French Fries
intro
Shatteringly crisp, fluffy-centered homemade French fries, perfectly seasoned, fresher than fast food, ideal for sharing with friends at casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Cut and soak potatoes
Peel 1 kg of russet potatoes, then cut them into uniform 1cm (3/8 inch) thick sticks. Place cut fries in a large bowl of cold water, soak for 20 minutes at room temperature, rinsing once halfway through to wash off excess surface starch for maximum crispiness.
Dry fries thoroughly
After soaking, drain the potatoes fully, then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with clean paper towels. Pat the top of the fries dry with additional paper towels until no visible surface moisture remains, to prevent dangerous hot oil splatter during frying.
First low-heat fry
Heat 1.5 L of neutral canola or peanut oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot to 130°C (265°F). Working in 3 equal batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully lower dried fries into the oil with a slotted spoon, frying each batch for 4 minutes until pale, soft, and not yet browned. Remove parcooked fries to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain.
Rest parcooked fries
Let the first-fried fries rest on the wire rack for 8 minutes at room temperature, keeping them in a single layer without stacking. This allows the potato interior to set fully and excess oil to drain before the final crisping fry.
Second high-heat fry
Increase the oil temperature to 190°C (375°F). Again working in 3 equal batches, fry the rested fries for 2–3 minutes per batch, until deep golden brown, audibly crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. Remove finished fries to the wire rack to drain excess oil immediately.
Season and serve hot
Within 30 seconds of removing each batch from the oil (while fries are piping hot), toss them with 1.5 tsp fine sea salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, coating evenly. Serve immediately for the best shatteringly crisp texture.
Tips
2.Skip the urge to overcrowd the frying pot; adding too many fries at once drops oil temperature rapidly, leading to greasy, limp fries instead of crispy ones.
3.Season fries immediately after removing them from hot oil: the porous, hot surface will absorb salt evenly, rather than salt sliding off cold, greasy fries.
OMG these are SO good! My kids usually turn their noses up at homemade fries saying they’re too soggy, but they devoured an entire batch in 10 minutes flat. Served them with burger sliders for our weekly family dinner and everyone asked for seconds. Total game changer!
Took these to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were hovering over the platter before I even set it down! Only note is I added a little extra cajun seasoning to my batch for a kick, would 100% make again. Way better than the fast food version down the street.
Super easy even for someone who burns toast half the time! I meal prepped a big batch on Sunday to eat with my dinners throughout the week, and they crisped up perfect in the toaster oven when I reheated them. Saved me so much money on takeout fries this week.
I used russet potatoes like the recipe said but my fries came out a little soggier than I hoped. Did I cut them too thick? I didn’t have time to soak them the full 30 minutes, maybe that’s the issue?
Served these alongside ribs and coleslaw for our Sunday family dinner last night and even my super picky father-in-law said they were better than the ones at our favorite diner. 10/10, will be in my regular rotation from now on.
These are perfect for meal prep! I portion them out into containers with grilled chicken and veggies for my husband’s work lunches, and he says they hold up way better than any other frozen fry we’ve tried. The double bake method is genius!
OMGGGG I made these last night for movie night with my roommates and we ate the entire bowl before the opening credits even finished. We dipped them in cheese sauce and ranch, *chef’s kiss*. I will never buy frozen fries again.
I’ve been making fries for 60 years and this method is hands down the best I’ve ever tried. Crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle, just like the boardwalk fries I used to get as a kid in Jersey. Great recipe, keep ‘em coming!
Made these for my son’s soccer team snack after practice yesterday and the kids were begging for the recipe! I didn’t have time to make anything fancy, but these were quick enough to throw together before practice and still tasted amazing.
Wait, has anyone tried making these in an air fryer instead of the oven? I don’t love heating up my whole oven in the Arizona summer heat, would love to know if the method translates!
As someone who never cooks, this was shockingly easy. The steps are straightforward, no weird fancy ingredients, and the fries came out crispy on the first try. 10/10, no notes.
I brought these to my office potluck last week and they were the first dish gone! People kept coming up to me asking if I ordered them from a restaurant, I felt so fancy. Even the guy who brings store-bought cookies to every potluck asked for the recipe.
Tried these last night and they were good, but I found they needed way more salt than the recipe called for. Maybe my taste buds are just used to super salty fast food fries, but I’d double the seasoning next time for sure.
Made these for my wife for our first at-home date night after we got married, and she said they’re better than the fries we had at our wedding reception. Win for me! Served them with steak and a side salad, total romantic dinner win.
Followed the air fryer tip a commenter left on here and these came out insanely crispy. I made a big batch to snack on during game day and didn’t have a single fry left over. Will be making these every Sunday for football season.
I used olive oil instead of canola oil because that’s what I had on hand, and they still came out perfectly crispy! Served them with vegan aioli for a little dipping sauce, it was the perfect weekend lunch. Love that this recipe is easy to adapt for different diets.
These are going to be my go-to for every game day watch party from now on. I tested them over the weekend with a group of friends and we went through three whole pounds of potatoes. The only bad part is now my friends are expecting me to make them for every gathering.
Grew up eating my grandma’s homemade fries and these taste just like them! The double cook method is exactly what she used to do, I haven’t had fries this good since she passed. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it made my whole week.
Total budget-friendly win! A 5 pound bag of russet potatoes is like $3 at the grocery store, and it makes enough fries for a whole family. Way cheaper than buying fast food or frozen fries, and they taste 10x better. Perfect for anyone trying to cut down on grocery costs.
Threw these on the grill in a cast iron skillet after I finished cooking burgers last weekend, and they came out insane. The little bit of smoky flavor from the grill took them to the next level. 10/10, will be making these every time I grill out this summer.