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    Home » Main Dishes

    Extra Crispy Scallion Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

    5 from 3 votes
    Published by Rebecca Eisenberg ⁠— November 11, 2021 — 5 Comments

    159 shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    This post may contain affiliate links

    crispy scallion potato pancakes

    These potato pancakes have tender centers loaded with scallions and extra crispy edges that shatter under the side of a fork. They're perfect for Hanukkah and for brunch!

    If you love a potato pancake with extra crispy edges, tender centers, and tons of flavor, these extra crispy scallion potato pancakes are for you.

    Jump to:
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 What inspired these potato pancakes
    • 🥔 Why these are my ideal potato pancake
    • 🥘 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • ♨️ How to scoop and fry potato pancakes
    • ♨️ 🍽Frying tips for beginners
    • 🍴 How to get extra-extra crispy edges
    • 🍽 How to serve potato pancakes
    • 🍳 Practical tips
    • 💭 Recipe FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    👩🏻‍🍳 What inspired these potato pancakes

    Growing up, potato pancakes aka latkes (Yiddish for "pancakes") were a Hanukkah-only food in my house. But as an adult fully in control of my own dietary decisions, crispy fried potato pancakes one of my favorite breakfasts all year round.

    My family doesn't have a latke recipe that was handed down through generations or anything, so I took it on my self to create my own personal ideal potato pancake.

    There's a million and one recipes for potato pancakes out there, so I started by diving headfirst into researching what was already out there.

    Here's just some of the recipes I dug into: Tori Avey's classic potato latkes, Bon Appetit's Adam and Maxine's famous latkes, Epicurious's potato latkes (and this Epicurious guide to making perfect latkes every time), Chabad's simple potato latkes, Forward's recipe for buckwheat potato pancakes, and, perhaps most crucially, The Kitchn's classic latkes which led me to my favorite technique of reserving the starchy water from the potatoes to use as a binder.

    Thats right, these extra-crispy scallion potato pancakes are gluten free.

    From those recipes I pulled together a combination of different techniques and ingredients and tested a bunch to see what I liked best. Then I added a whole lot of scallions, because I just really like scallions in my potato pancakes.

    🥔 Why these are my ideal potato pancake

    Everyone has their own preference when it comes to what a potato pancake "should" be.

    Some people prefer a more uniform batter, closer to the texture of what you'd expect from chunky mashed potatoes. Other people prefer crispy, and lacy-edged potato pancakes with lots of visible shreds of potato.

    I would argue that there is no "should" when it comes to a potato pancake. At the end of the day it's fried potatoes and fried potatoes are delicious. There's no "should" or "shouldn't" — there's just what you like best.

    What I like best is a crispy-edged scallion-stuffed potato pancake somewhere between thin and thick where the shredded potatoes tucked inside are almost (to borrow some pasta terminology here) al dente in texture. And that's exactly what these are.

    So let's get on with it!

    potato pancakes on a sheet pan

    🥘 Ingredient notes

    Here's what you'll need to make these extra crispy scallion potato pancakes. Nothing fancy!

    potato pancake ingredients
    • Russet potatoes - I swear by Russet potatoes for these potato pancakes because they're very starchy, and we need that starch to hold the potatoes together. I like to peel one and leave the skin on the other to get a fun contrast of textures and flavors. Make sure to scrub the potatoes well if you're leaving the skin on.
    • Onion - A medium sized white or yellow onion. You only need about half of it, but if you like a really onion-heavy latke, go ahead and use the whole thing.
    • Eggs - Two large eggs will work with the starches to help bind everything together.
    • Baking powder - This helps the potatoes crisp up in the oil. Do not skip!
    • Salt & pepper - I use diamond crystal kosher salt which is half as salty as other brands of salt. If you're using a different brand of salt, cut the amount in half. Black pepper can be freshly cracked or pre-ground, doesn't make a difference here!
    • Scallions - If you're only using half an onion, use the whites of the scallions too. If you're using a whole onion, just use the scallion greens.
    • Chicken schmaltz or oil - For frying! Chicken schmaltz is traditional, but a bit harder to come by. If you don't have it, I recommend using peanut oil or vegetable oil for their higher smoke points. Do not use olive oil, it has a low smoke point and can quickly overheat.

