Crispy Oven Baked Fries

4.84 from 6 votes

Here I show you a few tips and tricks to getting the most delicious baked french fries, which are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. No deep fryer needed!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Soaking Time30

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £1 / $1

Equipment

1 - 2 Oven Trays (depending on size)
Large Mixing Bowl
Tea Towel or Paper Towels
Spatula/Turner
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients

3 medium/large Russets or Maris Pipers (approx 1.6lb/750g total weight)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 sprigs (approx 1 heaped tsp) Fresh Rosemary, very finely diced
1/2 tsp Salt, plus more to serve (or to taste)
Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Slice your potatoes into discs, then slice those discs into fries. You’re aiming to get them around 1/4” thick.
Soak the fries in a bowl of cold water for at least 30mins, or as long as you have time for. This is important to remove starch, which will result in the fries having a fluffier centre. Meanwhile, place an oven tray (or two) in the oven at 220C/430F to get nice and hot.
Drain and thoroughly dry the fries. Any moisture left on the potato will increase the likelihood of them coming out soggy. Combine with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper, then spread out on your oven tray(s). It’s important to spread them out otherwise they will steam and never get crispy. Again, make sure the tray is piping hot when you do this.
Place in the oven for 15mins, then take out and sprinkle with 1 heaped tsp rosemary. Coat and flip the fries, then place back in the oven for another 10-15mins or until golden and crispy. Timing will depend on the thickness of your fries, how many are on the tray and how hot you maintain the oven. Just be vigilant after placing them in the oven the 2nd time.
Serve with an extra sprinkle of salt to pull out any remaining moisture!

Video

Notes

a) Trays - To determine if you'll need more than one tray, I usually place them on a tray after I've cut them just to test how much room there will be.

b) Oil - Vegetable oil is great for it's high smoking point. Olive oil isn't suitable for this recipe as it can't take the high heat. You could also use sunflower or canola oil (or any other oil with high smoking point)

c) Rosemary - I don't recommend using dried rosemary, it won't infuse the flavour properly. You can alternatively leave the rosemary out all together if you're not keen on it.

d) Can You Freeze Fries? - You can absolutely freeze these after they're cooked if you wanted. Just let them cool down and pop them in a zip lock bag and chuck in the freezer until the next craving hits. To reheat, pop them back in the oven at 200C/390F for 15-20mins or until crispy again.

e) Calories - based on using Russet potatoes and sharing between 4 people

Nutrition