Our homemade Oven Baked Fries are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Made with 4 simple ingredients, the secret to these crispy French fries is parboiling them before baking in the oven, resulting in a comforting and addictive side dish to any burger.
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It's no secret that our eating philosophy is all about balance, and our homemade Oven Baked Fries are baked in the oven (no deep frying required). They're an addictive, can't-get-enough-of-them comfort food recipe that pairs well with burger recipes, like our Homemade Big Mac, fried chicken recipes, like our Hot Honey Chicken Tenders or Curry Fried Chicken, sandwich recipes like our Chopped Cheese Sandwich or even on their own dipped in our Homemade Big Mac Sauce or Cabernet Sauvignon Ketchup.
One of our most cooked recipes to date, so much so that we included it as a "blog favorite" in our debut cookbook, Eat With Us.
Why You’ll Love This Crispy French Fry Recipe
- The texture: Cripsy, pillowy, and deliciously salty, this fry recipe is a versatile side dish. The key to crispy French fries made in the oven is parboiling and drying them before baking. The result is golden fries that are crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside.
- It uses natural ingredients: Russet potatoes, olive oil, salt, and chives for garnish, this recipe beats any takeout version deep-fried in stale oils, or freezer versions that contain additives, color enhancers, or unnecessary ingredients.
- It's economical: Made with minimal ingredients a batch of this French fry recipe can easily cost less than $1 to make. We bet you that's less than your go-to drive-thru serving.
Serve our Oven Baked Fries with our Fried Cod Fish Sandwich, Pizza Burger with Pepperoni, Meatloaf Sandwich, or BBQ Pork Parm Burgers with Basil Mayo + Tomato Sauce.
Ingredient List
- Russet potatoes: the best potatoes for French fries, as they dense and have less moisture than other potato varieties. Look for potatoes with a long, uniform shape and minimal blemishes on the skin.
- Olive oil: extra virgin, for flavor and to make the fries crispy.
- Salt: kosher or sea salt.
- Chives: fresh chopped chives give a very subtle onion flavor to the fries.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Potato substitutions: Yukon gold potatoes are the only other potato we would suggest for making oven fries.
- Cooking oils: Peanut oil is an excellent alternative for cooking French fries.
- Poutine: Top the fries with cheese curds and hot gravy.
- Jerk fries: Toss the cooked fries in dry jerk seasoning.
- Big Mac French fries: Top the fries with cooked ground beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, and Homemade Big Mac Sauce.
Recipe Steps: How to Make Crispy Oven Baked Fries
1. Wash and cut the potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Clean potatoes, cut them lengthwise into quarter-inch sticks, and place them in a medium pot.
2. Parboil the potatoes.
Cover the potatoes with water by one inch. Season generously with salt (2 to 3 teaspoons), place on high heat and bring the water to a boil for 3 minutes.
3. Drain and dry the potatoes.
Drain the potatoes well and transfer them to a clean towel. Pat the potatoes dry and place them in a bowl or back into the pot.
4. Season the potatoes.
Toss with 3 tablespoons of oil and season with a good pinch of salt, then transfer to a large baking sheet.
5. Bake the fries.
Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. If the fries aren't crispy enough, bake the oven fries for additional time, in 3-minute intervals, until golden and crispy.
6. Season and enjoy.
Transfer the crispy French fries to a bowl and season with another pinch of salt. Sprinkle with chives and toss until the fries are speckled with flakes of salt and chives.
Chef’s Tips
Add more texture: You can give the French fries a bit of a "battered" effect by shaking them in the pot with the lid after oiling and seasoning them in step 4. This causes the fries to break up but coats the outside with a light layer of mashed potato.
Preventing soggy fries: Ensure not to overcrowd the pan when making fries in the oven. Spread the potatoes in an even layer without overlapping and touching each other as little as possible.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Store leftover fries in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes or pan-fry in a teaspoon of olive oil until crispy.
Freezing: Make the fries in advance and freeze them by following the recipe but cooking the fries in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the fries and cool to room temperature. Place them on a wire rack or parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 400°F oven for 25-30 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy.
