Ah, potato pancakes! A wonderfully crispy and traditional dish that’s very popular in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and many Eastern European countries (where they’re often known as Reibekuchen, Rösti, or Latkes).
Here’s a classic and foolproof recipe for crispy-on-the-outside, moist-on-the-inside potato pancakes.
🥔 Classic Potato Pancake Recipe
This recipe makes about 10–12 medium-sized pancakes.
- Ingredients
Ingredient Quantity Notes
Potatoes (firm-cooking) 1 kg (2.2 lbs) Firm-cooking or all-purpose potatoes work best.
Onion 1 large For flavor and binding.
Eggs 2 pieces As a binder.
Flour 2 tbsp. Or cornstarch to optimize binding.
Salt 1/2 tsp. or to taste.
Pepper 1/4 tsp. freshly ground.
Nutmeg 1 pinch. Adds depth to the potatoes (optional).
Vegetable oil/Ghee. Enough for frying (rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, or ghee).
- Preparation
Step 1: Prepare the potatoes
Peel: Peel the potatoes and onions.
Grate: Grate the potatoes and onion coarsely or finely (depending on your texture preference). Most people prefer the coarse grater for more texture.
Drain (The most important step!): Place the grated potatoes in a clean tea towel or a fine-mesh sieve and squeeze out the water firmly. The drier the mixture, the crispier the potato pancakes will be.
Step 2: Prepare the mixture
Binding: Place the dry potato mixture in a bowl. Add eggs, flour/starch, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Mix: Quickly mix everything together. The mixture should be used immediately, as the potatoes brown quickly.
Step 3: Fry
Heat: Heat a large frying pan with plenty of oil or clarified butter (about 0.5 cm deep). The fat is hot enough when small bubbles rise to the surface when a wooden skewer is dipped into it.
Shape: Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot fat and flatten them slightly with the back of the spoon.
Fry: Fry the fritters over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy (about 3–5 minutes per side).
Drain: Place the finished fritters on paper towels to absorb excess fat.
- Serving Tips
Potato fritters are incredibly versatile:
Sweet (Classic): With applesauce and cinnamon sugar.
Savory (Popular): With smoked salmon, horseradish cream cheese, or herbed quark. Enjoy your meal! Do you need a quick recipe for homemade applesauce to go with it?