The Best Potato Kugel Recipe
So, how can I possibly claim to have the best potato kugel recipe? Read on if you want to know! (Note: this post contains affiliate links.)
It’s been years since I’ve originally shared my potato kugel recipe with the masses… and now I’ve recreated it. You can check out the updated crispy potato kugel recipe over here. It’s a new and improved version of the same recipe, based on many more years of kugel baking.
Potato Kugel is a traditional Eastern European Jewish food, and is very popular among Jews today. We like to serve it at our Sabbath and holiday meals, and it’s a weekly staple in many homes.
I’ve eaten at many homes, both strangers and relatives, visited many synagogues that served kugel, and tasted so many different variations of potato kugel. But no potato kugel recipe was ever quite as good as my mom’s (you can even ask the neighbors!).
So, I took my mom’s recipe, tweaked it just a little bit, and now I believe that I have the right to call this the best potato kugel recipe ever!
Credit to Mom of course….
Children love helping to make this dish!
From prep to finish, there’s something little kids can do. Since it’s a bit of a project, my mom always told us that she’ll make potato kugel (our favorite dish) only if we help out. So from a young age, we’d help peel the potatoes, man the food processor (with strict supervision), crack the eggs, and mix up the batter (with our bare hands, of course).
Potato kugel freezes nicely. You just need to make sure it’s wrapped well, and that you reheat it in the oven so that you keep a good texture. Another tip: slightly undercook it.
I usually defrost my kugel by putting it frozen solid and covered in the oven for about an hour till it defrosts and then uncovering it for a bit so that it can crisp up.
This recipe makes a 9×13 inch pan plus a loaf pan. We usually eat the loaf pan fresh, and then the big pan is polished off within a few days. It rarely makes it to the freezer…
How to make the best potato kugel recipe ever!
The kugel is made of shredded potatoes, onion and zucchini, together with some other ingredients. The secret of the zucchini: it transforms the texture while sneaking some veggies into a very kid-friendly food! The exact balance of egg and oil is also an art that my husband and I experimented with a lot before we came up with this. You can make it lighter by skipping some of the oil, and it will be almost as good.
I shredded the vegetables using this food processor (I just bought it from Amazon exclusively for kugel, and love it!), making the job so much easier. Use the shredder (round blade) with the shredding side up (the small blades, not the larger blade.) Children can help feed the vegetables in (while it’s off, for safety) and press the button to start it.
Update: six years later I’m still using this same food processor heavily and it’s fantastic! Most people recommend fancy food processors – and yes, the size is a bit limiting – but we are so happy with this affordable option, I wouldn’t recommend anything else. You can get it from Amazon too.
This is a true “mama’s recipe” and salt and pepper are NOT actually measured, though I did put measurements in the recipe card below. We usually do a pile the size of the palm for salt, and a small heap for pepper.
Yup, we do mix it by hand! This gives us more control, plus it offers lots of sensory fun for little ones. Just make sure everyone washes hands very well before they start.
When making a batch this size, you WILL need a very large mixing bowl. We sometimes overflow into the pans too, and split up the mixing job. You can do a half or quarter recipe, but why would you want to? This is, after all, the best potato kugel recipe ever!
Best Potato Kugel Recipe
A Classic Jewish Shabbat dish that's fantastic all week long. Plus, sneak in some veggies!
Ingredients
- 5 lb bag potatoes, peeled (Idaho works, a waxy variety such as golden or red gives a creamier texture)
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 large onion
- 6 eggs
- 1/2-3/4 cup oil (more is better, but you can go "light"
- 1 t. pepper
- 1 T salt
Instructions
- Grate vegetables in food processor (using grating blade).
- Mix well with other ingredients.
- Pour into pans (this recipe usually makes about a loaf pan plus a 9×13 pan. We eat the loaf fresh and the big pan is saved for whichever occasion we’re making it for!)
- Bake uncovered at 400 for about 1-2 hours or until golden on top. Bake time varies so much because it depends so much on things like oven you’re using, how deep the kugel is, etc.
Notes
Freezing instructions:
Wrap well.
To reheat, bake covered until defrosted, then uncover to crisp.
Undercook a little for a fresher reheated kugel.
