Food Holidays & Occasions Hanukkah Potato Pancakes Crispy, savory, and unbelievably simple, these classic potato pancakes come together in just 25 minutes. By Chandra Ram Chandra Ram Chandra Ram led the digital food strategy for Food & Wine. She has more than 15 years of experience writing and editing food content and developing recipes. A former restaurant cook and server, she also writes cookbooks. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 11, 2025 Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe This fast and easy potato pancake recipe has just a few ingredients: shredded russet potatoes and onions bound together with egg and flour then fried in vegetable oil until crispy. With a cooking time of just 25 minutes and a satisfyingly crunchy, crispy, savory result, you'll want to make these classic potato pancakes for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. The addition of sliced scallions is a perfect match for a dollop of sour cream, but they're entirely optional — if prefer your potato pancakes with applesauce, feel free to omit them. Frequently Asked Questions How do you keep potato pancakes from getting soggy? First, don’t skip the step of wrapping the grated potatoes in a towel and squeezing out the excess liquid, since it’s key to getting the right texture and helping the potatoes crisp up nicely. When it's time to fry, be sure to let the oil come up to a high heat before starting the pancakes — if the oil isn't hot enough, the potatoes will start to absorb it instead of forming that golden crust you're looking for. (Bear in mind, too, that adding pancakes to the oil will bring down the temperature. You might need to let the oil reheat between batches.) Once the potato pancakes are cooked, place them on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil, then transfer to a wire rack, which will help the underside stay nice and crunchy. Why are my potato pancakes falling apart? The trick to a crispy potato pancake that holds together well is to use russet potatoes, which have a high starch content. This recipe involves saving as much potato starch as possible after squeezing out the liquid from the shredded potatoes; mixing the potatoes and onions back in with the starch will bind the ingredients even more effectively than with eggs and flour alone. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen You can grate the potatoes on a box grater, but a food processor makes this recipe especially fast and easy. After wringing the moisture out of the shredded potatoes, you'll want to save as much starch as you can from the resulting liquid. The starch should separate and settle fairly quickly, making it fairly easy to pour the liquid out while saving the settled starch behind. It will help your pancakes stay cohesive and crispy. Make sure your oil is hot enough before you start frying. Wait until you can see it shimmer, then drop in a shred or two of potato as a test; if it starts bubbling immediately, the oil is ready. You can also use a candy thermometer: a frying temperature of between 350°F and 375°F is usually ideal. Make ahead If you like, you can make these potato pancakes an hour or so before serving them; hold them on a wire rack placed in a baking sheet in a 300°F oven until you are ready to eat. Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Amelia Rampe Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings 4 large russet potatoes 1 yellow onion 2 eggs 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup thinly sliced scallions (optional) 1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying Sour cream or applesauce Directions Peel potatoes and onion. Insert shredding disk in a food processor (or use large holes of a box grater over a medium bowl); shred potatoes and onion. Working quickly and in batches, place shredded potatoes and onion on a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze firmly over a large bowl to remove as much liquid as possible. Carefully pour off liquid, keeping residual potato starch in bowl. Add potato-onion mixture to bowl, stir with potato starch, then add eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and scallions if using. Mix well. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium. Add 2 tablespoons of potato mixture, spreading it slightly. Fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until pancakes are crispy and brown. Repeat with remaining potato mixture and oil. Place cooked pancakes on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Hold cooked potato pancakes warm on a wire rack placed in a baking sheet in a 300°F oven until ready to serve. Serve with sour cream or applesauce. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.