How to Make French Fries – Homemade french fries are crazy delicious. The best fries are double-fried, first at a lower temperature to cook them through, then again in hotter oil to crisp them up to golden perfection. This recipe is very flexible—you can make as many or as few fries as you like. Plan on one large potato’s worth of fries per person if serving as a side dish. Homemade French fries are a traditional accompaniment with hamburgers, grilled steak, or steamed mussels.
Besides potatoes, you’ll need a large pot and enough vegetable oil, canola oil, or lard so that it fills the pot about 2 inches deep. You’ll need a slotted spoon or spider, plenty of paper towels for draining, and a thermometer (not required but highly recommended). You may also want a cooling rack positioned over a baking sheet as an initial draining spot before transferring the oily fries to paper towels. And, of course, you’ll need salt for seasoning.
Table of Contents
How to Make Homemade French Fries
1. Slice the potatoes 1/2 inch thick. (A French Fry Cutter makes this easier.)
2. Soak them cold in water for at least an hour or overnight. (Longer = crispier fries)
3. Rinse them twice with cold water and pat the completely dry.
4. Heat oil to 300 degrees. Fry them in about 6 batches for 5-6 minutes. Don’t overcrowd them by placing too many in at a time, they won’t be as crispy. Use a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.
5. Increase heat to 400 degrees. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
6. Place them bake on paper towels and sprinkle immediately with salt. Serve with ketchup!
Best Potatoes for French Fries
Russet potatoes are ideal. Since they’re dense, they don’t contain as much water inside, which allows them to get extra crispy.
Waxy potatoes are the worst. These include red potatoes, fingerling, and new potatoes. They’re high in moisture, and will actually become hollow when fried as the water evaporates out.
How Many Potatoes Do You Need?
It takes way more potatoes than you think to make French fries. Calculate about 2 large Russet potatoes/person.
Why Soak Potatoes for French Fries?
Soaking potatoes in cold water helps get rid of the starch. Starch makes things crumbly and soft, and we want our fries to be sturdy and crisp.
Soak them for at least one hour, or as long as overnight. The longer you can soak them, the better. Store them in the fridge while they soak.
Why Double Fry?
Frying potatoes twice is the best way to obtain the crispiest result.
Why, you ask? After you fry them once, moisture creeps its way back to the top of the French fries, causing them to get soggy. Frying them a second time removes this moisture.
Best Oil Temperature For Frying
- Fry the potatoes at 300° F for 5-6 minutes, this allows the middle of the potato to cook.
- Fry them a second time at 400° F degrees so that the outside becomes crispy and golden.
Baking Method
If you prefer to bake these fries:
- Soak the the fries in cold water for at least 1 hour or overnight and pat completely dry.
- Toss with up to 1/2 cup vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet at 400° F in the lower-third of the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove, toss, place in a single layer, and bake for 10 more minutes or until brown and crispy.
OR you can try my Crispy Baked Potato Wedges!
Make Ahead Method
If you’re Frying Them:
- Soak the fries as instructed, dry them completely. Fry them in batches at 360° for 5 minutes. Place on a paper towel. Let them cool and pat them dry.
- Transfer to a plate/tray and flash freeze them for 40 minutes.
- Transfer to them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, remove them from the freezer and fry them in batches at 400° until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to paper towels and season them immediately with salt.
If You’re Baking Them:
- Soak the the fries in cold water for at least 1 hour or overnight and pat completely dry.
- Par Cook them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and pat them dry.
- Transfer to a plate/tray and flash freeze them for 40 minutes.
- Transfer to them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, remove them from the freezer and toss with up to 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet at 400° F in the lower-third of the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove, toss, place in a single layer, and bake for 10 more minutes or until brown and crispy.
- Transfer to paper towels and season them immediately with salt.
Tools for This Recipe
- French Fry Potato Cutter
- Deep Fryer
- Dutch oven + oil thermometer
- Slotted Spoon
- French Fry Serving Baskets (with Checkered Paper Inserts!)
How To Store and Reheat Leftovers
Refrigerating:
- Let any leftover fries cool completely and store them in a Freezer bag in the fridge, removing as much air from the bag as possible.
- To reheat, bake at 350° F for about 10 minutes. They reheat very well.
Freezing:
- Flash freeze them on a baking sheet or plate until solid, 1 hour or so.
- Store them in a freezer Ziploc bag in the freezer until ready to eat!
- Reheat in a preheated 350° F oven until warm and crisp, about 15 minutes or so.
Conclusion
For best results, use potatoes that have a high starch content. Russet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, Idaho potatoes and Maris Piper are all good choices to make crispy yet tender french fries. Do not use new potatoes or potatoes having less starch.