Kugel is a quintessentially Jewish dish that is best described as a baked pudding. The dish originated over 800 years ago in Germany and quickly became popular with Jewish families throughout Eastern Europe. There are many kinds of kugels—noodle kugels, sweet kugels, savory kugels. Slow cooking overnight kugels developed because Orthodox families were not allowed to cook during the hours of Shabbat. During the Passover holiday, noodles and sweets take a back seat to dairy-free and flour-free potato kugels, which are served alongside other holiday classics like brisket, roast chicken and matzo ball soup.
For the past several years I’ve been refining my potato kugel recipe. My goal was to create a kugel with the soul of a latke– one big, fluffy, sliceable latke that can serve a large crowd. I’ve learned, over time, to keep things simple… potatoes, eggs, onions and fat, a little starch, some salt and pepper – that’s all you need to make a great kugel. The rest is all about technique. I used to put matzo meal in my kugel to bind it, but have since switched over to potato starch (the “secret ingredient” I use to make crispy, amazing latkes). The starch makes for a lighter, fluffier texture inside… it’s also gluten free for those who have dietary restrictions. Over time I learned to preheat my baking dish, a technique I picked up from my sister-in-law. This step produces a really brown, beautiful crust on the kugel that simply can’t be obtained by oven cooking alone.
This Passover Potato Kugel is everything a kugel should be… crispy on the outside while soft, fluffy and tender inside. It’s like one enormous latke, an irresistible addition to any Seder table. I highly recommend the schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) if you can swing it. If you prefer to keep it meat-free, use olive oil and it will still be very, very tasty. Enjoy!
Note: I am always working to make my recipes better. I have improved this recipe and reposted it with new pictures. If you’re looking for the old recipe, leave a comment and let me know. I plan to post another”improved” potato kugel recipe with Sephardic spices in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
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Passover Potato Kugel
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes (about 10 medium-sized potatoes)
- 2 whole large onions
- 6 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 tablespoons potato starch (if not serving for Passover you may substitute corn starch)
- 1/4 cup schmaltz or extra virgin olive oil, divided (schmaltz gives amazing flavor; use olive oil to keep it vegetarian)
NOTES
Instructions
- Place a 9x13 baking dish or pan in the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees, letting the dish heat up inside. Peel the potatoes, then use a food processor or hand grater to grate them into large shreds.
- Place the potato shreds in a large mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Let the shreds sit for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and shred the two large onions in the food processor or with a hand grater. Reserve.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt and pepper until fluffy.
- Drain the potato shreds in a colander, pushing down firmly on top of the shreds with your hands to push out the excess liquid.
- Place grated potatoes in a large bowl. Add the seasoned eggs, grated onions and potato starch to the bowl. Use your hands to mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Take the preheated baking dish out of the oven. Quickly pour in 3 tbsp schmaltz or olive oil, then use a pastry brush to carefully spread the fat around the bottom and sides of the hot dish. Careful, don't burn yourself! The hot dish, while a bit difficult to navigate, will help to form a beautiful brown and crisp crust for the kugel.
- Carefully and quickly spread the potato mixture into an even layer in the baking dish (it should sizzle!), then drizzle remaining 1 tbsp of melted schmaltz or olive oil across the top.
- Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 60-70 minutes until the top is nicely browned all across the top. If it seems to be browning too fast (before the center is cooked), cover the kugel to keep it from over-browning. You really want it to have a nice golden crust-- at the end of cooking, if it's not quite brown enough, you can put it 6 inches below the broiler for a minute or two to evenly brown it all across the top. This kugel tastes best served hot directly from the oven. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Made this kugel for Saturday’s seder. Prepared and cooked two days in advance. Refrigerated, then took it out to get to room temp. Warmed it in 300 degree oven til hot. It was fabulous. I also added grated carrots to the recipe which was a great addition. Also used chicken fat as recommended which enhanced the flavor.
Should note that I used a food processor which resulted in a dice rather than strings. Did not seem to matter.
