has many non stick cookie sheets-is there a model number or reference for the heavy duty one you recommend? Thanks.
Hi Sandy, I believe this is the one I have. Hope that helps!
I made these last night, along with the fiery roasted-tomato basil soup, and both were delicious, like every one of your recipes I ever made. The only thing I did different is that I put the baking sheets in the heated oven and then poured the oil in them. It made the sheets easier to carry from the countertop to the oven. You are a wonderful cook and give me the confidence to cook because I know that your recipes come out perfectly.
Glad you enjoyed these and that the recipes from the blog have helped with your confidence in the kitchen! 🙂