The best crispy homemade french fries have restaurant quality taste but are easy to make right in your own kitchen! Make these french fries in the oven, air fryer or deep fry until golden brown.
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3 Ways to Cook French Fries
Sometimes you just need a side of french fries. Especially with a big, juicy hamburger, french dip sandwich or baked chicken tenders. These restaurant-style fries are so crispy, delicious and definitely fulfill the french fry craving. The best part? They’re made from the comfort of your own home!
French fries are one of my weaknesses. They are one of my favorite things to order when I go out, just try them with nacho cheese sauce! But honestly, when you make them at home in the air fryer or oven they are much better for you and taste just as good.
My personal favorite way to make homemade french fries is in the air fryer. It makes them so light and crispy. Pretty much the only time I use my air fryer and it is so worth it. The only downside is that you have to cook them in multiple batches. But trust me, the end result is amazing!
Recipe Ingredients
It doesn’t take much to make the best homemade french fries you’ll ever try.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Russet potatoes: I prefer russet potatoes because they hold their structure and are large enough to make good-sized french fries. I like to leave them unpeeled, but do whatever you prefer.
- Oil: You can use canola oil or vegetable oil to coat the fries to help the seasoning stick.
- Seasoning: Just a little bit of salt, garlic salt, and ground black pepper go along way to give these homemade french fries flavor. You can also play with seasonings and try garlic powder, onion powder, or seasoned salt.
Cooking Tips
- Cut the potatoes evenly into about 1/4″ strips to ensure even cooking time.
- Want to know the secret to crispy french fries? Soaking them in ice cold water for about an hour to remove the starch.
- Make sure your fries are dried completely after the soak before cooking.
- If air frying or deep frying, you can place the cooked fries on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F to keep warm while the other batches cook.
How to Make Homemade French Fries
After the initial prep of cutting, soaking, and seasoning, you can choose from three different cooking methods to make french fries at home.
- Cut into fries. Russet potatoes are the best type to use when making homemade fries. They’re super starchy, which results in a crispy outside yet tender inside. Make sure to scrub and wash the potatoes, then use a cutting board and sharp knife to quarter the potatoes lengthwise. Then cut into sticks that are about 1/4″ thick. If you have a mandoline, you can also use that.
- Soak potatoes. Don’t skip this step! It’s what makes them super crispy and delicious. Soak them in a bowl of ice water for at least an hour (or up to 12 hours). Then drain and place on paper towels to dry. You want them to be completely dry, so you may need to use a paper towel to pat them down too.
- Season. Toss dried potato slices in a large bowl with the oil, salt, garlic salt and pepper until evenly coated. Then use one of the cooking methods below to make the fries. *If deep frying, don’t add the oil and seasonings beforehand.
Cooking Methods
Oven
Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, flip with a spatula, then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until crispy.
Air fryer
Place a single layer of potatoes in the air fryer basket with space in between each one. Then air fry at 375°F for about 13 minutes, or until crisp. Repeat with remaining potatoes (you will need to cook in 2-3 batches).
Deep frying
Add 32 ounces vegetable or peanut oil to a large pot, then place a single layer of potatoes in the pot. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until the fries are golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fries from the oil, then place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining potatoes (you will need to cook in 2-3 batches). Then season with salt and pepper. I love to make them this way for fish and chips!
Dips for French Fries
- Fry sauce
- Homemade ranch
- Honey mustard sauce
- Ketchup
- Garlic aioli
- Burger sauce
- Cheese dip
- Buffalo sauce
Recipe FAQs
I am not going to say you have to, but you will want to if you hope to make crispy homemade french fries that taste better than at a restaurant. Soaking in cold water overnight helps to remove excess starch, which stops fries from clumping and makes them super crispy.
You can soak the fresh cut potatoes in a bowl of ice water from 1 to 12 hours, but I recommend the closer to 12 hours to really get the best fries.
Try not to crowd the fries too close together in the oven or the air fryer. You want them to have enough room to let off steam and crisp up. You may want to do this in batches to avoid soggy fries.
The ideal potato to use is a russet potato. They do not contain much water which allows them to get crispier. I would avoid waxy potatoes such as red potatoes, new potatoes or fingerlings. They are too high in moisture and actually become hollow as they cook and water evaporates.
Storage
You can store the raw potatoes in ice water in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 12 hours, but the cooked french fries taste best still hot and don’t really last as leftovers.
In need of even more french fries recipes? Try baked sweet potato fries, baked zucchini fries, or parmesan potato wedges.
More Potato Recipes You’ll Love
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Homemade French Fries Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes , unpeeled, scrubbed, and dried
- 2-3 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher or fine sea salt , plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Baking: Nonstick cooking spray
For Deep Frying: 32 ounces vegetable or peanut oil
For dipping: Fry sauce, Ketchup, Ranch dressing
Instructions
Prep Potatoes
- Quarter the potatoes lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch thick sticks. If you have a mandoline slicer, you can use that.
- Soak the potatoes in ice cold water at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours to remove starch. Lay on paper towel-lined plates to air dry. You want them very dry and may need to pat them down.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oil, salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Toss the potatoes until well coated. (If deep frying, skip this step)
For Baking
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the potatoes in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes. Flip with a spatula and bake 10 15 minutes, or until crisp and tender. Season to taste and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
For Air Frying
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Cooking in batches, lay a single layer of potatoes in basket, leaving space in between. Cook 13 minutes, or until crisp. Keep warm on on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F while the other batches cook. Season to taste and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
For Deep Frying
- In a deep pot, add vegetable oil and 1/3 of the potatoes. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook 15 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove fries with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Keep warm on on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F while the other batches cook. Repeat with 1/3 of the potatoes until all potatoes are fried. Season to taste and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Cut the potatoes evenly into about 1/4″ strips to ensure even cooking time.
- Want to know the secret to crispy french fries? Soaking them in ice cold water for about an hour to remove the starch.
- Make sure your fries are dried completely after the soak before cooking.
- If air frying or deep frying, you can place the cooked fries on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F to keep warm while the other batches cook.
- Fry sauce
- Homemade ranch
- Honey mustard sauce
- Ketchup
- Garlic aioli
- Burger sauce
- Cheese dip
- Buffalo sauce
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Amazing…but I have a time saver method. Use russet potatoes and soak them in lukewarm water with a couple tablespoons of sugar for 1 hour. It will remove even more starch and make then taste better and crispier. Then pat them dry and just fry them once at 350 in peanut oil for roughly 12 minutes. No double frying…try it, I find them actually better :-)
Great tip! I love this idea too. Thanks for sharing your way on making french fries. Thanks for letting us know your experience!
Hmm I will try doing those
thanks i might try both and see whats better :-)
Yum! We baked them and they came out perfectly crispy!
These are perfect – homemade is worth the effort!
So glad you enjoyed the homemade french fries!
My kids loved these fries! I will never buy frozen again! We even made the sauce and it was a huge hit!
Thats easy love it
I’ve made these twice in the air fryer, and they are so yummy! And I learned that soaking the potatoes in water really does make a difference. :)
The fries turned out perfectly! My whole family love them!
We love making homemade french fries!! I love that you shared the different ways to make them!