This was a really bland kugel and very dense. I would not make it again.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it Selene! When made as written, it should cook up nice and fluffy with a crisp top – it should not be dense. I don’t find it bland, but it is a very simple traditional kugel. Using schmaltz gives it a very savory flavor. Better luck next time!
I made this for the first night of Passover last night and it was a great hit! The guests included a 2 and a 5 year old, who were not very patient, to say the least, although the 5 year old was into the 4 questions and insisted on reading the story. Both girls just loved the kugel, as did the rest of us! I only had 5 potatoes, a little less than 2 pounds and I improvised the measurements for the rest of the ingredients. My husband and I finished the scant leftovers tonight. I would certainly make this recipe again! I knew of you from an asparagus and avocado salad I made a few years ago. Keep up the good work. I will make the mandelbrot tomorrow. Can’t wait! Thank you so much!
I know you shouldn’t bake this ahead of time, but can you make the mixture in the morning and bake later? Should the mixture be at room temperature?
Looking forward to making this.
I think that should work, if you put a layer of plastic directly on top of the potatoes (touching the surface), sealing out any air. The uncooked potatoes oxidize as they are exposed to air and turn grey-brown, which is not appealing. I wouldn’t do this more than a few hours ahead, though. Good luck!
Hi,
What do you think about scrubbing but not peeling the potatoes? thanks, pam
You can do that! You’ll just see peel in the mix, if that doesn’t bother you it should work just fine.
Recipe calls for 1/4 cup oil, but only uses 4 Tbls.
Does the rest go in with the eggs?
1/4 cup of oil equals 4 tablespoons.
Could you use coconut oil in place of the smaltz or olive oil?
You can, but it will give a distinct coconut flavor that personally I wouldn’t like much.
Making this tomorrow…made it once and it was amazing!!!
Do you use white or yellow onions?
I generally use yellow.
I would love to make this recipe for Passover. However, the only 9 X 13″ pan I have is Pyrex glass. Why is glass not recommended for this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Mark, it is not recommended because the broiler can become too hot for glass. If you skip the broiling step, you can use glass – but it may not brown quite as nicely on top.
Can you finely grate the potatoes as opposed to shredding
Ty
Yes – but the end product may be less fluffy and slightly more mashed-potato like in consistency. It won’t make a big difference, though.
Hi Tori! I would really love to make this kugel for our family Seder. I saw a note where you didn’t recommend making the kugel ahead of time. What are your thoughts on baking it ahead of time, freezing, then heating the day of the dinner?
I do not recommend it, sorry. That’s one drawback of this recipe – it really doesn’t freeze or keep very well, it’s best served freshly made.
Addicting recipe. Wanted to make after reading the Diary of Ann Frank and she mentioned her family made potato kugel. Glad I found it! Used duck fat, a touch more salt, cast iron and arrowroot for the starch. The onion can be pulsed if using a food processor to a fine consistency rather than using a grating attachment that makes it somewhat watery. Amazing!
Thanks for the tip about the onion, I will have to try that next time I make it!
This recipe delivers on all it’s promises and more. Hands down the best potato kugel I’ve ever had. Crunchy crust, amazing texture…. just what you described. So many internet “fantastic”recipes leave me cold. Thank you so much! And I agree- have to use schmaltz for the perfect flavor
We’re did you buy the schmaltz?
In Miami I was able to get it at Milam’s
Can you cook this ahead of time and reheat while cooking brisket at 300 degrees?
I do not recommend making this kugel ahead of time. It will not taste as good as when it’s made fresh, the texture will be off.
Note: Olive oil in a 400 degree bakibg dish will melt the bristles of a nylon pastry brush.
Great note, thanks for sharing. I typically use a silicone brush. This will definitely help other readers.
I really love this recipe because the flavor is amazing and it is easy to follow. I use schmaltz for the fat and it really does give it a great flavor.
I made this with matzo meal instead of starch last year, which I know is not recommended but I had no alternative during quarantine when I couldn’t get to a store easily. It turned out delicious! The consistency was not exactly the same but the taste was identical and we loved it.
Can frozen hash brown potatoes be used instead of potatoes?
Recipe was so easy to follow, it came out perfect!