French Fries: the best recipe for easy crispy homemade fries

Who doesn't love biting into a perfectly crispy, golden brown French fry? With this easy recipe, you can make homemade French fries whenever you like. Homemade French fries are healthier, tastier, and much less greasy compared to the fries you'll pick up from a fast-food restaurant.

So why not give this recipe a try and discover just how easy it is to make amazing crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside French fries yourself? Serve them with burgers, sandwiches, fried chicken, and more. These homemade fries are great with ketchup, ranch dressing, mayo, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce.

French Fries Origins

French fries have now become a popular side dish around the world, but how did they come about? Despite their name, French fries should not be French, but Belgian.

The first traces of this recipe date back to the late 1600s in francophone Belgium. According to tradition, in wintertime poor people had to fry potatoes instead of the fish they caught in the river because it froze. It is thought that American soldiers who were there during the first world war gave the inaccurate nickname of French fries to the recipe.

However, the controversial dispute about French or Belgian origin of French fries has not been resolved yet.

What Are the Best Potatoes for Deep-Fried French Fries?

Floury potatoes that are high in starch are ideal for making French fries. Use Russet potatoes or Maris Piper potatoes (for those in the UK).

Waxy potato varieties aren't good for frying and are better suited for salads, boiling, or roasting.

To make French fries at home, you'll need about 2 large or 4 medium potatoes per person.

How to Make Crispy French Fries

Making the perfect crispy, crunchy French fries at home is super easy. If you follow these simple steps, you'll become a pro at making homemade French fries in no time flat.

Soaking the Potatoes

Your first step to making the ultimate homemade French fries is to soak them in cold water. This process removes excess starch from the potatoes and will help them to get ultra-crispy on the outside while staying soft on the inside when frying them.

Leave the potatoes to soak for at least one hour up to overnight. Once they've soaked in the water, drain the potatoes and rinse them well under cold water. Lay them out on paper towels to dry.

Best Oil Temperature for Fried French Fries

Now it's time to get cooking. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. It should get to 350F. Use an instant-read thermometer to tell when the oil is at the correct temperature.

Fry the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes, making sure to work in batches. You don't want to overcrowd the Dutch oven, otherwise, the fries won't cook properly. Take the fries out with a slotted spoon and set them on paper towels to drain until all the potatoes have been fried.

Double Frying French Fries

Heat the oil to 400F. Place the first batch of fries back in the oil and fry them until they're golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes or so. Remove them with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining fries until they're all double fried.

Season French Fries

As soon as the fries have been removed from the oil, season them generously with salt and any other seasonings you'd like to add. Serve them immediately with your favorite dips and sauces.

Can You Make Deep-Fried French Fries Ahead of Time?

Homemade French fries taste the best when they're served fresh out of the deep fryer. However, you can make French fries ahead of time and reheat them.

Tips for the Making Crispy French Fries

The longer you let your potatoes soak, the better. This process removes excess starch which will give you crispier French fries.

After soaking the potatoes, the drier you're able to get them, the better for frying and the less soggy they'll be.

You don't need to peel the potatoes before cutting them into sticks – potato skins will add more flavor and their full of nutrients.

For healthier French fries, try baking them instead of deep-frying them. Toss them in ½ cup of oil, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them for 15 to 20 minutes at 400F. Flip them again, then cook for another 10 minutes.

French Fries Variations

Seasoning fries with salt is the basic way to enjoy them, but you can use other seasonings to ramp up the flavor such as French fry seasoning.

Try tossing your homemade French fries with taco seasoning, Creole seasoning, Old Bay, cayenne pepper, paprika, or grated parmesan cheese. You can also toss them in a little truffle oil to make gourmet-tasting fries.

How to Store Homemade French Fries

Once they've cooled down, keep leftover fries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Can You Freeze French Fries?

You can definitely freeze fries. Place them in a freezer-safe bag them bake them for 15 to 20 minutes when you're ready to reheat them.

How to Reheat Homemade French Fries

To reheat your French fries so they're crispy, bake them for 15 to 20 minutes at 350F, flipping once halfway through. Make sure the oven is properly hot before reheating the fries – this will make them crisp back up.

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large bowl.

Fill it with cold water.

Soak them for at least one hour up to overnight.

Drain the water and rinse the potatoes well. Arrange the potatoes on paper towels to dry.

Pour the oil into a Dutch oven. Heat it to 350°F.

Working in batches, fry the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the fries.

Transfer the fries into a plate lined with paper towels. Fry the remaining batches of potatoes.

Turn the heat up. When the oil is 400F, fry the potatoes a second time for about 5 minutes, or until they're crispy and golden brown. Remove the fries with a slotted spoon.

Set the fries on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Season immediately with salt.

Serve hot.

Notes

Use any type of neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point for frying your French fries. Vegetable, canola, sunflower, and peanut oil are all excellent options.