French fries are absolutely next-level comfort food and once you’ve mastered a few simple techniques, you’ll be guaranteed delicious and consistent fries at home every single time. There’s two ways you can make fries – fried or baked. I’ll show you both below!
Fried French Fries – 8 Simple Steps to Make Makes 8 Side Servings
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes (8 to 10 large)
- Canola oil for frying
- Sea salt
- Wash and scrub the potatoes to remove any excess dirt
- Trick #1 for perfect fries – Pre-Soak: Cut the potatoes into ¼-inch-thick sticks and place them in a large bowl filled with cold water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towel and set a wire rack on top
- In a large Dutch oven pot or a high-sided sauce pan, heat 3 inches of oil to 325oF (medium-high)
- Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels
- Working in batches, fry the potatoes for 5-6 minutes, turning them every minute or so.
- The fries will be lightly colored at this point.
- Transfer the partially cooked fries to the rack while you carry on frying the remaining batches.
- Trick #2 for perfect fries – Double-Fry: Increase the oil temperature to 375oF (high). Working in batches, cook the fries again for 2-4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain any excess grease on paper towels, toss with sea salt, and serve immediately.
Baked French Fries – Makes 8 Side Servings
Ingredients
- 8-10 Yukon Gold Potatoes (I found these taste better than russets for baked, you can use russet potatoes if you prefer!)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt – plus additional to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- Toppings (optional) – fresh parsley, chives, freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Preheat to 450 oF. Drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil on a large baking sheet, brushing it as needed so that it nicely coats the pan.
- Clean the potatoes leaving skin on (you can peel them if you prefer) and slice them into ¼-inch-wide sticks or your desired size.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl, then hot water over the top so that it at least covers the potatoes by at least 1 inch for 10 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes, then transfer them to a clean towel or paper towels and dry completely as you can, changing the towel or paper towels as needed.
- Rinse and wipe out the bowl you soaked the potatoes in, then return the potatoes to the bowl. Drizzle with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, dill weed, onion powder, and pepper. Toss to cost, making sure the spices and oil are well distributed.
- Spread potatoes into a single layer on the prepared baking sheet
- Roast in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes, until turning golden underneath.
- Remove the fries from the oven and, with a large, firm spatula, flip them in large sections as best you can (no need to flip every single one)
- Place the pan back in the oven and continue baking for another 10 minutes. While the fries are hot, sprinkle any desired toppings and a bit more salt to taste. Enjoy!
