World’s Best Potato Kugel – lots of people make this claim but this recipe truly wins!
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I know, I know. That is a very bold claim. There are so many people out there who claim to make the world’s best potato kugel. So what makes me feel qualified to say that my recipe is the best?
It’s simple. It’s not my recipe. This is my sister’s recipe and I’m just an objective taster. And let me tell you, this is some seriously good potato kugel! The thing about potato kugel recipes is that they’re all really similar. You’ve got potatoes, eggs, oil, salt, pepper and (usually) onion. So the difference between a good kugel and a truly great kugel lies in the little details: which potatoes you use, how finely you grate everything, what temperature the oven is at, and stuff like that. Plus, it makes no dishes other than the food processor – that’s right, no bowl or spoon to wash!
My sister has tweaked the recipe again and again over the years, adjusting the little details this way and that, until she has reached perfection. Numerous people have tasted her kugel and said that they gave up making potato kugel because it never turns out very good, but her recipe makes them want to try again. And guess what? They all convert to potato kugel fans, making my sister’s recipe week after week.
And so we decided to finally share the recipe with the masses. No matter how much you enjoy your current kugel recipe, you’ve got to try this one and see how amazing it is. I even went to my sister’s house to film her making her kugel, so you can get a clear demo straight from the source! If you’re not following me on Instagram, head over there to follow me and see the kugel demo once it’s posted.
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- 1 small onion, peeled
- 7 eggs
- ⅞ths cup of oil (2 tablespoons less than a cup)
- 1 heaping tablespoon kosher salt
- approximately ½ teaspoon black pepper (more or less, to taste)
- 1 (5 lb) bag yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
- Preheat oven to 550 degrees (if your oven's hottest temperature is less than 550, set it to the highest temperature your oven allows and adjust baking time accordingly).
- Grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the "s" blade, puree the onion until completely smooth and no pieces remain.
- Add eggs, oil, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times until completely combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Set aside.
- Remove the "s" blade from the food processor and fit it with the fine grating plate (C on a Braun food processor). Note that this blade is slightly coarser than the "kugel" blade, which many use for making kugel, and the texture contributes a lot to the final product.
- Process all potatoes, then add to the egg mixture in the pan.
- Mix potatoes well into egg mixture, ensuring all of it is evenly distributed. This should be done with your hands.
- Bake kugel at 550 for 30-35 minutes, until it develops a nice brown crust on the top. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional hour.
- Grease a muffin pan well. Before placing the full size kugel into the oven, place a handful of kugel batter into each cavity of the muffin pan. After 30 minutes of baking at 550 degrees, the muffins will be ready. Remove from oven and then continue baking the large kugel according to the directions above.
FAQ about the world’s best potato kugel:
Can this kugel be frozen? How do I reheat it?
While kugel is best fresh from the oven, you can freeze it, wrapped well, then reheat ovenight. Here are my sister’s instructions for reheating frozen kugel, which were taught to her by our mutual good-friend Esty:
When reheating potato kugel that has been frozen, do not defrost it before putting into the oven. Also, it must be done “overnight” style in order to reheat properly. Remove kugel from the freezer and pour one cup of seltzer (per 9×13 pan) over the frozen kugel. Cover tightly and place in a 250 degree oven. Place a large pan of water in the bottom of the oven. Bake for 8-10 hours, or overnight.
If you’re in a rush and don’t have 8-10 hours to reheat the kugel, follow the steps above but bake it at 350 for 1 – 1 1/2 hours instead. If putting a kugel that has been frozen into the cholent, you can place it frozen straight into the cholent, wrapped in foil. It will reheat “overnight” style in the cholent.
Can I use other potatoes besides Yukon Gold:
You can, but the optimal texture comes in big part from the type of potatoes used, so yukon gold is highly recommended.
Can I make the entire batter into mini potato kugels?
You sure can! They’re a huge treat in my family, so it’s a staple at family parties. Just portion all of the dough out into muffin pans, instead of using a big pan.
If using a mini muffin pan instead of a full sized muffin, bake at 550 for about 25 minutes.
Can I make this as “overnight” kugel?
Sure! After baking the kugel at 550, reduce oven temperature to 250.
Cover kugel tightly. Place a large pan of water on the bottom of the oven. Bake for 8-10 hours, or overnight.
Can I do this in smaller pans than a 9×13? Would I need to adjust the baking time?
Sure! Here are some instructions for a few different pan sizes:
Mini muffin pans can be baked at 550 for 25 minutes.
This recipe makes two 3-lb loaf pans, which are baked for 30 minutes at 550 and then 50-60 minutes at 350. (They are as high as a 9×13 pan, so they need similar cook time).
Shorter pans such as an 8 inch square or a round pan bake for 30 minutes at 550 and then 30-40 minutes at 350.
Some more kugel recipes for you to enjoy:
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Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon – I’ve got an amazing new chicken recipe to share! – Miriam
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Yum! Would you know what blade to use on the Cuisinart?
I’m not sure what the blade is called, but it’s the fine grater blade, not regular grate and not mush. Somewhere in between.
Hi! Only 7/8 of. A cup of oil ? Seems very little is that accurate?
Yes
Can’t wait to try it
What speed on the braun do you use to grate the potatoes?
High speed.
Its HUGE recipe. Can it be halved?
Better off making two loaf pans and freezing one. See baking instructions as well as freezing/reheating instructions in the recipe.
What if I only have the s blade and the shredding blade?
how do i keep the potato kugel from turning gray?
Work quickly and it won’t be an issue!
squash also helps keep the kugel a good texture
Hi, Miriam.
This IS the best potato kugel recipe ever. I made the Kugel muffins and they are delicious, but they stuck to the pan. Possibly not enough greasing? I will definitely make this recipe again. A Chag Kasher V’Sameach.
Definitely needs to be greased well. Funny enough, it seems to pop out of disposable muffin tins much better than real.
90 minutes way to long… luckily I caught it with 30 minutes left and just in time at that. Otherwise would have BURNT!!!!
Did you lower the temperature?
It’s not such a big “kunts” to make a great potato kugel with great potatoes! 😉 The trick is to make the world’s best kugel with the potatoes available in places where you can’t get Yukon Gold or even plain Idaho potatoes. Like here, with our really bad potatoes.
I will say, though, that the kugel is not bad at all…but not better than my usual recipe. Can you come up with an amazing kugel recipe using lousy potatoes?
I don’t (yet) own a food processor, can this be made with hand grated potatoes?
It can, but the larger size of the grater will change the texture.
Are you supposed to squeeze out the potato mixture before you mix with the eggs? My kugel was about 2x as thick as the picture and never cooked through all the way. Was I supposed to squeeze out the potatoes or should I just have used 2 9x13s?
My family really enjoys this kugel!
Can this be made in a pyrex dish?
Trying to get this recipe to work on a Cuisinart. Any ideas?
How many 8″ square pans can I get from each recipe?
Also, every time I make kugel muffins, the muffins stick to the pan no matter how much I oil it. Any suggestions? Thanks
I mixed this with a fork instead of my hands and it still came out delicious!
Can I half this recipe? If so how many eggs should I use?