These crispy Potato Pancakes are hard to resist.
Shredded potato, onion, and seasonings come together to make pancakes that are browned and crisp.
Serve them for breakfast, as a side, or even as a main dish!
We Love These Crispy Potato Pancakes Because…
- Inspired by Polish, Irish, and German heritage, they are universally loved as sweet or savory sides!
- They use simple ingredients you likely have on hand.
- Potato pancakes can be served as a main dish or as side dish.
- Double up the recipe, they reheat well in the air fryer or in a skillet.
Ingredients for Potato Pancakes
- Potatoes: Use starchy potatoes, such as Russets, as they give a crispy texture. Yukon golds will work as well but the potatoes have a different, slightly less fluffy, texture.
- Onion: Use a sweet white onion in this recipe and grate it with the large holes on a box grater.
- Eggs/Flour: Eggs and flour help hold these pancakes together. Gluten-free flour works just fine for these potato pancakes. Depending on the potatoes, you may need a little bit more or less.
- Oil: I use vegetable oil to fry the potato pancakes as it has a higher smoke point than butter or olive oil.
- Variations: Much like mashed potato pancakes, you can add various cheeses, seasonings, fresh herbs, or bacon bits to the potato mixture.
Serving Suggestions
Toppings: jalapenos, bacon bits, shredded cheddar, or chives.
Sauce: applesauce, ketchup, or sour cream.
How to Make Potato Pancakes
- Grate potatoes and onions, and squeeze out the liquid.
- Whisk the remaining ingredients (recipe below) in a large bowl until smooth.
- Stir in potatoes and onions until thoroughly combined.
- Fry portions of potato mixture in oil, gently pressing them into disks as they cook.
Serve with sour cream or apple sauce, or enjoy them on their own.
Holly’s Tips
- choose Russet potatoes or baking potatoes for the best results
- shred the potatoes with the large holes on a box grater or use a grater blade on a food processor
- squeeze as much moisture from the onion/potatoes as possible
Storing Potato Pancakes
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat them in the toaster, the air fryer, or in a dry skillet.
- Freeze cooked or uncooked potato pancakes for up to 6 weeks between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer bag.
Delish Potato Dishes
Did you make these Potato Pancakes? Leave a rating and a comment below.
Potato Pancakes
Perfectly crispy potato pancakes are great for breakfast or served as an easy side dish!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes peeled and grated, approx. 4 cups
- 1 medium sweet onion peeled, and grated
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil more may be needed
- sour cream or applesauce for serving
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes. Grate the potatoes and onion with the large holes of a box grater.
- Add the potatoes and onion to the center of a clean kitchen towel. Close the towel and twist it to remove as much moisture as possible.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, flour, kosher salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and no flour lumps remain.
- Add the potato mixture to the bowl and mix well to combine.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot add four ¼ cup-sized scoops of the potato mixture into the hot oil. If you do not hear a sizzle when the potato mixture is added, the oil is not hot enough.
- Use a spatula to gently press the potato mixture down to form a pancake.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes per side or until deep golden brown, adding more oil if needed.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt to taste.
- If desired, serve with applesauce or sour cream.
Notes
As batches of potato pancakes are cooking they can be kept warm in a 275°F oven.
Shredded hash browns can be used in place of potatoes, omit the salt from the recipe.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 6g | Calories: 120 | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 342mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine American, German© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Looks Great. I can’t wait to try this one out.
… Now how do I get the russet stains out of my towels? I didn’t know potatoes would stain and let the towels dry without rinsing. I’ve washed several times, air drying. Oxyclean soak didn’t work. Anybody know what does?
These are excellent. I substitute matzo meal for the flour.
Soo good!! I have been craving some latkes, so I made half a batch. It made six and I only got to have one my adult children lived them so much.
You will have to make a full batch next time Darcie! Glad they were loved by everyone.
Made these tonight and they were delicious! Recipe is easy to follow and grating in the food processor makes quick work of it.
Glad you enjoyed them, Fran! :)
This is the worst recipe I have come across in years…. 4 russet potatoes peeled and grated??? Russet pototoes come in different sizes. Evedently the author was not aware of this. 4 russet potatoes?? Is that 4 cups of grated potatoes? Maybe 3 cups? Potatoes are the main ingredient and I have 4 that weigh 1 1/4 lbs each.
Hi Ricky, 4 potatoes are approximately 4 cups of grated potatoes. I hope that helps.
Really delicious and using a food processor to shred the potatoes and onions makes for easy work. This is a family favorite. Thank you!
Easy, crispy and delicious! Very happy with this recipe!
Very difficult to use this. I am unable to print this out in a simple way to take into my kitchen to use.
Sorry to hear that Thomas. There is a print recipe button at the top of the recipe that should help print a clean, easy to ready version to take to the kitchen!
Thank you i finally found the recipe, i always wonder how to make one of this good fast foods and this is a malaysia food too.
Glad you found it Baker. Enjoy!
my mother has been making these for decades, especially on Good Friday! She has now figured out that the food processor will do the work, however this year she put them through twice and it was very similar to how she used to grate them….without the time and work involved!
Great idea Susana!
My mother use to make potato pancakes for us. While staying with my son and his family he asked me to make them. I needed the recipe since mine was back at home. I noticed the recipe did not state the potatoes were to be grated nor the onion either. Was this mistakenly omited?
Hi Elaine, just behind the ingredient itself, it states they should be peeled and grated!
I dont have a tea towel ….what can you substitute that with ?
Any towel should work to remove the moisture Ruth!
These were so yummy . Easy to put together and simply delish. However, I switched out the sweet onion for green onions. Thank you for sharing ❤
Do you add the flour mixture in or dredge the pancake in it?
It is mixed in (the flour mixture is the egg mixture that is added in step 4).
Really need to rewrite step 4 about the flour being added to mixture!
Sorry steps were changed now it’s Step 6 that needs to be rewritten.
It isn’t flour, it is FOUR pancakes of ¼ cup in size each. The step is correct as written, I hope that helps.
Apple butter on top.
Great idea Melissa!
Yes, this is always my favourite topping!
love new recipes
Can these be prepped and froze?
Hi Mandi, we have never tried freezing these but another reader has with success.
This is THE BEST recipe for Potato Pancakes (aka Latke) ever! I recently started using Yukon Gold potatoes, b/c the skin is so thin that you don’t have to peel them (but of course I gently scrub ’em clean). Also, they come out nice & crispy on the outside, when fried in a cast iron skillet.
If you use the shredded hash how much do you use?
About 4 cups.
They also freeze well. Layer on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Remove paper to re-warm in the oven when needed.