Baked French Fries are one of my family’s all-time favorites. My kids love oven fries even more than the store bought fries. Plus, oven baked fries are so much better for them.
These oven baked fries are perfect alongside jalapeño cheddar burgers, served up with oven fried chicken, as chili cheese fries, or as loaded cheese fries!
Oven Baked French Fries
Russet potatoes are the gold standard for French fries in general. They especially suitable for baked fries, because the skins are thicker and dryer than the skins of other potatoes, so they crisp up nicely in the oven.
Have you ever tried fries in the oven, and found they lack crispiness? Here are two great tips to avoid that problem forever!
How to Make Oven French Fries Crispy
As deep fried french fries are often double fried (once at a lower temp, once at a higher temp to crisp) I’ve found the same thing works magically for oven fries! You can make oven french fries so good and crispy!
- SOAK: Soak the potatoes in cold water after cutting for at least 30 minutes. This step removes a lot of starch (you will see it in the bowl after you remove them) resulting in a crispier French fry!
- DRY: This is really important. Make sure you dry them well so they don’t steam and get soft when they bake! I spin them in my salad spinner and then dap in a kitchen towel.
- OIL & SEASON: Use parchment paper to keep them from sticking and oil to make them crisp! While these are a version of healthy fries, if you want them to crisp, you will still need to be generous with the oil.
- TWO TEMP COOKING: This easy technique allows the fries to bake perfectly crispy! Simply bake at 375°F for a little bit to cook and then turn up the heat to really crisp them up!
How to Cut Potatoes into Fries
I always leave the skin on because it adds a little bit extra fiber (and personally I like the way it tastes… and it’s easier). If you prefer you can peel the potatoes first!
You can cut french fries by hand or save time using a French Fry cutter. I use a cutter for perfectly even fries.
To Cut into Steak Fries:
- Steak fries are typically thicker than french fries. To make baked steak fries, you’ll want to find potatoes that are a little bit smaller. Steak fries should be cut into small wedges about 3/4″ to 1″ thick.
- You will follow the same cooking method below but for a longer period of time.
How to Bake French Fries
To achieve maximum crispiness in your homemade French fries, I do a 2 temperature cook:
- Be sure to preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Dry the fries thoroughly after soaking and before seasoning.
- Generously oil and season the oven fries. Spread evenly in a single layer on a parchment line pan.
- Cook 20 minutes (25 for thicker fries).
- Turn the heat up to 425°F and continue baking until crisp, about 20 minutes.
How Long to Bake French Fries: Remember, thicker fries will take longer and if your fries are too thin, they’ll just burn without crisping.
The length of time for baked French fries will vary, depending on how thick you cut them and of course personal preference. My family likes them more tender crisp, I like them extra crispy!
How to Reheat Fries
You can easily reheat your leftover oven baked fries, either in the oven, or on the stovetop.
- Stovetop Reheating: Add a tablespoon or two of oil in non-stick pan. Reheat over medium heat for a few minutes and enjoy!
- Oven Reheating: Baked fries can be reheated in the oven. Spread them in a single layer on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes in a preheated 400°F oven.
- Microwave Reheating: This is less ideal as they can come out soft or soggy! 20-40 seconds should be plenty of time.
How to Freeze Oven Baked French Fries
Your leftover oven baked fries can also be frozen for up to four months in a freezer bag. To reheat, just follow the steps above.
Frozen fries are great reheated but also perfect added to soups, stews and casseroles!
What to Serve With Fries
We love fries with anything with gravy in place of our favorite Mashed Potatoes and with our favorite sandwiches and burgers! Here are a few that we love:
- Mushroom Salisbury Steak – serve with fries instead of mashed potatoes
- Meatball Subs
- Barbecue Ribs in the Oven
- Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- Dr. Pepper Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4 large baking potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt or lemon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Wash potatoes leaving skin on (you can peel them if you prefer). Cut potatoes into desired size fries.
- Let potatoes soak in cold water in the sink or in a bowl for at least 30 minutes. Remove from water and dry very well.
