Crispy Oven Baked French Fries
Sound impossible? You no longer have to decide between soggy oven baked potatoes or heating up a huge pot of stinky oil to enjoy French fries at home. This technique turns ordinary potatoes into extraordinary crispy fries with little effort, little oil, and no mess or residual oil stank to deal with!We know from the past that it takes two cooking sessions to create fries that are perfectly crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. This time, instead of two quick fries in a deep pot of oil, we’re going to eliminate the mess altogether and subject our potatoes to a brief stint in the microwave followed by an extra hot session in the oven. Tossing the potatoes with cornstarch and preheating the oil in the oven is the secret to ending dense, limp fries forever.You’ll never think about French fries the same way again after this. This technique is so easy, and the resulting fries are so surprisingly delicious, you just may consign your deep fryer to the curb for good.
How Do You Reheat Leftover French Fries In The Oven
First, preheat the oven to 425. Then, spread your french fries out on a parchment-linked baking sheet, making sure none of them are touching . Heat them in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, then give them a quick toss. If you like them a little crispier, we recommend continuing to bake for 2 to 3 more minutes.
More On French Fries Recipe
I have had multiple recipe requests for homemade French Fries recipe. We love french fries in this house, so I was happy to oblige! I got myself into the kitchen and started doing test runs in the quest for the perfect homemade french fry.
When I used to make french fries at home, I just chopped the potatoes, rubbed them with some salt and directly fried them.
These easy to prepare, quick homemade french fries were pretty good, but not perfectly crispy like what youd get from McDonalds or other fast food chains. I needed to dig deeper to find a french fry recipe that would really wow my readers.
As I delved into my research, I stumbled upon many recipes that directed me to parboil the potatoes first, then fry them not once, but twice, at different temperatures. As a busy woman, this five step process just didnt make any sense for my life.
This simple, easy recipe for crispy, delicious french fries is inspired my friend Anamika. While you still need to fry the potatoes twice for that perfect, golden exterior, I learned that the process of simply soaking the cut potatoes in cold water eliminates the need for par-boiling.
As a result of having one less step and one less dish to clean these homemade french fries suddenly seemed more attainable. While theyre still a bit of a process to make, I promise that with just a little extra planning they are absolutely attainable.
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Frozen French Fries In Oven Recipe
You can cook French fries in the oven from frozen potatoes. Such a dish will not differ in taste and texture. To make crispy baked French fries, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- frozen fries 300 grams
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh parsley to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- grated parmesan cheese to taste
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
Recommended Tools To Make Healthy Baked French Fries
- Rimmed Baking Sheets. With these in your kitchen, youll be ready for baked fries anytime.
- Non-Slip Cutting Board. My favorite cutting board. It wont slip away from you while youre cutting the potatoes.
- Mixing Bowls. Stackable and easy to store.
If you try this recipe for ranch-inspired crispy baked fries, Id love to hear what you think. Your comments mean so much to me!
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Add Ingredients To The Potatoes
Now that you have the wedges on the baking pan, its time to add the ingredients that will make your French fry wedges tasty and spicy. First, add some oil to the potatoes and put garlic powder on them. To spice up this recipe, add chili powder.
Once chili powder is added, follow with chili flakes and then add hot sauce. Determine how much chili powder, hot sauce and chili flakes to put on by depending upon your taste. If you will be sharing the fries with others, you also need to consider if they can handle spicy foods.
Lessen the spicy ingredients if you will be sharing this with people who are not really into spicy foods. Once all the main ingredients are added, season with salt and pepper.
How Long To Bake Fries At 400
The cooking time of oven baked French fries depends on many factors and plays an important role. The average time varies from 5 to 7 minutes.
If you have chosen the baking method of French fries from the freezer bag, then increase the cooking process by 4-5 minutes. Fresh potatoes in oil will be fried for no more than 5 minutes.
However, if you have chosen baking as the main method , then be ready to spend 15-20 minutes of your time. Also, the cooking time depends on the thickness of the potatoes and the desired degree of roasting.
If you want to get a crispy crust, cook fries in the oven for a couple of minutes longer.
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How To Store And Reheat Leftovers
Refrigerating:
- Let any leftover fries cool completely and store them in a Freezer bag in the fridge, removing as much air from the bag as possible.
- To reheat, bake at 350° F for about 10 minutes. They reheat very well.
Freezing:
- Flash freeze them on a baking sheet or plate until solid, 1 hour or so.
- Store them in a freezer Ziploc bag in the freezer until ready to eat!
- Reheat in a preheated 350° F oven until warm and crisp, about 15 minutes or so.
PRO TIP: Make my 10 minute Brown Gravy Recipe and have homemade Poutine with leftover fries!
Are Mcdonalds Fries Vegan
Ill start with McDonalds French fries because theyre one of the most popular fries in the US. Theyre also one of the most controversial fries in the vegan community.
So controversial in fact that at one point in time McDonalds was being sued by vegetarian and religious groups for misrepresenting their fries after saying they were no longer going to use beef fat.
You see, Mcdonalds used to cook their fries in beef tallow up until the 90s. They dont do this anymore, but they still use a Natural Beef Flavor when they cut and prepare their fries. This Natural Beef Flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk.
So no, McDonalds fries are not vegan.
And in case youre wondering, the same issues apply to their hash browns as well.
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Soaking Potatoes For Fries
Is it necessary to soak potatoes for fries? Yes and no. I tested this recipe a number of times, both with and without soaking. I found that soaking the cut potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes resulted in slightly crispier baked French fries. However, unsoaked fries were still decently crispy. My advice? Soak if you have the time because it does help to make the crispiest baked fries. If youre short on time, you can skip the soak and your oven fries will still be delicious.