    🔪 Instructions

    Start by lining a bowl with a clean flour sack cotton dish towel (basically, not terrycloth). Place a box grater inside the bowl and grate the potatoes and onion on the side with the large holes.

    Alternate potato-onion-potato so the flavors start layering in the bowl as you're working. Be careful to protect your fingers. You might have little nubbins of potato or onion left at the end. That's fine. Don't hurt yourself trying to grate every last bit.

    Once the potatoes and onions are grated, gather the edges of the towel together over the bowl. Twist the towel to wring out any liquid into the bowl.

    There's a lot more in there than you think — really give it a good wringing. Press on different parts of the towel, and squeeze it thoroughly. This can take a minute or two.

    That liquid is a combination of water and starches from the potatoes. Those starches will be crucial for helping to bind the potato pancakes together, so don't discard it.

    wring the water out of the poatoes and onions

    Set the bowl of starchy liquid aside. The starches will settle on the bottom of the bowl as it sits, so make sure you put it somewhere it won't get bumped.

    Meanwhile, combine the shredded potatoes and onions with the rest of the potato pancake ingredients.

    Stir well to combine. Then stir a little bit more, just to be safe.

    all the potato pancake in a bowl

    Once everything is mixed together, tilt the bowl of starchy liquid forward. You should see a layer of starch on the bottom of the bowl (see photo below, left).

    If you don't see the layer of starch, let it sit for 10-20 minutes and check again.

    Carefully pour the liquid off the top of the starch. Then add the potato mixture back into the bowl with the starch and stir well to incorporate the starch. That starch works as a binding agent and helps hold the pancakes together.

    transfer the potato mixture into the bowl with the starch

    Now, you're ready to fry. Cover the potato mixture until the oil is ready. You may want to drain it once before you begin frying.

    NOTE: Liquid will continue to come out of the potato mixture as it sits. You can drain that liquid off periodically if you want, but it's not necessary. Either way, press as much liquid out of each scoop of the potato mixture as you can. You don't want to drop a lot of water into hot oil!

    ♨️ How to scoop and fry potato pancakes

    To avoid splashing hot oil everywhere, here's how I scoop and fry these extra crispy scallion potato pancakes.

    1. Scoop the potato mixture into a ⅓ or ¼ measuring cup. Press out as much excess liquid as you can.
    2. Turn the tightly packed potato mixture out onto a wide flat spatula like a fish turner spatula.
    3. Slide the potato scoop off the spatula into the hot oil. Boom, no splashing!
    4. Immediately flatten the potato mixture into the oil. Be careful not to press too hard or the potato mixture will start to come apart. Just press down enough to flatten it out.
    scoop the potato mixture and press out water
    turn the scoop onto a wide flat spatula
    slide the scoop of potato into the oil
    immediately flatten the potato mixture in the oil

    ♨️ 🍽Frying tips for beginners

    • Use a heavy-bottom pot for your frying. I use a 10.25" or 12" cast iron skillet for frying potato pancakes. Frying is a great way to season your cast iron. Basically just don't use pots that are copper or aluminum.
    • Use a thermometer to check your oil temperature. I use my thermapen and insert it into the oil at an angle so it doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. Adjust your burner regularly to maintain 350F. You may even need to turn the burner completely off for a little bit.
    • DON'T WALK AWAY! Hot oil looks a lot like cold oil, it doesn't start bubbling and boiling like water does. It will only start bubbling once you add your potato pancakes. Once the oil is at 350F, you'll likely only need the burner on low-to-medium to maintain the right heat while frying.
    • Use a fish turner spatula with a thin flexible blade and wide gaps between the supports to lift and flip your potato pancakes with minimal splashing. Use another spatula to hold the latkes in place when flipping if you get anxious about the hot oil.
    • Dispose of your oil properly. Don't pour it down the drain. Let it cool in the pan, then use a funnel to transfer the oil back to the bottle it came in, then throw out the sealed container. You can also strain the oil back into the bottle and reuse it if it's not too contaminated. There are great tips for how to reuse oil to reduce waste here.
    a close up of a potato pancake with a piece cut out of it by a fork. a stack of potato pancakes is visible slightly out of focus in the background.

