Ultimate Baked French Fries (So Crispy!)

These are the BEST baked fries that taste like a restaurant! They come out crispy and perfectly seasoned: no frying necessary.

You want to do that better homemade fries you’ve already eaten? Try these oven fries! Yes, we can guarantee that they will (really) be the best. At A Couple Cooks, we made countless batches to arrive at this ultimate baked fries recipe. This recipe uses a few tricks to get the best crunchy texture and spice mix. Everyone who tries them gets a “Wow!” when they take the first bite. Here’s what you need to know to make baked fries at home!

How to cut french fries by hand

To make homemade oven fries: you need to learn how to cut them! It’s not difficult once you’ve done it. We have a video to help you understand the method. Here are some notes:

• 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!

Alternative: use a french fries cutter!

Don’t want to cut fries with a knife? You can use a french fries cutter! Yes, a french fry cutter is one thing: Alex was able to find one online. Because we’ve done so many baked fries recipe tests, we decided to get one to see how it works. Turns out it is very flattens and slices fries in 2 seconds! We would only buy this if you plan to bake fries frequently. Here is a link to the fries cutter we used.

An insider tip: the 10-minute cold bath!

The secret to the perfect texture for crispy baked fries? Soak fries in cold water before cooking. Here’s why:

• Soaking will make the outside crispy and the inside soft. In back-to-back testing, we’ve found it gives just the right tender interior and crispy exterior.
• All you need is 10 minutes! Some fries recipes call for soaking for 1 hour or longer. We also ran back-to-back tests on this one and found that the 10 minute soak was actually better!
• You can soak while your oven is preheating. You don’t waste time soaking because you can do it while the oven is preheating. Ideally, you can slice, soak, and season the fries before the oven is ready.

The best condiments for oven fries

What is the best condiment for oven fries? We tried about a million spices. But we ended up narrowing it down to this delicious spice mix:

• Smoked Peppers: The Spanish version of paprika that imparts a hint of smoke with every bite. If you buy a jar, you can use it with these best smoked paprika recipes.
• Old Bay: Old Bay is an American spice mix often used to flavor seafood and potatoes. You can find Old Bay in the spice section of your grocery store, buy Old Bay online, or make homemade Old Bay spice.
• garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Salt

This way you get perfectly crispy baked French fries

Now that they’re soaked and seasoned, let’s cook! How to bake your fries perfectly crispy in the oven:

• use parchment paper. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper to make cleanup easier!
• Square oven racks. Make sure your oven racks are evenly spaced to ensure more even baking.
• Spread the fries in an even layer. Don’t let her touch you!
• Cook for 20 minutes, then turn and cook for 10 minutes. This will make them crispy on both sides! Eat immediately for the best texture and flavor.

Also try: Bistro style french fries

Can you make a bigger batch?

This baked fries recipe makes a good batch of fries. But here’s something to note: Each serving is way less than what you would get at a restaurant. This helps keep this recipe healthy (see below).

If you want to increase the amount, you can go from 1 ½ pounds to 2 pounds of potatoes. That’s the maximum that will fit on 2 baking sheets in the oven at the same time. And you don’t want to make them in batches: because you’d have to eat them right away!

Are Baked Fries Healthy?

Are they healthy baked fries? French fries are not necessarily diet foods. But here’s why they’re healthier than restaurant fries:

• The ingredients are only potatoes, a minimum of olive oil and salt! So it’s all about healthy, whole food ingredients. Potatoes are unpeeled, so you get all the nutrients from the potato skin.
• The portion size is moderate. Using less than what restaurants serve saves calories too!

The best dips for french fries

The best of fries: dip! Here are some of our favorite fries dips:

Also try: Intensify them with french fries seasoning or top them like Greek fries!

This oven fries recipe is…

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

Last update: September 2020