Soak The Potatoes Prior To Cooking
I tested all of the popular cooking methods to making oven fries, and the one that yielded the best results with the least amount of effort was soaking the potatoes in water prior to baking them.
- If youve ever had double-fried French fries , the concept is the same. Cooking the fries once at a lower temperature than again at a higher temperature creates the ultimate inner and outer texture, whether the fries are deep fried or oven baked.
- While the potatoes soak in very hot water, they cook just enough to ensure the insides become nice and tender, while the outsides crisp but do not burn.
- Some recipes may call for you to soak the potatoes in salt water instead. When you soak potatoes in salt water, the moisture from inside the potato is pulled out, resulting in a mushy, unappealing result. Stick with unsalted water for the best baked French fries.
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Refrigerator And Freezer Storage Tips
- To Refrigerate. Place leftover fries in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat using the method for How to Make Your Fries Crispy Again above.
- To Freeze. Spread the fries in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place them in the freezer until solid. Transfer the frozen fries to an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen as directed above, adding about 3 or so extra minutes to the cooking time. How long you bake frozen French fries can vary, so keep an eye on them.
Do You Have To Soak Potatoes Before Frying
A lot of recipes will instruct you to soak the sliced potato wedges before frying them but I dont think you have to do that. As a lover of all things time-saving, I have learned over the years that simply blotting the potatoes with paper towels to remove the starch is much quicker and just as effective as soaking the potatoes and then drying them off before frying/baking.
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How To Make Baked French Fries
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
Best Potatoes For French Fries
Russet potatoes are ideal. Since theyre dense, they dont contain as much water inside, which allows them to get extra crispy.
Waxy potatoes are the worst. These include red potatoes, fingerling, and new potatoes. Theyre high in moisture, and will actually become hollow when fried as the water evaporates out.
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How To Reheat Fries
You can easily reheat your leftover oven baked fries, either in the oven, or on the stovetop.
- Stovetop Reheating: Add a tablespoon or two of oil in non-stick pan. Reheat over medium heat for a few minutes and enjoy!
- Oven Reheating: Baked fries can be reheated in the oven. Spread them in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes in a preheated 400°F oven.
- Microwave Reheating: This is less ideal as they can come out soft or soggy! 20-40 seconds should be plenty of time.
Peel And Cut Potatoes
1. First, grab 1 extra-large potato, 2 large potatoes or 3 medium potatoes equalling about 315 grams. Rinse well in water and then peel the potato.
TIP: Peeling the potato is optional. While I know some people like the skin on their french fries, I find that it creates a tough exterior. I personally prefer my finger chips to be bare and tender.
2. Now slice the potato in slices having 1 cm thickness. Before slicing, you can remove the top and bottom part of the potato to get a square or rectangle shaped potato.
TIP: If you are planning on making french fries at home often, there is actually a device called a french fry cutter that will do steps 2-4 for you! That said, I dont have space in my kitchen for a tool that only achieves one end. Using a knife and cutting board takes a few extra minutes, but isnt difficult.
3. Cut the potatoes in sticks having 1 cm width.
4. Cut the remaining potato slices in sticks as well.
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Only 3 Ingredients Needed To Make French Fries
- Russet potatoes russets worked best, dont substitute another type of potato. They have less moisture , they have less sweetness than other potatoes, they offer a fluffier interior and of course theyre the best choice for that classic french fry flavor.
- Vegetable oil this type of oil has a high smoke point so dont substitute with olive oil since the oven temperature is a hot 475 degrees.
- Salt and pepper dont skip the salt or youll end with very bland fries. Standard table salt, kosher salt or sea salt will work great here.
Choose A Starchy Potato With Low Moisture
The best frying potatoes have a high starch content and low moisture content. Starchy, low-moisture potatoes will yield the crispiest french fries. Once you choose a starchy variety like the ones above, you can test the moisture content of each potato with a saline test.
Here is how to test the moisture content of your potatoes:
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How To Make Crispy Baked French Fries
- Soak potatoes: In cold water for 30 minutes. Remove from the water then pat dry thoroughly.
- Prep: First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. It is very important that you liberally spray the foil with cooking spray otherwise the fries will stick to the foil.
- Combine ingredients: Next, in a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients, including the sliced potatoes.
- Bake: After that, add the fries to the prepared pan, and then them bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they are crispy and golden brown. Make sure to rotate the fries at least once during cooking.
- Serve and enjoy: Finally, serve your baked French fries immediately with a side of ketchup and enjoy! These make the perfect midday snack or side to your favorite hamburger recipe.
Frying A Second Time For The Perfect Finish
Tip: Feel free to leave your fries in for an additional 1-2 minutes if you like them extra crispy. Just be careful not to accidentally burn them!
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Sauces For French Fries
The best fries are the ones served with sauce. Any awesome recipe of fast food is based precisely on the combination of crispy potatoes with suitable adding.
Therefore, learn to choose the right sauces. Pay attention to the following options:
- Sweet and sour sauce. A slightly complicated recipe will please you with the tastiest result. For cooking, you will need a blender, saucepan, corn syrup, peach jam, white vinegar, soy sauce, and mustard.
- Sour cream sauce with garlic. This is a very delicate sauce in taste and consistency. According to the speed of cooking, it will help out in a critical situation and decorate any dish. Fry sauce over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly.
- Cheese sauce. An exquisite cheese dressing will organically complement any dish, including meat and poultry. You can also serve an addition to snacks such as crackers, toast, chips, and French fries.
- Tomato sauce for healthy baked french fries recipe. Tomatoes are extremely useful for the human body and go very well with potatoes. The subtle sourness and garlic flavor immediately cause an appetite.