Potato kugel is a hearty potato casserole dish with a crispy baked top, kind of like a hash brown cake. With onions, egg, and light seasoning, it’s the best easy recipe to satisfy your need for a warm, comforting meal.

Kugel is a baked casserole, which can be sweet kugel or savory. It is a Jewish dish, served in Ashkenazi Jewish households on special occasions such as Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah.

Baked in cast iron, nothing beats the crunch and crackle married with a tender inside!

Slice of potato kugel.

🌟Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Baking kugel in a cast iron pan isn’t traditional, but it is the best way to get a crispy outside. This recipe uses a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. I also bake my noodle kugel in cast iron.
  • A potato bake is always a delicious recipe, and potato kugel takes it to the next level. It’s the ideal combination of fluffy inside and crispy on the outside, with simple flavors that pack a punch.
  • You only need a few simple ingredients and a bit of know-how to make a perfect potato kugel. You assemble the ingredients in one pan and leave to bake with minimal interfering from there.
  • There are two pro tips in this recipe: add boiling water just as you put the kugel in the oven, and broil the kugel for a couple minutes at the end of the bake to help guarantee that amazing crispy top.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

Potatoes and other ingredients on a countertop.
  • Onion – yellow onions are preferred. Grate or shred the onion using a coarse grater or the grater in a food processor. This helps the onion flavor and integrates the onion seamlessly with the kugel’s texture
  • Russet potatoes – these are preferred as they have a high starch content and are perfect for kugel. It’s essential these are grated, and as much water is squeezed out as possible to prevent a soggy kugel
  • Salt – I use pink Himalayan salt here, but other types of salt will work. Always season to your own preference
  • Potato starch – you can also use cornstarch
  • Oil – any flavorless oil like grape seed, avocado oil, sunflower, peanut oil, or canola will work

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

Start by pre-heating your oven to 450F. Place the cast iron pan inside the oven and heat it up for 10 minutes.

To begin prepping the ingredients, peel and shred your potatoes and onions. I use a food processor to make this step faster.

Hands squeezing liquid out of shredded potatoes.


Use a tea towel, cheesecloth, or even just your hands, squeeze as much of the liquid out of your potatoes as you possibly can, and discard the remaining liquid.

Next, mix the grated russet potatoes, grated onion, potato starch, salt, pepper, eggs and oil in a bowl.

Transfer the potato kugel mixture to the the heated cast iron pan. Be careful, the pan is hot!

Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture down into the cast iron pan to compact it. Then, pour the boiling water over the top and immediately place it in the oven.

Potato casserole in a cast iron pan.

Pro Tip

Adding the boiling water to the pan just as it enters the oven to help properly steam and cook the potatoes for the perfect, fluffy texture inside.

Bake the potato kugel at 450F for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 425F and bake for another 35 minutes.

The final step is to set your oven to broil, and broil the potato kugel until it has browned on top. This should take about 3 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Shredded potato in a cast iron pan.

If you’re a fan of this Jewish recipe, these great recipes are sure to become your new favorites.

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Shredded potato in a cast iron pan.
Author: Candice Walker

Cast-Iron Potato Kugel

5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Save
Potato kugel is a hearty potato casserole dish with a crispy baked top, like a hash brown cake. It's delicious on its own or as a side.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: Jewish
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegetarian
Servings: 6
Calories: 261kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. russet potatoes
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 tbsp potato starch
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup boiling water

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 450F. Heat the cast iron pan for 10 minutes.
  • In the meantime, peel and shred the potatoes and onion. I use a food processor, but you can do this with a coarse grater.
  • Squeeze as much of the liquid out of the potatoes as you can and discard the liquid.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients (except the water) to the potatoes and onion in a bowl. Transfer to the heated cast iron pan. Press the mixture down to compact it. Pour over the boiling water just as you place it in the oven.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Reduce the temperature to 425F and bake for another 35 minutes.
  • Then turn the broiler on high and broil until browned on top. This should take about 3 minutes.
  • Rest the kugel for 20 minutes before cutting into it and serving.

Video

Notes

Baking kugel in a cast iron pan isn’t traditional, but it is the best way to get a crispy outside. This recipe uses a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
Squeezing the liquid out of the potatoes and then adding boiling water helps make sure the correct amount of liquid is added to the recipe. It also replaces starchy water.
Be sure to watch the kugel when broiling. It can burn quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.

9 Comments

  2. Hello- Can I use a 14inch cast iron? if so, what do you recommend the ration to be with potato and water? I have 26 guests 🙂

    Reply

    1. You should be able to double the recipe if using a 14″ cast iron. You will need to cook the kugel for longer, so keep your eyes on it. That’s a big group… have fun!

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Our son was recently requesting hash browns to go with dinner and that’s pretty much all he would want to eat on the plate. Well instead, I made him this kugel which I feel no guilt about making into the entire meal. So delicious and we love the crunch.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This kugel is such a fun addition to brunch on the weekends! We have been making it often this year, but especially last weekend for Hanukkah. It’s like a giant hash brown that the entire family fan share.

    Reply
5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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