Best Ever Oven Baked Homemade Fries

Save for later!

These easy peasy crispy homemade fries are the best side dish for a burger night! You will be craving these french fries after you try them. The recipe is simple and easy to follow with a little secret step included to give you that crispy result.

Oven baked fries have been known to come out floppy and just don’t really compare to frier but this recipe will have you second guessing your thought about baked french fries. 

Tips

• A rule of thumb for quantity when cooking potatoes is one per person. However, you probably want to double that for this recipe. Trust me.
• This recipe uses a mandolin to cut the potatoes but a knife and cutting board can be used as a substitute if needed.
• The quantity of oil and salt in this recipe can be adjusted to your liking. The amount of salt gives a moderate saltiness but if you are looking for a lower sodium recipe just add less salt.
• To get an extra crispy result set the oven to broil for the last 3-5 minutes of baking.
• I use russet potatoes for this recipe but you can use whatever potatoes you have on hand.

Tools you may need

Mandolin Slicer

Baking Sheets

Knife and cutting board **an option if you don’t have a mandolin

Big bowl

Strainer

Spatula

Pot to melt the oil

Optional – parchment paper

Ingredients

Potatoes

Typically I use russet potatoes when I make homemade fries but yukon would probably work too. Any potatoes you have on hand should turn out with this recipe. You could even use sweet potatoes if you like sweet potato fries. 

As I mentioned in the tips section, one to two potatoes per person is a good rule of thumb for quantity but if you want left overs, be generous with the quantity! We usually make two per person and have some left over.

Oil

The oil you use can effect how the french fries crisp up and also the flavor. There are two oils I recommend using: Lard and Coconut Oil . You are free to use whatever oil you prefer but these have given me the best success with this recipe.

So why not olive oil? I personally do not use olive oil for this recipe because of the high heat while they’re in the oven. Lard, however, is a very stable and healthy fat that will withstand the heat well. So that is why I like to use lard instead of olive oil when I make baked french fries.

Salt

If you’ve read one of my previous recipes, you know I love my salt. The best salt flavor for these homemade french fries is definitely sea salt . Be sure you are using quality, responsibly sourced real salt. We use this celtic sea salt purchased from Azure Standard . If you want to learn more about Azure Standard, check out my post on buying bulk food online!

Another salt option is Himalayan pink salt or kosher salt of your choice. Some people don’t like sea salt as much so this is a great healthy alternative.

How to make Oven Baked Homemade Fries:

Step one:

The first thing you’ll want to do is wash and cut up the potatoes into that desirable french fry shape. As previously mentioned, this step can be done with a mandolin slicer or a cutting board and a knife. If you use a cutting board try to make all the pieces about the same size. I like to use a mandolin for uniformity because the fries will cook at a more consistent rate. After you have cut your potatoes place the sliced potatoes into a bowl.

Step two:

The next step is the secret to crispy homemade fries …soak the cut potatoes in water before you bake them! This step adds a little extra time to the recipe as a whole but trust me when I say it is NECESSARY. Soaking the potatoes pulls out some of the excess starch and allows the fries to crisp up in the oven. 

After you have cut your potatoes and placed them in a bowl, pour water (room temp is just fine) and leave the bowl alone for 30 minutes.

Step three:

After you soak potatoes, preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Place fries onto a towel and dry them off the best you can and place them onto your baking sheet(s). If you want to use parchment paper, place the paper on the baking sheet before you pour on the raw fries.

Step four:

Now if you are using a solid oil that needs to be melted, place the oil in a pan on the stove and melt the oil. After the oil has melted, add the oil and salt to the raw fries and combine all the ingredients with a spatula until every fry is coated in salt and oil.

Step five:

Finally, place the homemade fries in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. For a crispier fry, place the oven on “broil” for 3-5 minutes or until they are golden brown. This will help the french fries crisp up. After the baked french fries are done in the oven they are ready to eat! Place the french fries on a plate with a paper towel underneath to soak up any excess oil from the baking sheet(s). 

We love to eat these homemade french fries with burgers or shredded bbq chicken/pork. If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Click below to watch an instructional video of this recipe!