For as great and as versatile as the potato is, its shining glory is when its made into Crispy French Fries - and guess what, this can be achieved in the oven.😱 There are a few things that ensure CRISPY oven French fries. First lets talk about what you need for ingredients:
Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Canola Oil
- Cornstarch
- Seasonings
- Salt
How to get crispy French fries in the oven:
- Peel and Cut the Potatoes - Peeling is optional
- Soak the fries - This gets a lot of the starch off of the potato. You will see all of it in the bowl after 20-30 minutes of soaking. This results in a crispy fry with a fluffy inside.
- Dry the fries off - You want these to crisp up. Not steam and be soft. So, its important to dry the fries thoroughly before seasoning them. There are many ways to dry them. You can use a salad spinner, a clean kitchen towel or a colander. All work great the important part is not the method you use just make sure you do it.
- Toss in Cornstarch - This soaks up any moisture you were unable to get off the fries in the drying process and helps crisp them up even more.
- Coat in oil (and seasonings) - All the seasonings - except the salt!
- Bake
- Toss is Salt - Wait until the end to Salt your fries. I like to do this at the end because we have worked so dang hard to get rid of the moisture why add salt before cooking when it will draw moisture from the inside of the potato. Salt is important but please add it AFTER cooking 🙂
Conventional Oven vs Convection Oven
A Conventional oven is common in north america. It consists of a heating element in the bottom of the oven and a broiling element in the top of the oven. If you had this type of oven you can still acheive crispy oven fries! If you have a conventional oven just be sure to FLIP the fries over half way through cooking. This may seem tedious, but it is worth it.
A convection oven has a hidden heating element and a fan in the back that circulates the air. This means your oven is the same as an air fryer! The key to optimal results with a convection oven is to elevate your food off of the pan so that the air circulates around the food and crisps it evenly. This can be done with a regular baking sheet that as a rack on top of it. If you have a convection oven I highly recommend you source a pan that will allow air to circulate around your food as it cooks. You will not be disappointed with the results.
FAQ about homemade fries in the oven:
Hands down, RUSSET (Idaho) potatoes are the best. They are high in starch, denser and have the least amount of moisture in them.
For a conventional oven: line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
For a convection oven: line the tray with foil or a silicone mat and then insert a rack that will elevate the fries enough so that the air can circulate around the fries allowing them to crisp up evenly.
Yes! Place in an airtight bag or container and freeze for up to four months. Reheat on the stove in a frying pan with a bit of canola oil.
Sure you can put in the oven or microwave but you will have soggy/limp fries. For crispy leftover fries: reheat on the stove top in a frying pan with a bit of canola oil.
At first this can seem a bit redundant. First know that potato starch and cornstarch are not the same. You remove potato starch as having too much can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creates a gummy texture. You add cornstarch to absorb any leftover moisture from the soaking process and cornstarch has been proven to further crisp up foods when fried.
Crispy Oven French Fries
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet Potatoes 2lbs = 4-5 potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Fry Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teapsoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Parsley
- 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil Best to use canola oil for high cooking temperature.
Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Table salt can add more or less to suit personal preference!
Instructions
Prepare the Fries
- Wash, peel and cut the fries. Its not necessary to peel potatoes for French fries - this is a personal preference, so do what makes you and your crew happy! To cut fries: Cut the potato in half and then into ½" slabs. Stack the slabs and cut length wise in ½" strips.
Soak the Fries
- Soaking the fries to remove starch is an important step (see above for detailed explanation) Add the cut fries into a bowl of cold water and let sit for 20-30 minutes. If you're planning on soaking longer, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Remove fries from water and rinse them off.
Dry the Fries
- Dry the fries off with a clean kitchen towel. You can also use a salad spinner, colander, paper towel etc. Once you have manually removed as much water as you can, toss the fries in the cornstarch. This helps absorb any water you weren't able to remove manually.
Season the Fries
- Before the fries head into the oven toss them in the seasonings and oil. NO SALT YET!
Bake the Fries
- Place fries in an even layer.Conventional Oven: Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Convection Oven: Place on a lined baking sheet with racks on top so fries are elevated.
- Bake the fries in a 450°F oven.Conventional Oven: Bake for 15 minutes. turn the fries over half way through cooking. and bake for an additional 15 minutes.Total Bake time 30 MinutesConvection Oven: Bake for 30 Minutes, no need to turn.
Now add the salt!
- Now toss the fries in salt and serve immediately.
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