Recipe FAQs
To ensure your fries are crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside you need to parboil the potatoes before baking. Oven baked fries that aren’t parboiled, will be tough and chewy.
Run the potatoes under cold water and scrub them with a vegetable brush (affiliate link). You can also use a clean sponge scrubber or even a dry towel to rub off any excess dirt.
As long as the sprouts are small and the potato is still firm, it is fine to eat. Just cut out the sprouts and prepare the potato as you would. If the potatoes are wrinkled and soft to the touch, then best to not eat the sprouted potato.
Our go-to method for reheating crispy French fries is in a frying pan over medium heat, with a touch of oil, until crisp.
Yes, unless they have been coated in flour before baking or frying. Always read the label.
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If you made these Crispy Oven Baked Fries or any other recipe on our website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let us know what you loved about it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for cooking with us!
Recipe Card
Oven Baked Fries (Crispy French Fries)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs russet potatoes cut into ¼" sticks
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450° F.
- Clean potatoes and cut lengthwise into quarter-inch slices. Cut quarter-inch sticks from each of those slices and place in a medium pot.
- Place potato sticks in a pot. Cover with cold water and add about 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil for 3 minutes. Drain the water and ensure the fries are completely dry using a clean towel.
- Return the potatoes to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat and transfer to a baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. (If necessary, bake the oven fries for additional time, in 3-minute intervals, until golden and crispy)
- Once the fries are done, place in a bowl and season with additional pinch of salt and the chives. Serve with mayo and/or ketchup.
Isabella says
Loved making these homemade fries instead of the frozen ones from the stores. Our oven wasnt the greatest so needed extra baking time however still came out tasty and crispy!
Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai says
I'm glad you made the choice to cook them longer for the best results - always best to use your judgement when it comes to baking times. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Rae says
We LOVE these! Perfectly crispy every time as long as I bake them about 15 minutes longer. My oven is a cheap piece of so-an-so. My favorite way to serve them is with sweet chili sauce for dipping! Sooooo good!
Rob says
Just awesome
Philip + Mystique says
Thanks Rob! Appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. We think they're just awesome too 😉
AJ says
Hi there! Can you please clarify Step 2? Should the five minutes start as soon as you turn on the flame? Or do you mean bring the water to a boil, then let the fries boil for five minutes? Thanks!
Chef Sous Chef says
Hi AJ,
Thanks for the question. The 5 minutes will start once the water just begins to come to a boil.
Megan says
Followed the recipe exactly. Fries came out the opposite of crispy.
Chef Sous Chef says
Hi Megan,
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. It can be frustrating if recipes don't work out as expected. Because these fries are parboiled and people's ovens are not consistent temperatures we included in Step 3 that if they are not done to place them in the oven for additional 3-5 minutes at a time until crispy. I hope you try them again and have better results. If you do try again, please let us know how they turn out. All the best.
Rebecca says
Absolutely fabulous recipe! My husband is constantly asking me to make these. Any experience freezing them after parboiling?
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks Rebecca! It's a favourite in our house too! We have never tried to freeze them after the parboiling. If doing so, let them cool to room temperature then lay them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze them before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Good luck!
Kate Maloney says
This is my second time making them and they are perfect!! Best recipe I have found for oven fries.
Chef Sous Chef says
This is so wonderful to hear Kate. Thanks for taking the time to let us know how much you loved the fries!
Adam says
I was looking for a steak fries recipe calling for parboiling. Thanks! I cut my potatoes into wedges... I love that crispy edge they get.
Chef Sous Chef says
Hi Adam. That's wonderful. The parboiling definitely helps to achieved those crispy edges! Thanks for stopping by.
Cindy Burkholder says
These fries are awesome! Have made them 3 times in the past week! So crispy. Our gratitude for a great recipe.
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks so much Cindy! We're so glad you enjoyed them. They are in regular rotation for us too ?
sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net says
Thanks for sharing these tips! These potatoes look really amazing.
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks Sheenam. We really love these fries and they have become a staple in our home.
Meghan says
These fries are amazing. I have made them twice in the last three days! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks Meghan! At least you don't need to feel guilty for eating these more than once 😉