Make it healthier:
You can play with proportion of zucchini. You can reduce quantity of eggs/oil.
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Have you ever had potato kugel? If you gave it a try already, do you agree that this is the best potato kugel recipe?
Apparently this recipe was “broken” for years…. because my recipe card plugin was defunct! Oh well, I’m updating it now with the recipe in post too in case this happens again:
Ingredients:
- 5 lb bag potatoes, peeled (Idaho works, a waxy variety such as golden or red gives a creamier texture)
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 large onion
- 6 eggs
- 1/2-3/4 cup oil (more is better, but you can go “light”
- 1 t. pepper
- 1 T salt
Directions:
- Grate vegetables in food processor (using grating blade).
- Mix well with other ingredients.
- Pour into pans (this recipe usually makes about a loaf pan plus a 9×13 pan. We eat the loaf fresh and the big pan is saved for whichever occasion we’re making it for!)
- Bake uncovered at 400 for about 1-2 hours or until golden on top. Bake time varies so much because it depends so much on things like oven you’re using, how deep the kugel is, etc.
sounds good, but do you wring the water out of the potatoes before mixing ?
I actually do not. there is a lot of liquid, but I like how that keeps the kugel moist. If you’re making more than one pan, you can divide the solids and liquids between the pans separately.
The starchy liquid prevents the kugel from getting soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside
can you replace the vegetable oil with olive oil ?
Hi Katie, olive oil has a very strong taste and it will probably come through. I would say that avocado oil is your best bet since it’s mild, but that can be a bit pricey. You CAN try this with much less oil (or leave out the oil – just spray the pan) – it won’t have the same crispy, crunchy oven-fried taste when fresh but it’ll be yummy regardless!
THANK YOU!!!! xo
I want to make this and freeze it for Pesech. How does it taste after being frozen and reheated. How do I reheat it for best results?
Hi Janice, it does freeze well, however I find that it can get waterlogged easily. I freeze all the time, though – a few tips: Make sure you wrap it really well, reheat in the oven slowly (225 degrees) – and leave plenty of time to do so – this makes it feel crispy and fresh again. Start off with it covered, and crisp it up uncovered at the end. I’ve also undercooked it and then finished baking fresh, but you need to be careful to just barely undercook it so that it doesn’t brown (I did it with 3 kugels, 2 of them didn’t brown, the 3rd was slightly less done and it did brown).
When you freeze it. Do you put it in the oven frozen?
Just finished, the house smells amazing.
Thanks for the recipie
Enjoy – hope you tasted it fresh 😉 I usually start defrosting it first (it takes a while) and then transfer to the oven, defrost covered on a low temp, and then towards the end I uncover so that it can recrisp a little.
Can you make day before and keep in the refrigerator?
Absolutely! That’s what I usually do – I make a small pan to have fresh and make the main pan 1-2 days in advance.
Hi. What kind of potatoes do you use? For that matter, what kinds of onions? Thanks.
Hi David, I typically use cheap Idaho potatoes and yellow onions.
What do you bake it at and how long?
400 and until it’s golden brown and crispy on top (the whole top, not just the edges) – usually about 90 minutes, but it’ll depend on your oven, the depth of the kugel, etc.
This is the second time I made this kugel, outstanding results. The zucchini adds a wonderful texture. Ideal for Shabbat because of long warming times waiting for my husband to come after shul. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Liz – thanks for the feedback, I’m so happy you guys are enjoying it!
Hi! Couldn’t find the actual recipe. Like how many eggs or how many pounds of potatoes. Where can I find it? Shana tova
Oh no! It looks like my old recipe card is gone. I’m going to need to update this but for now (this is a pretty large recipe – I’m not sure about shrinking it down):
5 lb bag potatoes, peeled
1 large zucchini
1 large onion
6 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 t. pepper
1 T salt
Grate vegetables in food processor (using grating blade). Mix well with other ingredients. Pour into pans (this recipe usually makes about a loaf pan plus a 9×13 pan. We eat the loaf fresh and the big pan is saved for whichever occasion we’re making it for!) Bake uncovered at 400 for about 1-2 hours or until golden on top. Bake time depends so much on things like oven you’re using, how deep the kugel is, etc.