I’m OIL In: Easy Latkes for Hanukkah

By
Rachelle Haime
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6
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Hanukkah is here! Eight days of celebrating miracles, spreading love, and latkes!

It is also a time to remember that from darkness, there can come light.  

In a nutshell, Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday celebrating the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucids over 2,000 years ago. More specifically, it is a commemoration of the night of the Holy Temple’s rededication after its desecration over 2,000 years ago. The tradition states that after their victory, the Maccabees went to light the commemorative Menorah; they only had enough oil for one night, but in the end, the oil miraculously lasted eight nights. 

To commemorate this miracle, one of the many traditions we practice during the holiday is to eat foods cooked in oil.

Image: A pan of latkes on the stove
Thicker latkes give you a crunchy outside and a chewy inside. Check out the recipe below.

I mean if it’s tradition to eat yummy fried foods like sufganiyot (a sort of jelly donut), latkes (think hash browns but even better!), or any other fried food, who am I to argue? YUM!

In the spirit of the oil-iday, I wanted to share my husband’s amazing (and amazingly easy) latke recipe. This recipe makes about 10 latkes (depending on how big you want them).

Image: Latke ingredients
Get savory latkes from scratch with only a few ingredients.

Easy Peasy Latke Recipe

Rachelle Haime
Get savory latkes from scratch with just a few ingredients.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Side Dish
Servings 10 Latkes

Equipment

  • Food Processor or Grater
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Mixing bowl (or 2 depending on where you are draining the potatoes)
  • Large spoon (to add latke to oil)
  • Frying pan
  • Baking pan or plate with paper towels

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Russet potatoes (these have a great starch to water balance for latkes)
  • vegetable oil enough to cover the bottom of a frying pan about an inch deep (we use avocado oil, but you can use any oil you like)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil on the stove
  • Peel potatoes
  • Shred potatoes into shoestring strips. I like to use my Cuisinart with the shredder tool, but a mandolin or grater works too.
  • Put potatoes in a mixing bowl and add salt and pepper.
  • Place some potatoes in your hand (we like to make large latkes so I measure them about the size of my palm). 
  • Squeeze out the water into another container or the sink (whatever is easiest) and shape them. We make the latkes into a football shape because we like them crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. But if you want them completely crispy, I would recommend flattening them as much as possible. 
  • Place them into the hot oil. Leave them on one side for about 3-5 minutes, then flip. The timing depends on the size of your latke (they should be golden brown once flipped).
  • Cook for 3-5 more minutes (again until golden brown), and then put them on a plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil
  • Let cool and ENJOY!
Keyword breakfast, dairy free, dinner, Easy lunches, gluten free, quick

Enjoy them with applesauce and sour cream or however you like to enjoy your latkes. These are a great side for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We even enjoy them all year long. 

Image: A hand dipping a latke in applesauce (I'm OIL In: Easy Latkes for Hanukkah Rachelle Haime Contributor Miami Mom Collective)

Wishing everyone a wonderful Hanukkah filled with love, light, and yummy treats!

Looking for more ideas on how to celebrate Hanukkah traditions? Click here!

Updated December 2023

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6 COMMENTS

  3. 5 stars
    Yum! I know a certain someone who would LOVE these! I’ll let JJ know you shared a recipe for this! Thank you, (Tia) Rachelle!

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