- Toss with oil and seasonings. Spread evenly in a single layer on a parchment-lined pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven up to 425° and cook fries until golden, about 20-25 minutes more.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
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When I make them, they get devoured. They are also much healthier then many other fries.
I make these fries all the time for my family, and can’t believe I haven’t left a review yet! I’m a busy working mom, and am always looking for easy, healthier takes on our favorites. This is the best baked fry recipe I’ve ever used, so thank you, Holly! Here are a few tips I’ve discovered through trial and error that might be helpful. The soaking is absolutely essential to making sure these come out crispy, as well as making sure the water is very cold. There have been times I’ve been rushed and only soaked for 30 minutes in tap water, and the results weren’t as good. Now I cut my fries anywhere from 2 hours ahead to the night before, add water, and put the whole bowl in the refrigerator until I’m ready to dry and cook them. If I’m short on fridge space, I soak them in a bowl with lots of ice water. I only use russet potatoes. I toss them with oil and season right before they go into the oven, so that the salt doesn’t have time to draw the water out of the potatoes. I am liberal with the olive oil, and only season with salt, which has been perfect for my family’s tastes. Never ever skip the parchment paper-I tried once and it was a mess. Be cognizant that your own oven’s temp and idiosyncracies might be different than what the recipe calls for. I have a really old oven, and have figured out my perfect formula- start them at 400 for 25 minutes, up the temp to 425 for 25 minutes, switching the pans several times between the upper and lower racks. If you don’t have enough cookie sheets and are using a higher-sided pan, remove them to tray or plate as soon as they come out of the oven to avoid letting them steam in the pan. Yes, this recipe takes a while, but I use the time they are in the oven to do everything else to get the dinner on the table, and as soon as they come out of the oven, we eat!
So glad you are enjoying this recipe, Karen! Thank you for sharing your tips. ❤️
my potatoes came out very nice. this recipe warmed my heart and tickled my toes. thank you for making my day better.
:-)
So glad you enjoyed them!
I used your recipe for oven home fries. They are SOOOOO much better than stove fried! I will be DEFINITELY make these again!!
425 cook time is way too long, especially if not steak fries. Came out charcoal and I checked it a little early because I dont usually trust recipes (this is why).
Ah, I am so to hear that Thomas. It is possible your fries were cut smaller than ours so they wouldn’t have needed the same length of time!
I prepped and cooked these just like the recipe said. Ten minutes into the second twenty minutes they were almost burnt through and through. Very, very few of them were edible!
I am sorry to hear that, Janice. It is possible that your potatoes were cut smaller than ours so they wouldn’t have needed the same amount of time to fully cook. I hope you were still able to enjoy some of them!
Made these using a rack over a pan using the convection roast setting on my oven. Delicious! Best oven fried! I cut my potatoes into shoestring size and they cooked faster than the recipe stated. Just keep an eye on them. This is my go to method for fries from now on.
These turned out good for us!
These are wonderful! I was a little concerned that they would be too time intensive but I prepped the potatoes first, soaked them while prepping the rest of the meal, timed the rest of the meal based on the change of oven temp and it worked perfectly. My husband and son were huge fans!
These turned out so much better than the other baked French fries I have tried. I’ll definitely be making them again!
Slay
The fries came out crispy and tasty! I used my convection oven, which helped to make them crispy. Good recipe! Thanks for sharing!
I HIGHLY recommend soaking your fries with salt in the water especially if you are doing thicker fries. this will allow the inside of the fries to become seasoned and not just the outside.
turning 1/2 way through cooking is a must
Wowsa! Nummy!!! So darn good :)
Can I soak the fries overnight or is that too long?
You can leave them soaking overnight in the fridge!
We’ve been eating lighter, and it’s all good. But I’ve been missing my fries! I did this recipe, and I was really impressed, my air fryer was in use so I did the oven version. They came out very crispy! Just be sure that everyone is at the table and ready to eat, like all fries they don’t hold their crisp for too long.
Great recipe!
My family loved these! I can’t imagine more perfect fries! Thanks so much for this recipe, Holly!
Made these tonight! Recipe is perfect. Thank you!