The Best Latke Hack Ever

I love making latkes. But I loathe grating potatoes and cleaning the food processor and making a starchy mess in the kitchen. And I bet you do, too.

For those who want to fry up some latkes but cut out a few steps, I have got such the hack for you: frozen hash brown potatoes. That’s right.

Step 1: Buy frozen, pre-shredded hashbrown potatoes in the freezer section. You can likely find them near the french fries and tater tots, a particularly beloved section of the supermarket for my family.

Step 2: Mix with egg and flour and then fry. THAT’S IT. Serve with sour cream, applesauce, and whatever fixins you like. Less mess, more noshing.

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Frozen hashbrown potato latkes, yield 4 medium latkes

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed

1 egg, beaten

1 Tbsp flour, matzo meal or gluten-free flour

¼ tsp salt

⅛ tsp pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Thaw potatoes by leaving them at room temperature for an hour, or defrosting in the microwave.

Mix potatoes with beaten eggs and flour (or matzah meal, or gluten-free flour). Add salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry latkes until golden on each side.

Serve warm.

Looking for more Hanukkah content?

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How to Have 8 Nights of Hanukkah That Aren’t Just About Presents

Seth Rogen’s Mom Has the Best Trick for Frying Latkes

Shannon Sarna

Shannon Sarna is Editor of The Nosher. Born to an Italian mother who loved to bake, a Jewish father who loved to experiment, and a food chemist grandfather, loving and experimenting with diverse foods is simply in her blood. Her writing and recipes have been featured in Tablet Magazine, JTA News, New Jersey Monthly Magazine, The Jewish Week, Joy of Kosher Magazine, Vinepair, Modern Loss and Buzzfeed. She graduated from Smith College in Northampton, MA with a degree in Comparative Government and Spanish Language and Literature and lives in South Orange, NJ with her husband, daughters and rescue dogs. To see what Shannon is cooking and eating, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.