    🍴 How to get extra-extra crispy edges

    To get a potato pancake with really crispy, almost bitter charred edges — the kind that shatter when you nudge them with your fork — make sure you don't skip these two steps:

    • Grate your potatoes with the large holes of a box grater. This gives you large shreds of potato that will stick out into the oil as they fry. If you use a smaller, more delicate grater the potato mixture will be very fine and have a smoother consistency.
    • Use just the right amount of oil for frying. What's "just the right amount of oil" you ask? You want the oil to come almost all the way up the sides of the pancake — but not so high that the pancakes are completely submerged. This way the edges keep frying even once you flip the pancake, but prevents the top and bottom from overcooking.

    🍽 How to serve potato pancakes

    Traditionally latkes are served with either sour cream or applesauce. I always assumed the reason for both was simply because they taste good.

    According to Chabad, the sour cream is actually symbolic of the meal Judith fed to Holofernes, the Greek general, before decapitating him in his sleep. Which makes it a little awkward that I tend to use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream with my potato pancakes.

    Oops. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    The other, less traditional, way I like to eat my scallion potato pancakes is with sliced avocado or guacamole and a poached egg on top. It's a combo inspired by brunch trips to Bottega Louie in Los Angeles where my usual order was an avocado toast on a thick slice of brioche topped with pickled onions, chorizo, and a poached egg.

    One morning, when I couldn't decide between the avocado toast or the potato pancakes, our waiter suggested combining the two — avocado toast on top of a potato pancake. I never looked back. It's a winning combo.

    latkes on a sheet pan

    🍳 Practical tips

    • I've made these scallion potato pancakes both with a box grater and with the shredding attachment for my KitchenAid mixer using the smallest/finer shredding setting. You could also use a food processor with a shredding blade. Any method will work. Finely grated potatoes are less likely to fall apart during frying, but larger potato pieces will get a lot crispier around the edges.
    • Depending on the size of your potato pieces and how thoroughly you wrung the liquid out of your grated potatoes you may want to add a little extra flour to the mixture to help hold it all together. If your first potato pancake has trouble holding together in the pan, stir in 1 tablespoon of flour before making pancake number 2.
    • Transfer cooked potato pancakes to a cooling rack in a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Pop in a 200°F oven to stay warm while you make the rest.
    • To freeze, arrange cooked potato pancakes on a lined sheet pan. Place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes until frozen solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. They'll stay good for 3-6 months. To cook from frozen: Defrost to room temperature, then bake 10-15 minutes at 350°F.
    • The potatoes will start oxidizing as you grate them — that's why they turn red. Don't worry about it, it's normal.

    💭 Recipe FAQ

    Can I make these in an air fryer?

    I haven't tried, so I don't know. I'm sure you can reheat them in an air fryer, but I'm not sure how they would work being cooked that way. An air fryer is just a convection oven, it doesn't actually fry anything, so I don't recommend it. You'll basically end up with baked potato pancakes which are not as tasty or crispy as fried ones. That said, if you try it and it works, let me know in the comments!

    Can I bake these potato pancakes?

    See previous question. (I don't recommend it).

    Can I use Yukon gold potatoes or any other kind of potato?

    I haven't tested these with other types of potatoes, so I'm not sure. A potato pancake made using a potato that's less starchy than a russet potato will be more likely to need help from some flour to bind together.

