Perfect Seasoned Fries

These spiced fries are even better than at the restaurant! Bake them crispy with this magical spice mix and you’ll be amazed.

Did you know you can make the best fries of your life…at home? Yes, we’re pretty confident of this seasoned fries will amaze you! Alex and I have been perfecting the art of homemade fries for years. We’ve collected some tips on how to get the best possible fries in your home kitchen. Here’s the thing: you need a little time! But when you have to work for your treat, that makes it even more special: right? These are baked crispy and covered with the perfect blend of spices. In fact, we think these are the best seasoned fries you’ll ever have. Are you ready to become a fries expert?

Ingredients for seasoned fries

First things first: let’s talk french fries seasoning. We’ve been tinkering with a whole bunch of spice blends and came across this one. It brings the best savory, salty flavor to your fries. Here’s what you need:

• Smoked Peppers: It’s the Spanish version of paprika, made from smoked chili peppers. It adds a hint of smoke to every bite. (There are many smoked paprika recipes for using a jar.)
• Old Bay: Old Bay is a spice blend from the American East Coast: It is often used to flavor seafood and potatoes. It gives each piece a savory and irresistible taste. Look for Old Bay in the condiment section of the grocery store or buy it online. You can also make homemade Old Bay seasoning.
• garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Salt

How to cut seasoned fries: By hand

Once you’ve got your condiments assembled, all that’s left to do is chop the fries! There are two ways you can cut seasoned fries: by hand or with a french fries cutter. We make french fries so often we have a special cutter (below). But you can easily cut them by hand! Here’s our quick and easy method (or watch this video):

• Cut off the ends of each potato, then cut off part of the side to form a bottom.
• Place the half cut potato side down and cut a 3/8 inch discThen set the slice on its side and cut into several long, 3/8 inch wide strips.
• Repeat until all the potatoes are cut into fries!

Or use a french fries cutter!

Here’s just one option if you’re planning on making a lot of fries: a fries cutter! In general, Alex and I do not recommend disposable devices. But this one is so slick, we couldn’t resist. A french fries cutter cuts french fries out of a potato in 1 second! (Really.) It’s easy to use and pumps them up in no time. Only downside: finding storage space for a disposable gadget. Here is a link to the fries cutter we used.

The secret to the best seasoned fries: a 10-minute soak!

Here’s what you need to do to make the best seasoned fries: Soak in cold water for 10 minutes. Well, some recipes call for the fries to be soaked for up to 1 hour or more, or even cooked first. But after extensive testing, we found that it only takes you 10 minutes in cold water! Here’s why:

• It makes it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. There is a noticeable difference if you soak it before cooking.
• You can dip while your oven is preheating! Here’s the thing: you don’t waste time because you can do it while the oven is preheating. Ideally, you can slice, soak, and season the fries before the oven is ready.

Bake them in the oven until perfectly crispy!

Here’s another good thing about these spiced fries: they’re baked, not fried! This makes a healthy seasoned fries option (more on that below). They cook at high heat (425 degrees) to get just the right golden exterior. There are just a few tricks to getting them perfectly crispy. Here’s what you need to know:

• Place the oven racks. Make sure your oven racks are evenly spaced to ensure more even baking. You should also flip the sheets in the oven after removing them to flip them.
• Spread the fries in an even layer. Air between the fries is very important for them to get crispy. Overloading the tray will result in soggy fries.
• Cook for 20 minutes, then turn and cook for 10 minutes. Flip each fries one at a time to ensure they are crispy on both sides. This cooking time is perfect for 3/8 inch cut fries, but you may need to adjust it depending on how you cut them and your specific oven.

Are these healthy seasoned fries?

Well, we think so! These fries are not fried so there is less oil in the process. Here’s why we think they can be considered a healthy version of spiced fries:

• They only use potatoes, a minimum of olive oil and some salt. These are all healthy, whole food ingredients. They’re basically fried potatoes!
• The portion size is moderate. The portion size is much smaller than in a restaurant, which helps keep calories down.

Spiced french fries dips

When your fries are ready: get to the dip! There are so many great sauces you can use to dip these delicious fries. Here are some interesting options:

Also try: Season them with french fries seasoning or season them like Greek fries.

This spiced fries recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.