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)
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.
NOTES
Nutrition
can I use sautéed or fried onion in place of the raw and can I use grassfed butter in place of schmaltz 🙂
Hi Marina, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. We have not tried this method, but I don’t see why you can’t use cooked onions if you’d prefer. I’m not sure about the grassfed butter, but I do know that olive oil is a suitable substitute.
Tori, I have a book that belonged to my late mother-in-law, first published in 1946, called “Love and Knishes,” by Sara Kasdan. Her potato kugel recipe calls for butter, with a note below saying that schmaltz can be used instead, when it’s to be served with meat dishes.
Best potato kugel I’ve ever made – nice and white inside, fluffy, not much oil – and it’s delicious. Not just for Pesach anymore. Thank you, Tori.
fabulous recipe!
i skipped the starch.. (and i halved the recipe) and i love the idea to use a pastry brush to spread the oil around the bottom and sides of the hot dish.
Can I leave out the onions and still get good results?
Shoshana the texture will be fine but the flavor will be somewhat bland. You might want to add some spices if cutting the onion, to spice it up a bit.
didn’t have potato starch so i didn’t use anything in it’s place. was so fantastic. it was my 1st potato kugel ever. easy and i heated the oil as i heated the dish then brushed the hot oil up the sides. i very carefully placed the potato mixture into the dish with my hands. cooked 70 minutes.
Great Nedra! Happy to hear it. 🙂
I discovered your website when searching for potato kugel recipes. I am so glad I stumbled across your site. I really am digging all your recipes! (Ive already made seared salmon, chicken skewers, and potao kugel in a span of 5 days!)
I made this recipe and it was AWESOME! I added some shredded carrots in the mix just for color, and it was delicious! I made it in a cast iron round pan, and it came out like a HUGE latke. Between the matzo balls cooking, and the potato kugel, my house smelled like it was a cross between Hanukkah and Passover 😉 Great recipe and I look forward to making it again!
so happy i’ve found ya!
Welcome Elle! 🙂 Happy you’re here.
Turned out perfectly. I used only 1 vidalia onion and added 1 fried onion for topping after it was cooked but before reheating for the Seder. Before adding the grated onion, I removed some batter, added onion powder and baked a mini one for my mom who’s on a low-residue diet. It also came out perfectly. A definite repeat.
This recipe looks fabulous. I’d like to add baby kale to it. Would you steam the kale ahead of time or just mix it in raw and let it cook with the kugel?
Am I the only one that ended up with way too much potato to put in a 9×13 dish? After I shredded the potato I had too much to handle in 1 bowl, and then filled two 9×13 dishes with the finished mixture. I feel like I missed something…
Aaron, if you measured the potatoes by weight you shouldn’t end up with too much, unless you have a very shallow 9×13 dish (which is possible– mine is pretty hefty). If you eyeballed the potatoes they may have been too large… hard to say. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed your two kugels!
Hi Tori – this is exactly my recipe for latkes for which I am famous and I can’t wait to try it. But I didn’t see a yield anywhere. About how many pieces could I get out of a 9 x 13 pan?
About 15 side portions (or 12 more generous portions).
Has anyone added spinach to this recipe and if yes how much?
Can I mix everything in advance & then heat the pan & bake it the next day?
Thanks
Tori
What you do is amazing. I always use your recipes and always learn something. Why I always recommend your site.
As to the potato kugel. I have made (and by the way your latkes are the best ever. ) every wants the crispy ends. What if you made in muffin / cupcake pan. Then you have individual servings. My mom always made ” chremsel” which was essentially farfel sautéed onions eggs and her secret ingredient was the gribbanos. From rendering her own schmaltz. Yummy but not healthy. HAppy Passover.
Thanks Sandra! Yes you could most definitely make this as mini kugels in a muffin tin, though you’d probably have to cut the bake time a bit so they don’t get overdone. Not sure by exactly how much, but if I ever make it that way I’ll report back here!
Hi Tori,
I don’t own a food processor. What about processing the ingredients in a blender? Which speed? How long?
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks
Hi Marge- I do not recommend using a blender here. Better to use a hand grater (like the kind you use for cheese) and grate the potatoes that way. Good luck!
Hi Tori- Really want to makee this for Seder and read your guidance about not cooking in advance. As an alternative could all ingredients be prepped and mixed in advance, refrigerated, but then brought to room temperature in time to pour into the hot pan and cook?
Hi Tracy– you could certainly try it. My only concern is that the potato shreds may discolor, they tend to turn brown when exposed to air for too long. The other alternative might be to keep the potato shreds in cold water in the refrigerator, keep the minced onion in a covered dish, and have all the other ingredients pre-mixed in a covered dish in the fridge, minus the potato starch (which you can pre-measure in a little bowl and reserve). Then all you need to do is drain the shreds and squeeze out the liquid, give the eggs/other ingredients a quick whisk, and mix everything together (onions, egg mixture, potato starch, potato shreds) before pouring into a greased dish to bake. This should cut your prep time to less than 5 minutes. Hope that helps!
great idea! thanks so much….can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Hi Tory,
This sounds like a great kugel. I plan to make it for our Seder, which is at a relative’s house. I will need to prepare it before I go. If I bake it so that it is done right before we leave, could I pop it in the oven to make sure it is hot right before dinner? Or do you have another suggestion!
Thanks!
Hi Debbie– yes, in this case I would recommend cooking it to about 80 percent doneness, then finish it off in the oven and crisp it up just before dinner. This way you’ll avoid drying it out as it reheats. Good luck!
Historically interesting.
Beautiful photography which is helpful with recipes.
Delicious recipes well presented.
Keep up the great work
Thank you Guy!
Tori, a number of people asked if this recipe could be made in advance and reheated for the Seder. I did not see a response from you saying yes or no.
Please tell me if you’ve tried to do ahead and would you recommend.
Annie
I do not recommend reheating. This dish is much better served fresh. I’ve tried freezing/reheating and I was unhappy with the change in texture, it become denser, less fluffy and less crisp.
What about using Manaschweitz Egg Noodles kosher for Passover? I do not whether you are orthodox or conservative or reform. Reform powers that be just approved corn & rice & peas. Your thoughts !
Judy– do you mean noodles in this recipe? This is not a noodle kugel so I don’t recommend making that sub, instead you should look for a savory noodle kugel. If you’re just talking about Passover noodles in general, if they have Passover hechsher I think they’re approved for all movements… however I’m not a kosher expert, so best to check with a rabbi. Some Orthodox are non-gebrokts which makes things even more restrictive.