    📖 Recipe

    potato pancakes on a small cooling rack

    Extra Crispy Scallion Potato Pancakes

    Rebecca Eisenberg
    These potato pancakes have tender centers loaded with scallions and extra crispy edges that shatter under the side of a fork. They're perfect for Hanukkah and for brunch!
    I'm giving you the smallest possible batch here — enough to make 6-7 extra crispy scallion potato pancakes. Use the 2X or 3X button to scale this up for a party.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved! Email
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine German, Jewish
    Servings 7 latkes

    Equipment

    • Clean dish towel
    • Cast iron skillet
    • Flexible fish turner spatula
    • Cooling rack
    • Sheet pan
    • Box grater

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 lbs russet potatoes (leave the skin on at least one of the potatoes)
    • ½ medium onion (white or yellow)
    • ½ cup scallions (thinly sliced whites and greens)
    • 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (use half as much of another brand)
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 large eggs

    for frying

    • 1½ cups chicken schmaltz (or peanut/vegetable oil)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Line a large bowl with a clean floursack style dish towel or 4 layers of cheesecloth. Grate potatoes and onion into the center of the towel. Twist ends of the towel together to wring out as much liquid as possible.
      Set the liquid aside to give the starch time to separate — you'll need it later.
    • Transfer the grated potato and onion to a bowl. Add in scallions, baking powder, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix well.
    • When the liquid you drained from the potatoes and onions has separated, pour off the liquid layer on top. Leave the layer of starch in the bottom of the bowl.
      You may need to let the liquid sit for an additional 15-20 minutes to fully separate.
    • Add the potato mixture to the bowl with the starch on the bottom and mix until combined. The starch acts as a binder to hold the mixture together.
    • In a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat 1½ cups of chicken schmaltz or vegetable oil (about ½" of oil). When a shred of potato dropped into the oil instantly bubbles and sizzles, the oil is hot enough (approx 350°F).
    • Tightly pack potato mixture into ¼ or ⅓ cup measuring cup, pressing out any excess liquid.
    • Carefully drop it into the oil. Use the back of the measuring cup or a spatula to flatten the mixture into a slightly larger disc.
    • Fry each pancake until deeply golden brown (4-6 minutes per side). Remove finished pancakes to a paper-towel lined cooling rack for 2 mins, then transfer to a sheet pan in a 200°F oven to stay warm.

    RECIPE NOTES

    • If you're nervous around hot oil you can scoop the potato mixture onto the surface of a wide flat spatula, then dip the end of the spatula in the hot oil at an angle and use another spatula to slide the scoop into the oil and flatten it. 
    • If your first potato pancake has trouble holding together in the pan, you may want to stir 1 tablespoon flour into the remaining mixture before making pancake number 2.
    • To freeze, arrange cooked potato pancakes on a lined sheet pan. Place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes until frozen solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. They'll stay good for 3-6 months. To cook from frozen: Defrost to room temperature, then bake 10-15 minutes at 350°F.

    YOUR NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes. Only you can see these.
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and let me how it was!

    This post was originally published on August 17, 2020. It has been updated with new photos, even more detailed instructions, and a revised recipe.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ash

      July 24, 2021 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! Tried it twice now and not quite got the hang of not overdoing the latkes so I keep ending up with some extra crunchy boys but v v tasty and they have good shape integrity too!

      Reply
      • Rebecca

        July 24, 2021 at 2:04 pm

        Extra crunchy with integrity >>> soft and a mess in the pan 😂😂😂

        Reply
    2. Jackson N Eflin

      October 28, 2021 at 8:35 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely stellar recipe - all the little tricks like flattening with a spatula or using the starch really come together for a fantastic whole. I'm going to make these all the time!

      Reply
      • Rebecca

        October 29, 2021 at 9:45 am

        Ahh yay, so glad you liked the recipe!! Thanks for leaving a comment!

        Reply
    3. Erica

      November 29, 2021 at 11:23 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!

      Reply

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