Latkes are traditionally made with potatoes and served during Hanukkah, but these Crispy Skillet Carrot Latkes put a colorful and slightly sweet spin on the classic recipe. The carrots bring a beautiful orange color to your table along with natural sweetness that balances perfectly with the savory onions and herbs. When you bite into one of these latkes, you get an incredibly crispy, golden exterior that shatters into a tender, flavorful interior packed with shredded carrots and aromatic seasonings. They’re lighter than traditional potato latkes but just as satisfying and addictive. These make a wonderful side dish for any meal, not just holidays, and they’re a sneaky way to get kids to eat their vegetables because they taste more like a treat than something healthy. The carrots also hold together beautifully without needing lots of eggs or flour, making them naturally gluten-friendly if you use the right binding. Serve them hot from the skillet with a dollop of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or applesauce, and watch them disappear from the plate almost as fast as you can make them.
Serving Quantity: Makes 16-18 latkes (serves 6-8 people)
Cooking Time:
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
Nutrition Information (per latke):
- Calories: 75
- Total Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
- Sodium: 135mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Vitamin A: 85% of daily value
- Vitamin C: 6% of daily value
- Iron: 3% of daily value
Ingredients
- 1 and a half pounds of carrots peeled
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- Quarter cup of all purpose flour or matzo meal
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill chopped
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Half teaspoon of black pepper
- Quarter teaspoon of ground cumin
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Sour cream for serving
- Greek yogurt for serving
- Applesauce for serving
- Fresh chives for garnish
Shredding the Carrots and Onions
Use the large holes on a box grater or the shredding disc of your food processor to shred the peeled carrots. You want long, thin shreds that will hold together well when fried. Put the shredded carrots in a large bowl. Shred the onion the same way and add it to the carrots. The onion adds moisture and flavor that keeps the latkes from being dry. Now comes an important step that many people skip but really makes a difference. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt over the shredded vegetables and toss everything together with your hands. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes. The salt will draw out excess moisture from the carrots and onions. After 10 minutes, you’ll see liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Removing Excess Moisture
Grab handfuls of the carrot and onion mixture and squeeze them firmly over the sink, wringing out as much liquid as possible. This step is crucial for getting crispy latkes instead of soggy ones. Really squeeze hard like you’re wringing out a wet towel. The more liquid you remove, the crispier your latkes will be. Put the squeezed vegetables into a clean bowl as you go. You should get about two cups of shredded vegetables after squeezing. Your hands might get a little orange from the carrots but it washes right off. Once you’ve squeezed all the vegetables, use a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels to press out any remaining moisture.
Making the Latke Mixture
Add the beaten eggs to your bowl of squeezed vegetables. Mix them in with a fork until everything is coated. Sprinkle the flour or matzo meal over the top along with the remaining half teaspoon of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and nutmeg. Add the chopped parsley and dill. Use your hands or a large spoon to mix everything together really well. You want every strand of carrot coated with the egg and flour mixture. The mixture should hold together when you squeeze a handful. If it seems too wet and falls apart, add another tablespoon of flour. If it seems too dry, add another beaten egg. The consistency should be like thick, shaggy coleslaw that clumps together when pressed.
Heating the Oil
Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy skillet until it’s about a quarter inch deep. Cast iron works beautifully for this but any heavy skillet will do. Heat the oil over medium high heat for about 3 minutes. You want the oil hot enough that a tiny piece of the carrot mixture sizzles immediately when you drop it in, but not so hot that it smokes or burns. The ideal temperature is around 350 to 375 degrees if you have a thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, the sizzle test works perfectly. Have a plate lined with paper towels ready near the stove for draining the finished latkes.
