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Ditch the drive-thru for crispy, salty perfection – these homemade French Fries are worth the minimal effort!
Homemade is best!
There is something so deliciously addictive about french fries! Them and Chips and Salsa are the kryptonite for many any our family. Fortunately, you don’t need a drive-thru or take to make this crispy goodness at home!
Homemade fries are the perfect snack or fab side dish. It may seem a little daunting, but with the right tools it is easy to achieve this golden wonder in no time.
What’s not to love:
- 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.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 2 hours 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
- 5 pounds russet potatoes – 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 – The best oil has a high smoke point like vegetable, canola oil, or peanut oil.
- sea salt – Simply salting them is classically delicious, but you can also add black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, seasoning salt, 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.
- 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.
- 1ST COOK. 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.
- 2ND COOK. 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.
- SEASON & SERVE. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. 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 Baked French Fries.
Complete the Meal
- Main dishes: Best Hamburger Recipe, Hot Dogs in a Crock Pot, Corn Dogs
- Desserts: Cake Batter Milkshake, Apple Pie Recipe, Homemade Brownies, Vanilla Ice Cream
- More potato recipes: Potato Wedges, Baked French Fries, Baked Sweet Potato Fries
More collections: Potato Side Dishes, 3 Ingredient Recipes, Easy Side Dishes, Vegetable Side Dishes
Homemade French Fries
The effort is worth it for these perfect fast-food-style homemade French fries. They are crispy, salty perfection!!
Equipment
- fry scoop
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.
Video
Notes
STORE. Leftover french fries can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.
FREEZE. Flash freeze, then place them in a Ziploc, and store them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat. Bake at 400°F until warm and crisp. (about 10-15 minutes)
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Should I peel the potatoes?
- For a classic French Fry, peel the potatoes first. For crispy skin, partially peel them leaving spots of rustic tasty skin.
Oil Temperature?
- 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.
How to store homemade French fries?
- 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)
How to Freeze?
- Flash freeze, then place them in a Ziploc, and store them in the freezer for 2-3 months.
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!