Name: Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 14 pieces
Ingredients: 4 large Potatoes; 1 large Onion; 4 large Eggs; 1/3 cup Matzo Meal; 1 Tablespoon Potato Starch; 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt; 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper; 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder (optional); Grapeseed Oil; 1 Air Fryer; 1 Oil Mister; 1 1.5 ounce Silicone Cheesecake Bites Mold

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Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites made with potatoes and onions are crispy on the outside and soft and luscious on the inside.

Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites

Crispy, yet soft on the inside, puffs of delicious Potatoes, this Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites recipe is as traditional as they come.

Well, sort of. All the traditional ingredients are used, including Oil, just not a ton of it.

So, the tradition of frying Latkes is preserved, even though we are using an Air Fryer.

When is Chanukkah?

Chanukkah starts on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar and lasts for eight days.

It falls between late November and December each year. This is based on the Hebrew Lunar Calendar.

It is about eleven days shorter than a solar year. Every two or three year, an intercalation of a month is added to the Hebrew Calendar to bring it in line with the solar year.

What is the Tradition of Frying Latkes in Oil?

Latkes symbolize and commemorate the miracle of the the eight days that the Oil Lamp burned, in the Jewish Temple.
The eight candles on the Menorah, symbolize each day that the Oil lantern was lit.
The ninth candle, which is a servant candle, called the “Shamash,” is used to light the other candles.
In other countries, doughnuts are fried in oil, are eaten during Chanukkah..
Many Ashkenazi Jewish homes, like mine, use Schmaltz to fry their Latkes.
Sephardic Jews traditionally use Olive Oil, since Chanukkah typically comes as the end of the olive pressing season.

I grew up using Vegetable Oil. However, now I use Grapeseed Oil, but feel free to use Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Vegetable Oil, or whatever you like.

Why do you fry Latkes in Oil?

In 164 BCE, Judah Maccabee and his group, saw that the Oil Lamp (the eternal flame) had only enough oil to last one day.
It took them eight nights to replenish the Oil.
Miraculously, the Oil Lamp burned for eight days, until there more Oil was obtained.

For a bit more info, see my Air Fryer Traditional Chanukkah Latkes recipe.

Cast of Ingredients for Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites

These Air Fryer Potato Latkes pair very well with my Pressure Cooker Shabbos Brisket.

They are also fun to eat with my Pressure Cooker Classic Pot Roast Dinner and my Better Than Hot Wings Cafe Air Fryer Buffalo Hot Wings.

What ingredients are in Potato Latkes?

Shredded Russet Potatoes
Eggs
Shredded Onions
Matzo Meal
Potato Starch (from the potato water)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Oil

Grate the Potatoes

Traditionally a box grater is used.

It’s done by hand, by love. 🙂

However, I prefer saving knuckle skin and using a quality 11 cup Food Processor with the automatic grater option.

I you want to get really authentic, after grating the Potatoes, put about 1/3 of them back through the Food Processor for a second grating.

The Potatoes will start to oxidize and turn brown pretty fast.

Place the Grated Potatoes in a Medium Mixing Bowl with Water.

The extra starch will release and they will be nice and white again.

Grate the Onions

Rinse out the Food Processor.

Use the grater blade and process the Onions.

There will be tons of water released from the Onions. Pour it out.

Squeeze out the Onion Water

Use a Tea Towel or a strong Paper Towel and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Extra water in this recipe is not good and will cause the Latkes to fall a part.

Mix all Ingredients, except Potatoes

Whisk up the Eggs really well.

Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the Onions, which have been squeezed well.

Mix it all together.

White, White, White Potatoes!!!

Soaking the shredded potatoes will keep them nice and white!

Wait, quick story. OMG, I must tell you.

When I was in high school, a friend of mine frequently invited me over to her house to eat dinner.

They had a weekly menu planned, which was repeated every week. Like every.single.week.

To this day, I remember the mother grating the Potatoes and leaving them in the bowl to turn brown. Just thinking about this, makes me cringe. Ugh, I never would eat them…..Blackish, greenish, nasty looking things.

