These baked French fries are perfectly crispy and crazy easy to make with just potatoes, oil, and seasoning salt. A great weeknight side dish!
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Why You'll Love These French Fries In The Oven
I'm a sucker for a good side dish, and one of the most popular ones in my family is homemade fries. This recipe came about one night when we decided at the last minute to make burgers, and I realized I'd forgotten to pick up the tater tots I'd planned to serve with them. How could I possibly serve burgers without some form of crispy fries?
So I grabbed some potatoes from the pantry and got to it. I knew that if these were going to stand out from a basic roasted potato, they'd have to be really crispy. I jacked up the oven temperature, cut the potatoes to size, and tossed them with oil and seasoning salt. About an hour later, we were enjoying burgers with the crispiest oven fries I've ever made. Here's why you'll want to make these again and again:
- Extra crispy
- Simple ingredients
- Family favorite
- Easy seasoning
- Weeknight-friendly
Ingredient Information and Substitutions
- Potatoes- The star here, turning golden and crispy in the oven. Russet potatoes work especially well, and Yukon Golds are a good substitute.
- Avocado oil- Coats the potatoes so they turn golden and crisp in the hot oven. Olive oil works as a substitute.
- Seasoning salt- Brings salty, savory flavor to every fry. Kosher salt with a pinch of paprika and garlic powder works as a substitute.
How To Make Oven Baked French Fries
Step 1- Soak and dry the potatoes.
Soak the cut potatoes in water for 30 minutes, changing the water halfway through. Rinse off the starch well, then spread the potatoes in a single layer on a paper towel-lined sheet pan and dry them really well.
Step 2- Preheat and prep the pan.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a separate pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
Step 3- Season the potatoes.
In a large bowl, lightly drizzle the potatoes with oil and season to taste with seasoning salt.
Step 4- Bake and flip.
Pour the potatoes onto the foil-lined pan in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip them.
Step 5- Finish and serve.
Bake for 20 to 30 more minutes, checking at 20 and going from there, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
High heat is the key, so don't be alarmed by the 425 degrees F oven. It's also important to soak the sliced potatoes and rinse well to remove starch, then dry them really well before baking.
Seasoning salt is my go-to, but you can get as creative as you'd like. Garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, Cajun seasoning, ranch seasoning, or lemon pepper all work well. A sprinkle of grated Parmesan and Italian seasoning is good too.
I cut mine into sticks about ¼ inch thick, all around the same size so they cook evenly. You can go thinner or thicker, just adjust the cooking times and keep an eye on them.
These fries are!
Tips For Making French Fries With Seasoning
- Cut the fries evenly so they cook evenly. I like ¼ inch thick.
- Don't skip the soak! Russet potatoes have a lot of starch that needs to be drawn out before baking or frying, so rinse them well after. It's worth the extra time for maximum crisp.
- Dry them well. Once they're rinsed get all the water off of them so the oil and seasonings stick.
- Give the fries plenty of room on the pan, and use two pans if you need to, so they crisp up instead of steaming.
- Use a sturdy spatula to flip the fries, so the crispy edges stay intact.
- Check the fries early if you cut them thinner than ½ inch, since they'll brown faster.
- Make as many fries as you need. I used 5 to 6 good-sized potatoes, but you can always use more or fewer.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Cut the potatoes into even sticks and keep them in cold water in the fridge no longer than over night. Measure out the oil and seasoning salt, so everything is ready to toss and bake.
- Leftovers and storage- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in a hot oven until crisp again.
What To Serve With Oven French Fries
I love serving these with a hearty main, a fresh side, and something sweet to round out the meal. Here are some of my favorite pairings:
Other Potato Recipes To Try
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Baked French Fries
Ingredients
- 6 Russet potatoes cut into sticks about ¼ inch in width
- 3 Tablespoons Avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons Seasoned salt
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a bowl of cold water for at lest 30 minutes to overnight. Rinse well and dry well.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray the pans with cooking spray.
- In a separate bowl, lightly drizzle potatoes with oil and season to taste with seasoning salt.
- Pour the potatoes into a single layer on your pans.
- Bake for 20 minutes and then flip the potatoes.
- Bake for 20 more minutes (depending on your oven- check them at 20 and go from there) until the potatoes are a nice golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Cut the fries evenly so they cook evenly. I like ¼ inch thick.
- Don't skip the soak! Russet potatoes have a lot of starch that needs to be drawn out before baking or frying, so rinse them well after. It's worth the extra time for maximum crisp.
- Dry them well. Once they're rinsed get all the water off of them so the oil and seasonings stick.
- Give the fries plenty of room on the pan, and use two pans if you need to, so they crisp up instead of steaming.
- Use a sturdy spatula to flip the fries, so the crispy edges stay intact.
- Check the fries early if you cut them thinner than ½ inch, since they'll brown faster.
- Make as many fries as you need. I used 5 to 6 good-sized potatoes, but you can always use more or fewer.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Cut the potatoes into even sticks and keep them in cold water in the fridge no longer than over night. Measure out the oil and seasoning salt, so everything is ready to toss and bake.
- Leftovers and storage- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in a hot oven until crisp again.
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