These Oven Baked Fries are a perfect side dish, but they are so tasty you might just want to eat them all on their own! If you follow my tips, they will turn out perfectly crispy every time – no frying required.
Not only are they healthier than traditional french fries, they are easy to make with ingredients you always have in your pantry. Trust me, you are going to want to make these oven baked french fries over and over again!
HOMEMADE BAKED FRENCH FRIES
Yes, you can just get frozen fries and bake them. But when you make them yourself, they taste better, you can control the ingredients, and they are more affordable!
You can use either russet potatoes or yukon gold potatoes for baked potato fries. Russets yield fries that are more fluffy on the inside, yukon gold potatoes yield fries that are more creamy on the inside. So try them both and see which one you like best!
Another advantage of making your own fries is that you can choose to peel the potatoes, or leave the skins on for extra nutrition. Usually I leave the skin on, but as you can see in these photos, my kitchen helpers peeled them this time around.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED FRENCH FRIES
- Either scrub or peel your potatoes. Cut your potatoes into strips as evenly sized as possible. I like them best about 1/2″ thick.
- Place the potato strips in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes, changing the water when it gets cloudy. This removes the excess starch, which is essential for the best baked fries.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees while you prep your fries.
- Drain your potatoes really well (you could even use a salad spinner). Dump them out onto dish towels and rub them till they are completely dry.
- Place the potatoes in a large, dry bowl and drizzle with oil. Stir till evenly coated. Add the salt and other seasonings and stir vigorously till all the fries are well coated.
- Spread potatoes in a single layer on baking sheets that have been sprayed with non stick spray.
- Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes. Flip potatoes with a spatula and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until desired crispness.
TIPS FOR MAKING CRISPY BAKED FRENCH FRIES:
- SOAK THE POTATOES! – Soaking the cut potatoes in water for at least 30 minutes helps remove some of the starch, resulting in a crispier fry. This step is essential for the crispiest baked fries.
- DRY THE POTATOES – After soaking, you want to remove all the water from the surface of the potatoes. Excess water turns to steam, and that will soften the exterior of your fries. No good.
- OIL – A coating of oil helps the potatoes brown evenly and crisp up nicely. I like olive oil or canola oil, but you can use your favorite liquid oil.
- BAKING TEMPERATURE – Cooking the potatoes at a higher temperature makes the outsides get nice and crispy.
- PAN TYPE – I actually got best results when I used to use a cheap, thin pan for baking fries. I no longer have that pan, so I use my half sheet pans that are found in just about every kitchen. But if you have a thin baking pan that burns the bottom of cookies, it is perfect for crispy baked fries!
- AVOID OVERCROWDING – Make sure you place the potatoes in a single layer with space between them. The space allows air to circulate so that they will crisp up evenly.
BAKED POTATO FRIES VARIATIONS:
- If you are on a really low fat diet, you can just make these with non stick cooking spray. Simply place the soaked and dried potatoes on baking pans as directed above. Spray them generously with non stick spray and sprinkle them with seasonings. Bake as directed, stirring often and adding more spray if needed to prevent sticking.
- For matchstick fries, cut your potatoes into very thin strips. For steak fries, cut your potatoes into wedges. You will have to adjust the baking time; the thicker they are the longer the baking time.
- Switch up the seasonings. Try taco seasoning, cajun seasoning, or ranch dressing mix.
- When you pull the fries out of the oven, sprinkle them with a couple tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- For cheese fries, sprinkle them with 2 cups of cheddar cheese and bake for another 3-5 minutes till the cheese is melted.
HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVER FRIES
If you happen to have any fries leftover, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. They are definitely best fresh, but there are a few great options for reheating them:
- STOVETOP – Preheat a nonstick skillet to medium heat. Add the fries and stir till heated through and crunchy. You can add oil to the skillet, but I never need to.
- OVEN – Place the fries on a cookie sheet and place in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 300° or 350°. When the oven is heated, the fries should be done!
- MICROWAVE – I don’t recommend this method because you end up with soggy fries, but in a pinch you can just heat them for 30-60 seconds in the microwave.
- AIR FRYER – It only takes 2-3 minutes to reheat your fries in an air fryer. Shake after about 2 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
We love dipping our fries in fry sauce, ketchup, or ranch dressing. Delicious!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED FRENCH FRIES
You can serve fries as a side to just about any meal if you want smiles around the table, but we like them best with simple meat main dishes. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Homemade Pigs in a Blanket
- Sloppy Joes
- Pork Chops with Onions
- Sirloin Steak Marinade
- Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese
MORE DELICIOUS SIDE DISHES:
- Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
- Cheesy Ranch Potatoes
- Apple Salad Recipe
- Miracle Whip Potato Salad
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OVEN BAKED FRENCH FRIES RECIPE
Baked Fries
Skip the mess of frying and serve these easy baked fries instead! They are sure to be a family favorite side dish.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes 4 large potatoes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp seasoning salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Peel or scrub potatoes and cut into 1/2" strips. Place in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Drain potatoes well and pat dry with paper towels or clean dish towels.
- Add oil to potatoes and stir well till potatoes are thoroughly coated. Add seasonings and stir vigorously.
- Spread potatoes onto baking sheets sprayed with non stick cooking spray. I like to use two baking sheets so the potatoes have plenty of space between them.
- Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes. Remove and flip potatoes. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 593mgPotassium: 953mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 84IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
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Yummy! Homemade fries are so so good and healthier than fast-food. This recipe was so easy we’ll definitely have it on repeat.
Every once in awhile we love restaurant french fries, but it sure is nice having a healthier option that still tastes great. 🙂
I love making homemade French fries so much more than store bought. So much better and very crispy! My family and I love this recipe, and we can’t wait to remake these again!
Imm delicious I serve it with meatballs. It’s classic.
I haven’t actually served them with meatballs yet. I definitely need to!