When in doubt, order fries.
You would think as a vegan I might get sick of french fries. After all, they are the go-to order at particularly un-vegan friendly restaurants. But no matter how many plates of french fries I eat, they still woo me with their crispy, salty, golden glow.
It could be because I don't actually eat out that often, it could be because even when I do eat out at un-vegan restaurants I don't settle for fries and demand they make me a scrumptious vegan meal (and by demand I mean ask very politely with lots of smiles and thank yous). Or it could be because they are just crispy, golden, bits of carby, salty deliciousness... yeah I am going to go with that one. I never really seem to get tired of them, and sometimes need to make them at home.
I don't have a deep frier and I don't want one... yuck. Nor do I want to fill a pot with oil. Deep frying just isn't something I want to bring into my house.
So the goal for these french fries was to see if I could make gorgeously crispy fries, with as little oil as possible.
It took me several tries of messing with the oil to potato ratio, oven temperatures, and various techniques, but by golly, I eventually nailed it.
Here are the 3 keys to making perfect Crispy Baked French Fries:
- Use russet potatoes. Any other kind of potatoes just ain't going to cut it. Russet is the way to go.
- Cut the fries nice and thin. Thinly fries = crispy, thick fries = soft.
- Soak the fries first! I tried skipping this process and that's just not going to work the same way. Soak the fries in a big bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. This washes away a lot of the excess starch. Starch holds onto water, and water makes for soggy fries, so the less starch the crispier the fry.
Now that we know the keys to cooking them, let's hop to it!
Cut up those fries nice and thin, then soak them in a big bowl of water. If you are soaking them overnight, just cover and pop the bowl in the fridge.
I'm a leave the skin on kinda girl. The skin is the healthiest part of the potato, and the fries with skin on are my fav, so this is a win-win for my lazy potato peeling self. But if you're anti-potato skin, then peel away.
When you are ready to get baking, drain and rinse the fries, then dump them on a clean kitchen towel, and dry them as best as possible.
Toss them in a clean dry bowl, and pour over the oil and salt. Toss well so that the fries are evenly coated.
Spread in a single layer, and bake, stopping to flip the fries every now and then until they are good and crispy. Omnomnom.
Crispy Baked French Fries
Ingredients
- 2 russet potatoes cut into very thin fries, peels left on
- 1 tablespoon oil (olive, canola, melted coconut oil, whatever your preference)
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon rosemary chopped (optional)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Instructions
- Put the cut fries in a big bowl of water to soak for a minim of 30 minutes and up to overnight. If you are soaking them overnight, just cover and pop the bowl in the fridge.
- When you're ready to bake Preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Lightly grease two baking sheets.
- Drain and rinse the fries. Dump the fires onto a clean dish towel, and dry them off as best as you can. Add the dried fries to a large bowl and toss well with the oil and salt so that they are evenly coated.
- Spread the fries across the two baking sheets in a single layer, as evenly spread out as possible. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stopping to flip halfway through until the fries are golden. Optionally toss with the parsley, rosemary, and garlic powder.
Notes
Nutrition
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Dee says
Do we add the spices before or after cooking, and should we skip them if making your poutine recipe?
Sam Turnbull says
You can add them at the end if you like, but I would omit them if making poutine. Enjoy!
Bianca says
Sam, I must say the spices go really well in the poutine!
I wouldn't omit them 😀
Rose says
Question/comment: I love crispy fries! After you dry the fries you toss with oil and salt, when do you add the other spices listed parsley, garlic powder and rosemary? It doesn' t say in the instructions about the other spices. Are they optional?
Sam Turnbull says
They are optional, but you can add the extra spices once they are finished cooking and toss to coat 🙂
Janice A. says
Best homemade fries! They came out extra crispy like my family loves and the flavor was perfect. Thank you for another family fave recipe
Yolanda Pavey says
Absolutely delicous! I agree with others....I will never buy frozen again!
Karen says
Which brand of air fryer do you use?
Pauline says
These are my go to french fries, perfect every time! Your advise to cut them thin and soak them in water for up to 24 hours are definitely keys tips. Thanks for sharing.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! So happy you love them, Pauline 🙂
Melanie Davis says
I look forward to trying these! I assume the Russets you used are medium in size, but I'd love to know an approximate weight, as size can vary so dramatically. In fact, I hope you'll consider adding food weights to all your future recipes. That info can be so handy! 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Melanie, yes medium sized, but for this recipe, it really doesn't matter too much if they are a little larger or a little smaller. You can always add more oil or salt to taste. For recipes where it's much more important, I would include precise measurements. Enjoy!
Melanie says
Thank you, Sam! I made these last night using a sweet potato, and it worked great! As you say, slicing thin is key. Also, I find that sweet potatoes need more tending toward the end of baking; the difference between "brown and crispy" and "black and ruined" happens very quickly. 😉
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome! So happy you enjoyed them, Melanie 🙂
Kristi says
Bumping an older recipe that I followed over from the corn dogs. Sam, what time of kitchen towels do you use? I have the regular terrycloth kind I guess, from Target. But they get linty, so I can't use them to dry food.
Sam Turnbull says
I use plain cotton or linen dish towels like these ones. I don't find they leave any lintiness behind. 🙂
Shivani says
These were tonight's inspiration for dinner! First burger and fries of September! This is the first time I made homemade fries (vs. wedges or roasties). They were delicious and easy. But as usual, I made too many and crowded the baking sheets a bit too much. It didn't take anything away from the fries, except maybe a bit of crispiness on some sides/fries. And of course, the 3 year old loved them. And I didn't mind giving her more since they are only potatoes, some oil and salt. Thanks for helping make dinner planning easy, Sam.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you liked them. Can't go wrong with crispy fry goodness, and homemade is so much better in taste and in health! 🙂
Katie | Delightful Vegans says
Never get sick of french fries! - we are literally eating potato fries right now - so crispy and delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Right!? So happy you are enjoying the fries Katie 🙂
Bethery says
Gonna have to call you Crispy Girl. I've been seeing a lot of references to air fryers on Facebook, but this shows I don't need another appliance.
Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
haha! I like all things crispy and all things creamy... two of my favourite words to use on this blog! I have heard of these air fryers too... I hate clunky appliances but am intrigued. I do like my oven a lot tho. 🙂
Angie S says
I've been making oven fries for years and they are so much tastier than the frozen bagged stuff. Plus, there are so many ways to customize them. I use a bag to do the oil S/P step and ALWAYS throw some nooch in there, along with various other seasonings.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes! So much better, cheaper, and no weird preservatives! Adding your own seasonings is perfection!
Patunia says
Have you tried this recipe with sweet potatoes? Looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't yet myself, but it should work just fine. If you give it a go let us know how they turn out 🙂