Anyway, aside over.

The soaking of the Potatoes actually makes these Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites taste better.

Soaking Potatoes for any use, almost always makes Potatoes taste better.

Check out my Air Fryer Perfect French Fries and my Pressure Cooker Japanese Beef Curry. Soaking Potatoes is key!

After draining the water from the Potatoes, you will see some pure white starch left behind.

Save that Potato Starch!!

Add Potatoes to the Mix

Drain the Water from the potatoes slowly.

In the bottom of the bowl, you will see some nice white natural Potato Starch.

Scoop that up and add it to the Bowl.

Add the Shredded Potatoes to the Bowl with the Onions and mix it all together well.

Scrape out the Potato Starch from the Bowl where the Potatoes were soaking and mix it into the Latkes mix.

Check out my Air Fryer Chanukkah Latkes recipe. They look just like traditional Latkes.

Add Oil to each Hole, Cup, Well

For this recipe, I chose to use the Small Silicone Bites Trays, which are the same ones I use in my Pressure Cooker Cherry Cordial Cheesecake Bites recipe.

If you prefer to use the Larger Size Silicone “Egg Bites” Trays which I use in my Sous Vide Bacon and Jarlsberg Egg Bites, you will need to adjust the cook time.

Make sure to add Oil into each Well. While we are not deep frying, we do want to keep with the tradition and “Fry” the Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites in Oil.

Add Potato Latke Mixture to each Well

Don’t worry about having some of the Potato Latkes Mix hanging out.

Those areas will crisp up in the Air Fryer and even more and be delicious.

Spray the Latkes Well

In my opinion, the very best Oil Mister I have found is this Fine Life Oil Mister.

It doesn’t clog and once you pump it, you can spray and spray and spray.

Don’t be afraid to Spray the Latkes with lots of Oil.

When all is said and done, you’ll probably only end up use a Tablespoon or less of Oil.

Place the Silicone Tray into the Air Fryer

Place the filled Silicone Bites Trays right into the Air Fryer.

I used a Parchment Round underneath. Not quite sure why really. The Air Fryer is pretty easy to clean. I’m kind of a clean fanatic and sometimes take extra steps.

It does help when flipping over the Silicone Bites Trays and browning up the other side.

Yummy Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites

There is a fork on the plate, but really, dig in with your fingers!

Try making some Homemade Greek Yogurt in your GoWise Multi Cooker or your Instant Pot and use it in place of Sour Cream.

Make sure to have a big bowl of Applesauce (recipe in my cookbook).

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

Air Fryer Potato Latkes Bites

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: European, Jewish

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: pieces

Author: Jill

Ingredients

4 large Potatoes
1 large Onion
4 large Eggs
1/3 cup Matzo Meal
1 Tablespoon Potato Starch
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder optional
Grapeseed Oil

Tools

Instructions

Wash Potatoes and peel. Run through Food Processor to grate and then place in a Bowl with cool waters. Set aside.
Rinse out Food Processor and grate Onions. Place Onion in Tea Towel or Paper Towel and squeeze out all liquid.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together Eggs. Add Salt, Pepper, Matzo Meal, Potato Starch, Baking Powder (if using) and grated Onions.
Drain Water from Potatoes and save the Starch left in the Bowl. Squeeze out all water from Potatoes and add to Onion Mixture. Scoop out the Starch from the Potato Bowl and add to Latkes mixture.
Generously spray Silicone Trays with Oil. Fill each well with the Latkes Mixture and generously spray with Oil.
Air Fry at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove Air Fryer Basket and pop out Bites into Air Fryer. Spray generously and cook for 4 additional minutes at 400 degrees. Serve with Applesauce and Sour Cream.

Notes

Baking Powder is optional. It will add to the fluffiness of the Latkes Bites. Traditionalists did not use it, so if you want to stay to old world tradition, don't use it. For a fluffier Latkes, toss it into the batter.

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