Crispy Baked French Fries
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Make Crispy Baked French Fries in the oven with this simple and delicious recipe! Just chop, soak, season, and bake your fries to make a healthier alternative to french fries at home.
Make crispy homemade french fries in your oven
There are 2 foods that I get INTENSE cravings for: salt and vinegar potato chips and crispy french fries. Unfortunately both of these items tend to be fried in oils that are inflammatory and cause me arthritis and psoriasis pain. Because of this I have been working on making crispy french fries at home!
I have finally perfected my oven baked crispy french fry recipe. A crucial step in the process is soaking the fries for about an hour prior to baking them. Then you just need to season your hand cut french fries and bake!
Why do I need to soak my potatoes before baking in the oven?
You should soak your cut fries in some cold water for at least an hour prior to baking in order to make crispy french fries in the oven. This will remove the excess potato starch from the outside of the fries and help them crisp in the oven.
It also crisps them without causing them to burn. This might seem like an unnecessary extra step, but it makes a huge difference when baking fries at home!
What kitchen tools will I need to make these crispy homemade french fries?
- 8-10″ chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Baking sheet with wire rack – you don’t have to use this if you don’t have one, but it allows the fries to get crispy on all sides!
- Wide rubber spatula
How do I cut my potato into french fries?
You can use whatever method you like to cut your potato into french fries, but I like my fries to be relatively equal in size so that they bake and crisp evenly. In order to get my fries to have uniform size I use the method below to cut up my russet potatoes.
You could also use a french fry cutter to get uniform shapes and sizes for all of your fries.
What ingredients will I need to make these crispy baked french fries?
You can season these homemade fries with whatever seasoning you choose. I think its fun to season them with some smoked paprika or old bay, but most of the time I keep it simple with the following ingredients.
- Russet potatoes – you can use any kind of potato you like, but I only tested this recipe with russet. Yukon gold potatoes would be great too!
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Sea salt
I like to make these crispy fries with just salt to keep them simple, but you can season them with any of your favorite seasonings. Sometimes I add garlic powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika for extra flavor!
What should I serve with oven french fries?
There are many ways to serve cripy oven fries. Sometimes I like to serve these baked fries with a perfectly grilled steak and roasted garlic aioli.
Other times I like to serve them with healthy grilled chicken nuggets and a creamy honey mustard sauce.
Many people love to make a simple homemade fry sauce! My favorite fry sauce is made with a mixture of ketchup, mayo and dill pickle relish.
How to make french fries at home in your oven
Step 1: Cut and soak fries
First, cut the russet potatoes into fries. You can use the chart above as a guide.
Then, add fries to a large bowl and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour. Soaking the fries in water removes excess starch from the potatoes.
Step 2: Toss fries in oil and season
After at least 1 hour, remove the fries from the fridge and preheat the oven to 425F. Then, place a wire baking rack on a metal baking sheet.
Next, drain the water from the bowl of fries, pat them dry with a paper towel and toss the fries in the oil.
Then, arrange the fries on the wire rack in a single layer with some space between each fry. Next, season the fries liberally with sea salt or your seasonings of choice.
Step 3: Bake fries in the oven
Then, bake the fries at 425F for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Increase the heat to broil and broil for 5-10 minutes or until the fries have reached your desired crisp.
Finally, remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!
Step 4: Enjoy!
Can I make these crispy french fries ahead of time?
You can, but I recommend that you enjoy them immediately. Like any french fries, they tend to get soggy as they cool so they are best fresh out of the oven.
If you want to prep them ahead of time, you can cut them into fries and leave them soaking in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
Check out these other recipes for fast food favorites you can make at home!
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
- Healthy Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Crispy Baked French Fries
Simple recipe for crispy oven baked french fries!
Instructions
- Cut russet potatoes into fries
- Add fries to a large bowl and cover with cold water
- Place in the refrigerator to chill for one hour
- Remove the fries from the fridge and preheat the oven to 425F
- Place a wire baking rack on a metal baking sheet
- Drain the water from the bowl of fries and toss the fries in the oil
- Arrange the fries on the wire rack with some space between each fry
- Season the fries liberally with sea salt
- Bake at 425F for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 20 minutes
- Increase the heat to broil and broil for 5-10 minutes or until the fries have reached your desired crisp
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy!
Andrea Pantoja says
Loved these fries! They came out so crunchy and delicious 😋 I was so impressed that I could make fries in the oven, they are way better than fried French fries!
★★★★★
Madeline says
ah! Thank you for sharing! I agree its always awesome when you can make something at home that tastes as good or better than the deep fried one!!
Kelly Null says
OMG these are the best fries! So simple, definitely keep the skin on the potatoes it adds to the wonderful flavor. I paired these with a Philly cheese steak ring last night and doubled the recipe. This morning they were gone and my kids said they were the best fries they’ve ever had lol! Thanks for the recipe
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful!! Thank you so much!
Joe says
Don’t ever leave reviews but had to here because the fries were so incredible!!! Thank you! Will be coming back here
★★★★★
Madeline says
Aw thank you so much!! I really appreciate this review
Shannon says
The best home made fries I’ve ever made. Super easy too! Will be making them again.
★★★★★
Madeline says
thank you so much!!!
Lance says
Very easy and delicious! Would do again!
★★★★★
Madeline says
thank you so much Lance!!
William Bowery says
These are wonderful. My family and I make these nearly every Sunday, paired with a great strip steak. Crispy, easy to make. Avocado oil is the perfect addition — DO NOT try to substitute. Nothing compares. Delicious and savory.
★★★★★
Madeline says
that is so great to hear!! thank you!!
Amy says
These are bomb! I just had these last night for dinner. They go great with everything and so easy to make!
★★★★★
Madeline says
thank you!
Danielle says
So excited to make these!!!
★★★★★
Madeline says
yay!!
RL says
I am so upset. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I made sure to dry the fries before putting them back in the bowl, added avocado oil and some seasoned salt. I even sprayed my baking sheets (covered in foil) with non stick spray..and ALL of the fries STILL stuck..and we’re starting to burn. I don’t understand why. I just wasted the only potatoes I had just bought specifically for this recipe.
★★
Madeline says
I’m sorry this happened! Parchment paper works much better for me.
Henri C says
Spot on. Excellent Fries
I used both russets and Yukons. The russets came out crispier for sure. Which I expected.
★★★★★
Madeline says
yay!! agree russets for crips is better but I do like creamy inside of yukon
janis girouard says
Excellent! I even used your fry sauce with the relish( did add a little hot sauce to it) Definitely will be making these again!
Madeline says
Yum!! Great combo. Glad you enjoyed it!