There is something so deliciously addictive about French fries! They, along with Chips and Salsa are the kryptonite for many in our family. Thanks to this homemade French fries recipe, you don’t need a drive-thru to make this crispy goodness at home!
Homemade fries are the perfect snack or fabulous side dish. It may seem a little daunting, but with the right tools, it is easy to achieve this golden wonder in no time. There are lots of ways to make crispy French fries, and this is our favorite way. We hope you love them too.
Why we think you’ll love them
- For every occasion. This favorite potato side dish is especially fun at BBQs (we love to make them with Pulled Pork Recipe, Corn Dogs, and Chicken Tenders Recipe most)!
- Fast food from home. The homemade fast-food-style French fries are crispy and salty perfection.
- Make a little or a lot. The easy side dish is scalable, making it suitable for hosting larger gatherings or meal prepping for the week.
French Fries Ingredients
- Russet potatoes (5 pounds): High starch potatoes that fry up extra crisp outside with fluffy centers. Choose similarly sized russet or Idaho potatoes so that the cut fries will be the same size and cook at the same rate. Do not use waxy potatoes like red and fingerling potatoes, which have a much higher moisture content that evaporates, leaving the insides hollow.
- Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying: Neutral, high-heat oils that deliver even browning and crunch. The best oil has a high smoke point, like vegetable, canola oil, or peanut oil. Low smoke point oils like olive oil do not work for deep frying.
- Sea salt: Finishes the fries so the potato flavor shines. Simply salting them is classically delicious, but you can also add black pepper, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, grated parmesan cheese, and paprika.
For Dipping French Fries
How to Make French Fries at Home
PREP. Peel 5 pounds of potatoes. Cut them into slices lengthwise, then cut each slice into French fry-sized sticks.
- Remove the excess starch: For best results, add the cut potatoes to a large bowl of cold water, soak at least 30 minutes, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. This extra step will make sure you have crispy French fries by removing all the extra starch.
- When ready to cook, drain the water and lay the potatoes out on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Blot with additional paper towels to dry.
FIRST FRY. Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy, large pot to a lower temperature of 300°F. Add the potato pieces in 3-4 batches so as not to crowd the pot. Cook 4-5 minutes. (The potatoes will still be pale and not fully cooked.)
- Remove the potatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain on fresh paper towels, then cook the remaining batches.
SECOND FRY. Then, for crispier fries, when all of the potatoes have been cooked at 300°F, turn the heat up to 400°F. At the higher temperature, add the potatoes again in batches to the hot oil, cooking until golden brown and crispy. Drain the fries on paper towels or on a cooling rack.
SEASON & SERVE. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste, or pick an alternative seasoning depending on personal preference. Serve immediately.
Alternative Cooking Methods
- Air fryer French fries. Heat fryer to 350°F. Toss the potatoes with oil and place in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Season if desired.
- Fry for 7-8 minutes. Flip and fry for another 7-8 minutes. Repeat with the other batches.
- Oven. See our Baked French Fries recipe.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Soak French fries for 2 to 3 hours in cold water to remove surface starch for cleaner, crisper fries.
- A French fry cutter is great for making uniform slices.
- Dry thoroughly before frying; moisture creates steam and soggy edges.
- First fry at 300°F to cook through gently, second fry at 400°F to crisp and brown.
- Salt immediately after each batch while the fries are hot, so the seasoning sticks.
- Keep warm on a wire rack in a 250°F oven while you finish batches to maintain crunch.
Homemade French Fries Recipe
Equipment
- fry scoop
Video
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes
- vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
- sea salt
Instructions
- Peel potatoes. Cut them into slices lengthwise then cut each slice into french fry-sized sticks.
- To remove excess starch, add the potatoes to a large bowl and cover with cold water, soak 2-3 hours, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- When ready to cook, drain the water and lay the potatoes out on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Blot with additional paper towels to dry.
- Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy large pot to 300°F. Add the potato pieces in 3-4 batches so as not to crowd the pot. Cook 4-5 minutes. (The potatoes will still be pale and not fully cooked.)
- Remove the potatoes from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain on fresh paper towels, then cook the remaining batches.
- When all of the potatoes have been cooked at 300°F, turn the heat up to 400°F. Add the potatoes again in batches, cooking until golden brown and crisp. Drain the fries on paper towels.
- Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Too hot, and the fries will burn before cooking through. Not hot enough, and the fries will become saturated and limp without cooking correctly. Use an oil thermometer or eyeball it.
Start with your dial at about the medium setting. Allow the oil to heat up. Use a wooden chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon to dip it in the oil. If it immediately sizzles, you’re in the 350-370°F range. Adjust the dial and retest if needed.
The oil temperature drops a bit when a new batch of fries is added. Adding too many fries will lower the temp too much.
Leftover French fries can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat. Bake at 400°F until warm and crisp. (about 10-15 minutes)
Flash freeze, then place them in a Ziploc, and store them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Complete The Meal
More Sides
Best Potato Salad Recipe
55 mins
Parmesan Potatoes
30 mins
Roasted Sweet Potato
30 mins
Best Mashed Potatoes
35 mins
Burger Recipes
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This recipe was first shared September, 2020.
This is soooo easy and convenient! I must say one of the best fries recipes I’ve tried. Keeping this! Thanks for the tips!
Nothing is better than homemade French fries, and these are no exception! So easy and so delicious!
These came out so good and crispy, just how we like them!!
I grew up knowing homemade French fries! Almost every Saturday my dad grilled the burgers and my mom made all the “fixins” for the burgers and the French fries. So this recipe made me smile and mouth water! I’m going to peel those russets and get frying! I remember asking my three children if I baked 10 potatoes-could you eat all those? They all said NO in horror! I asked them as it took 10 potatoes to make fries for the five of us and they were complaining that the fries were all gone.
Love this recipe!! It really does make the best fries!! We love making our own fries!
Homemade French Fries are the BEST! They aren’t as difficult to make as they may seem too.
Ive never had much luck with frying my own french fires, but your recipe calls for frying them twice and they turned out so good!
The grandkids beg for homemade french fries! Little more work but so worth it.
Making fries are fun & taste so much better than frozen kind! We make these often!
My kids really loved this! They enjoy crispy fries!
These turned out perfectly! THanks for this delicious recipe. No need for fast food fries ever again. These are just like the real thing!
Homemade French fries are the best! I’m a HUGE fan of potatoes in any form. These are the incredible and one of my all time favorites!
These look so delicious! Gotta try these ?
They are delish! I hope you do try them!