Forming and Frying the Latkes
Scoop about a quarter cup of the carrot mixture and place it in your palm. Use your hands to shape it into a patty about half an inch thick and 3 inches across. Press it firmly so it holds together. Carefully slide the patty into the hot oil. You can fit about 4 or 5 latkes in the pan at once, but don’t crowd them or the temperature of the oil will drop and they’ll absorb too much oil and get greasy. Let them cook undisturbed for about 3 to 4 minutes. You’ll see the edges start to turn golden brown. Resist the urge to flip them too early or they’ll fall apart. Use a thin metal spatula to carefully flip each latke. They should be deeply golden and crispy on the cooked side. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side until both sides are evenly crispy and golden brown.
Draining and Keeping Warm
Use your spatula to transfer the cooked latkes to your paper towel lined plate. The paper towels will absorb excess oil. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt over the hot latkes right after they come out of the oil. Continue making latkes with the remaining mixture, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Between batches, let the oil come back up to temperature before adding more latkes. If bits of vegetables are floating in the oil and starting to burn, carefully scoop them out with a slotted spoon. To keep finished latkes warm while you cook the rest, transfer them to a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven. Don’t stack them or they’ll get soggy. Keep them in a single layer.
Serving Your Carrot Latkes
Arrange the hot latkes on a serving platter. Put out bowls of sour cream, Greek yogurt, and applesauce for dipping. Some people love the classic combination of latkes with applesauce, while others prefer the tangy richness of sour cream. Greek yogurt is a lighter option that still gives you that creamy contrast. Garnish the platter with fresh chives snipped over the top and maybe some extra dill fronds for color. Serve these immediately while they’re hot and crispy. Latkes are always best right out of the pan, though you can reheat them in the oven if needed.
Making Them Ahead
You can shred the carrots and onions up to a day ahead. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and squeeze out the moisture right before making the latkes. Don’t add the eggs and flour until you’re ready to cook. Fully cooked latkes can be made a few hours ahead and reheated. Let them cool completely, then store them in a single layer on a baking sheet covered loosely with foil. When you’re ready to serve, reheat them in a 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes until they’re hot and crispy again. They won’t be quite as crispy as fresh but they’ll still be delicious.
Flavor Variations
Add half a cup of crumbled feta cheese to the mixture for a Greek inspired version. Mix in some curry powder and serve with mango chutney for an Indian twist. Add grated ginger and a splash of soy sauce to the mixture and serve with sweet chili sauce for an Asian fusion latke. Stir in some grated parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning for a Mediterranean version. Mix half carrots and half zucchini for a vegetable medley latke. Add a pinch of cinnamon and serve with maple syrup for a sweet and savory breakfast version. Include some cooked and crumbled bacon in the mixture for extra richness.
Tips for the Crispiest Latkes
The secret to crispy latkes is removing as much moisture as possible and making sure your oil is hot enough. Don’t skip the squeezing step. Matzo meal absorbs moisture better than flour and creates an even crispier texture, so use it if you can find it during Passover season. The oil should come about halfway up the sides of the latkes. Too little oil and they won’t crisp properly. Too much and they’ll be greasy. Don’t flip the latkes more than once. Each flip releases steam and makes them less crispy. Let them cook completely on one side before flipping. If your latkes are browning too fast on the outside but still raw inside, your oil is too hot. Lower the heat slightly. If they’re taking forever to brown and seem to be absorbing lots of oil, your oil isn’t hot enough. Raise the heat. Fresh oil makes a difference. If your oil gets too dark or starts smoking, pour it out and start with fresh oil. Use a splatter screen over your skillet to keep oil from jumping everywhere while still letting steam escape. The steam needs to escape for crispy latkes. Grate the carrots just before using them. Pre-grated carrots from the store are often too dry and won’t hold together well. You can substitute sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, parsnips, or butternut squash for the carrots using the same method. A mixture of root vegetables is beautiful and delicious. Don’t make the latkes too thick or the centers won’t cook through before the outsides burn. Aim for half an inch thickness. Season generously. Carrots are naturally sweet so they can handle more salt and spices than you might think. Fry a test latke first to check the seasoning and adjust if needed before cooking the whole batch.
