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
15 servings
20 minutes
1 hour 10 minutes
Pareve or Meat (depending on fat used), Kosher for Passover
Description
Easy, delicious recipe for potato kugel. Crispy and golden on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Kosher for Passover.Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes (about 10 medium-sized potatoes)
- 2 whole large onions
- 6 eggs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 6 tbsp 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)
Recipe Notes
You will also need: 9x13 ceramic, metal or cast iron baking dish or pan (I don't recommend using glass), food processor with grating attachment or hand grater, mixing bowls, pastry brush
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.
Rita Kelner says
Hi
Can this be prepared , refrigerated and baked later in the day or the next day?
Thanks!
Tori Avey says
I do not recommend it for this particular kugel. Raw potato tends to brown and get sludgy over time.
Becca says
Hi,
Super excited to try this! I have two questions though:
Why do you recommend not using a glass bakong dish? Will it not crisp up the same? (I just have pyrex in the 13×11 size, but do have a 10″ circular cast iron pan– would that work? Any adjustments to cooking process?)
Ideally would you recommend potato starch or corn starch? (I’m not making this for anyone that this would affect.)
Thanks so much!
Becca
Tori Avey says
Hi Becca, I don’t recommend glass because of the broiling step – you shouldn’t broil glass cookware, it’s not safe – it may shatter. If you’re not broiling you may use glass.
Becca says
Thanks for getting back to me. I had no idea you shouldn’t put a glass dish under the broiler (I have many a time, so I guess have just been lucky!).
Which is better though, potato starch or corn starch (or does it matter)?
Thanks again,
Becca
Tori Avey says
It’s super unlikely to happen, but it can, so better to be safe. 🙂 Doesn’t really matter, but I tend to use potato starch since it’s a potato dish.
Cindy says
How can I make this vegan for those who cannot do eggs? Does the egg substitute give enough moisture substance?
Tori Avey says
I don’t have any recommendations here, as I haven’t tried to veganize this recipe. Sorry!
Becca says
Hi,
1/4 cup of silken tofu blended per egg is a good sub that helps bind and provides moisture (it works in vegan baking as well).
Hope that helps. 🙂
Cheers,
Becca
Mindy Stillman says
Did the question of how many pounds of frozen shredded potatoes to use get answered? And how to prepare them as well??
Gai says
Why don’t you recommend a glass or pyrex baking dish?
Tori Avey says
Because the high heat of the broiler can cause it to shatter.
JENNIFER LOEB says
looks great. but am limited on time. can I use frozen hashbrowns instead and if yes. how many cups to use? and should I thaw first?
Cheryl Lifshitz says
I have been lucky enough to be invited to my brother and sister in laws home every Passover.A year does not go by that I don’t kvell over the potato kugel.Between us,the best part of the whole meal(tons of food!) Anyways,Finally after many years I got the recipe….it’s your recipe!!! I am a pretty good cook,but this is truly the most incredible recipe for potato kugel….Thank you
Tori Avey says
So great to hear that!
Dash says
I tried this out for passover this year and it is absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!
A Bad Cook says
This kugel was amazing. Easy to follow directions, fluffy on inside, perfectly crisp on the outside. I used schmaltz. Yum! My family told me it was the best they have ever had. They are always very quick to laugh at my terrible cooking skills, but this time, they went back for seconds and thirds. This recipe was a hit, and will be my only kugel recipe I use in the future. Do not change a thing in this recipe. A bit risky…I actually used organic hash brown non-gmo shredded potatoes from the freezer section that have only ingredient-shredded potatoes. I did not want to risk messing up with uneven potato slices. It came out absolutely perfect..with just enough onions, just enough eggs. Thank you for sharing your expertise with the world and making my family long-last believe I can actually cook.
GINA RUBEN says
I would love to know how much of those frozen shredded potatoes to buy.
Deborah Katcher Buckley says
This is my go-to recipe for potato kugel. Using the quantities above, I had enough for a 13×9 AND an 8×8 pan. Not that there’s such a thing as too much potato kugel! Happy Passover!
Debra says
Good morning! I just put my potato kugel in the oven, and I have a quick question. I made the recipe for 15 (which I believe is your original quantity) and it packed a large metal baking dish full. Everything went well (I used simply potatoes) but no sizzle happened when I put the potato mixture in the pan. I did have the pan in the oven for quite awhile. Hopefully it won’t make a difference. With the mixture to the top of the dish, will I need to increase the baking time? What’s the best way for me to know? Also, I’m serving tonight so after it’s done baking would you recommend cooling, refrigerating and then warming later? Any tips? I also made your slow cooker brisket yesterday! I had the hardest time no adding ketchup lol, but held off and it tastes delicious! Thank you Tori! Happy Passover!
Tori Avey says
Hi Debra! I don’t recommend making this kugel ahead unfortunately, it’s one of the only dishes on my site that is really best served freshly baked. You can try reheating in the oven, but in my experience it renders the kugel a bit dry. The sizzle is a good indication that you will get nice browning, but it will brown regardless… it just might not be quite as golden as you see in the pictures. The bake time is for a large dish so you should be good; you want it cooked through in the center, which you should be able to eyeball based on the appearance of the top of the kugel. Good luck, and glad you liked the brisket! I’m about to take mine out of the slow cooker now. 🙂
Marc says
Do you recommend squeezing excess moisture from onions after grating? Also, I’m preparing this dish for a potluck-type Seder. I’ll be baking kugel at home and taking dish to another home for Seder. Should I cook fully at my home and reheat in oven at Seder? I’m not even thinking microwave to reheat. Thanks.
Tori Avey says
I recommend making it exactly as described above, and unfortunately I do not recommend making this particular dish ahead.
Tony Meola says
Dear Tori-
I did a test last Sunday, making ½ of the recipe and it was delicious! On Monday, I reheated it covered, then uncovered it, turned on the convection fan and raised the temperature. The outside was still wonderfully crisp but the inside had lost a tiny bit of its great texture. I’m going to make it fresh tomorrow and it’ll certainly impress my (married into) Jewish family!
Thank you so much for your website. I’m a new fan!
Tori Avey says
Fabulous Tony! I agree reheating isn’t the best for this dish, but glad it didn’t lose too much of its luster in the process. 🙂
Beatrice Clemons says
Tori – what on earth is a measurement/quantity of eggs noted as 2.4? 🙂 Do I go down to 2 or up to 3? Thank you! We are planning to make this for Passover along with your Brisket with Rum & Coffee!
Tori Avey says
Beatrice, if you used the serving adjuster than it will adjust according to the amount of servings you asked for, which ends up dividing some ingredients. If the egg measurement is 2.4 I would add 3. Enjoy! 🙂