There’s nothing like a fresh portion of fries! These homemade fries are the ultimate comfort food, like what you’d get at an old-fashioned diner, straight from the pan. Use raw or cooked potatoes – the choice is yours!
In this recipe
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Homemade fries vs. hash browns
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The best potatoes for fried potatoes
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Storage of leftover french fries
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What to serve with homemade fries
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French fries with raw potatoes
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Homemade fries with boiled potatoes
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We had a roast potato duel here the other day, a real roast potato between my mum and dad.
Dad makes his homemade breakfast fries from leftover boiled potatoes from the night before. Both are great.
The raw potatoes tend to brown better. The boiled potatoes may get a little mushy if you stir them too vigorously. You can easily decorate them with peppers, ham or bacon. And if you add an egg, you get a German farmer’s breakfast.
How do you like your homemade fries?
Homemade fries vs. hash browns
The terms fried potatoes and fried potatoes are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are two different ways of preparing potatoes. Shredded or very finely chopped raw potatoes—that have been stripped of as much moisture as possible to keep them crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside—make hash browns. You’ll end up in one big, pancake-shaped piece (which can fall apart, and that’s okay).
French fries, meanwhile, are sliced potatoes grilled with onions. The potatoes remain in individual pieces. They can be made from raw or cooked potatoes. Homemade fries and hash browns are what you would typically find at a traditional diner served for breakfast. Some places offer one or the other; some offer both.
The best potatoes for fried potatoes
Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for french fries because of their starch content and low moisture content. They brown better than waxy potatoes like red or Yukon gold.
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How to store leftover french fries
Refrigerate leftover homemade fries in a tightly sealed container for 3 to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing these potatoes as they will change their consistency once thawed.
Heat them up on the stove with a little extra olive oil. Or use your toaster oven or air fryer to heat them up without the need for more oil.
What to serve with homemade fries
- How to make bacon in the oven
- How to make the best scrambled eggs
- Easy poached eggs
- Scrambled eggs with kale and mozzarella
- Tempeh Bacon
More Potato Recipes You’ll Love!
- Baked Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- Oven-roasted new potatoes
- Crunchy hash browns
- Potato Latkes
From the editors of Simply Recipes
fried potatoes
ingredients
For homemade fries from raw potatoes
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2 big raw red potatoespeeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch thick)
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1/2 big Onionor 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
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3 tablespoon or more Extra virgin olive oil
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Kosher salt
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Fresh ground black pepper
For homemade fries with boiled potatoes
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2 big red potatoesquartered and boiled in salted water for 12 minutes until just cooked through, drained
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1/2 big Onionor 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
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2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
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1 tablespoon bacon (optional, omit for vegetarian version)
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Salt
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Fresh ground black pepper
method
Homemade fries from raw potatoes
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Heat olive oil and add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium-to-large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Place a layer of potato slices on the bottom of the pan. Add a thin layer of sliced onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add another layer of potatoes, another layer of onion slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper again. Keep layering until you’ve used up your potatoes and onions.
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Reduce the heat and cover the pan:
Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes until the bottom layer of potatoes is nicely browned. You can push aside a little with a fork to see if the bottom edges are browned. You may need to reduce the heat a little while the potatoes are cooking to keep them brown and not burning.
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Turn the potatoes:
Gently flip the potatoes, one portion of the pan at a time, so the layer that was on top is now on the bottom and the browned potatoes are now on top. Add another tablespoon of oil. The oil helps with browning. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the bottom layer is browned.
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Remove the lid:
Once the bottom layer is browned, remove the lid from the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. This extra cooking will help the potatoes dry out a bit more.
Serve immediately. For 2-4 servings.
Homemade fries with boiled potatoes
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Heat the oil and sauté the onions:
Cut the cooked potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium-to-large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add sliced onions to skillet and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and the bacon fat:
Add the potato pieces, spread as far as possible on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until bottom is nicely browned, without stirring (about 7-8 minutes). You may need to reduce the heat a little while the potatoes are cooking to keep them brown and not burning. Add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat or more oil to the pan.
Gently turn the potatoes and cook until the undersides of the turned potatoes are nicely browned.
Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 242 | calories |
| 10g | Fat |
| 34g | carbohydrates |
| 4g | protein |
