Why do some potato latkes fry up crisp and lacy while others sit limp in the oil? Most of the answer is in a kitchen towel, and in how hard you twist it before a single potato latke hits the skillet.

Grated potato holds a lot of water. I squeeze until my wrists complain and almost nothing drips out.

After that, the list is short: one pound of russets, half an onion, an egg, a little flour, and a teaspoon of baking powder. I fry them small, a tablespoon at a time.

The edges go brown and crackly while the middle stays tender.

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How do you make potato latkes crispy?

Crisp potato latkes come from squeezing the grated potato and onion in a towel until almost no liquid drips out, then frying small spoonfuls in hot oil over medium heat. Press each one flat and cook about 2 minutes per side, until the outside is crisp and golden brown.

Why It Works

Squeezing the water out of the grated potato is the step Jewlish credits for crisp latkes. With less water in the shreds, the oil browns them instead of steaming them.
A tablespoon-size latke over medium heat needs about 2 minutes per side, the timing Ina Garten gives, so the outside browns at the same pace the inside turns tender.
One egg and 1/4 cup of flour per pound of potatoes only bind the shreds. The mix stays loose and shaggy, which leaves more ragged edges to crisp.

I listen for the sizzle. If a spoonful slides in quietly, the oil isn’t ready, and I wait before adding the next one.

What Makes These Potato Latkes Special

The shopping list is short: potatoes, an onion, an egg, flour, and a few seasonings.
It all happens in one bowl and one skillet.
Small latkes fry in about 4 minutes a batch, so they move fast once the oil is hot.
Sour cream with chives or a spoonful of applesauce is all they need on top.

What Goes Into Potato Latkes

1 lb russet potatoes (2 large), peeled
1/2 medium onion, peeled
1 large egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil or extra light olive oil, for frying
Kosher salt, for sprinkling
Sour cream
Chopped chives
Applesauce (optional)

Ingredient Notes and Swaps

Russets are the potato to buy here, and Natasha’s Kitchen calls for them by name. Their starchy, dry flesh is what fries up crisp.

Two large ones make about a pound. Half a medium onion goes through the grater right alongside the potatoes.

It adds a sharp, savory edge, and its juice comes out in the same squeeze as the potato water, so it never makes the mix wet. The teaspoon of baking powder gives the centers a little lift.

For frying, a neutral oil like vegetable or extra light olive oil keeps the flavor on the potato. Save the kosher salt for the end, sprinkled over the latkes while they’re still hot and glistening.

How to Make Potato Latkes

Grate the potatoes and onion. Grate the peeled potatoes and onion on a box grater or with the grating disk of a food processor. Work quickly, and stop when everything is in long, even shreds piled together in one bowl.
Squeeze out the liquid. Pile the shreds into the center of a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and twist hard over the sink. Keep twisting until only a few drops come out and the potatoes feel dry and fluffy instead of heavy.
Mix the potato latkes. Move the squeezed shreds to a large bowl. Add the egg, flour, baking powder, fine sea salt, and pepper, and mix with a fork until every strand looks lightly coated and no dry flour shows.
Heat the oil. Pour enough oil into a large skillet to coat the bottom in a generous layer, and set it over medium heat. It’s ready when the surface shimmers and a single shred of potato sizzles hard the moment it lands.
Shape the latkes. Drop in a tablespoon of the mixture at a time, leaving room between them. Press each mound flat with the back of the spoon or a spatula, until the thin, lacy edges start bubbling.
Fry the first side. Cook for about 2 minutes without moving them, until the edges are deep golden brown and the bottoms release when you slide a spatula under. If they brown faster than that, lower the heat a little.
Flip and finish. Turn each latke once and cook the second side for about 2 minutes more, until both sides are crisp and golden brown and the center is hot. Bigger latkes take longer, so go by the color.
Drain and salt. Lift the latkes onto paper towels and sprinkle them with kosher salt while they still glisten. Add more oil if the skillet looks dry, and wait until a shred sizzles again before frying the next batch.
Serve hot. Bring them to the table right away with sour cream, chives, and applesauce on the side, while the edges still crackle under a fork.

Good to Know

Don’t go easy on the squeeze. Wet shreds spatter in the oil and fry up soft and pale instead of crisp.
Grated potato darkens as it sits, so I grate right before mixing and fry without long pauses. The Cooking Foodie grates the potatoes and onion straight into a bowl of cold water, then drains and squeezes them, if you’d like to try that route.
Ina Garten fries her latkes in 3 tbsp of clarified butter, made by slowly melting 4 tbsp of butter, letting the milk solids settle, and pouring off the clear golden fat.
The mix has raw egg in it, so cook every latke until both sides are golden and the center is hot and set. A pale, soft middle needs a little more time in the pan.
I eyeball the oil and top it up between batches, and I’m not going to start measuring it.

Storing and Reheating

Latkes are at their crispest within minutes of leaving the skillet. The recipes I compared don’t cover storing, freezing, or reheating them, so I don’t have tested times to give you.

When there are extras, I let them cool completely on the paper towels, then keep them covered in the fridge. To bring back some crunch, I warm them in a dry skillet until they sizzle again.

The microwave leaves them soft. As for making them ahead, grated potato darkens while it waits.

I grate and squeeze right before frying and get the sour cream, chives, and applesauce ready in the fridge instead.

On the Side

Sour cream and chives, a cool, sharp topping against the hot, salty edges.
Applesauce, whose sweetness plays against the onion and black pepper.
A roast chicken, with the latkes standing in for the usual potato side.
A green salad with a lemony dressing to cut through the fried edges.

Special Equipment

A box grater or a food processor with a grating disk, for long, even shreds.
A clean, thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth, thin enough to twist tight.
A large skillet, wide enough to fry several latkes without crowding them.
A thin spatula that slides under the crisp edges without tearing them.
A plate lined with paper towels for draining.

Common Questions

Why are my potato latkes soggy? There’s usually still water in the potatoes. Squeeze the shreds in a towel until almost nothing drips, and wait until the oil sizzles before the first spoonful goes in.

Which potatoes work for latkes? A starchy baking potato like a russet. It has less water and more starch, so the shreds fry up crisp.

How much oil does it take to fry latkes? The recipes I compared don’t give an amount or a depth. I use enough to coat the bottom of the skillet generously and add more whenever it looks thin.

How many latkes does this make? The recipe this is built on doesn’t give a count. Fried a tablespoon at a time, I plan a 1 lb batch as a side for two and double it for more people.

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