I call these oven-baked French fries, but truth be told, this basic cooking technique also works for steak fries, sweet potato fries, cottage fries, and crispy new potatoes. It’s a pretty simple formula: potato pieces + oil + heat = delicious.

It starts with potatoes. I prefer to use russet potatoes when I make French fries. They are usually longer than they are wide, so it’s easy to cut them into French fry shapes. But you can use whatever kind of potatoes you have on hand. I have made these with Yukon gold potatoes but find they stick a little. So, if using them, I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper first.

For crispy new potatoes, use any variety of new potatoes (spring potatoes) you like. Fingerlings work well (cut lengthwise). Red or gold new potatoes (the round ones) should be cut in half or quartered.

When I made this batch of oven-baked French fries, I had a couple of russet potatoes that were getting a bit old and needed to be used. So, I scrubbed them up and trimmed away the eyes and few bruises.

Bruises often happen to potatoes when they’ve been banged around a bit, especially if they were refrigerated. Sometimes there will be rough patches on the skin where there is a bruise, but not always. Sometimes you can’t see the bruises until you cut into the potato, especially if your potatoes are fresh. A potato with bruises is still okay to eat. But you will want to remove the dark flesh because it doesn’t taste good.

On this day, my potatoes were rather old. They’d been sitting in the pantry for several weeks and were just starting to sprout eyes. You can eat potatoes that have developed eyes (the nubs where roots want to grow), but you do need to cut away the eyes as they can be toxic to eat.

Don’t be afraid to use produce that isn’t picture perfect. My potatoes look rather butchered after cutting away the eyes and bruises. But they will still make tasty French fries.

You could peel the potatoes first if you prefer. My family likes the taste and crispy texture of the skin, and I like the extra nutrition it provides, so I leave as much of it on the potatoes as I can. (Potato skins are a good source of iron, fiber, vitamin B, and vitamin C.) We often order potato skins as an appetizer when dining out, and leaving the skins on here gives the fries that wonderful earthiness. The skins roast up extra crispy in this recipe, giving the fries an extra layer of crunch.

To cut the fries, slice off a half-inch from one side. This allows the potato to sit flat on the cut side, making it easier to slice into strips. Don’t worry if you have some long pieces and some short pieces. If they’re all about the same thickness (½ inch), they will bake just fine. And they will all be delicious.

There are two schools to thought when it comes to seasoning oven-baked French fries. Some prefer to season the potatoes before they are baked. I prefer to season them as soon as they are done. The reason is that salt can cause vegetables, including potatoes, to seep water. In the oven, this creates steam. The steam will help to cook the potatoes, but it makes them soft.

We’re going for crispy exteriors. The magic formula is oil and dry heat. Your fries will be crunchier if you wait until they are just done to season them. Embrace the magic.

For me, French fries are all about the salty crunchiness surrounding that fluffy interior. And this recipe delivers that without breaking out the deep fryer. I love fried food, but I hate cleaning up after frying anything. So, if I can fry it in the oven, I will.

Besides being easier to clean up, oven-baked French fries are much lower in fat than their deep-fried counterparts. According to MyFitnessPal, 3.5 oz. of deep-fried French fries contain about 14 grams of fat. An equal portion of these oven-baked French fries has about 3.5 grams of fat, whether you use canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil. For me, that means we can have French fries any time we want them.

When baking these French fries, it is important to remember a couple of tricks. First, make sure they are evenly spread in the pan. Second, you will want to turn them over half-way through cooking. This ensures they get browned and crispy all the way around. Once I take them out of the oven, I season them and stir them around to make sure the salt is evenly distributed.

I use finely ground sea salt on my fries, but you can use any seasoning you like. Sometimes I use seasoned salt instead of sea salt. Often, I use sea salt and a little fresh cracked black pepper. Other ideas include garlic salt, barbecue seasoning, ranch seasoning (like the powder used to make ranch dressing or dip), taco seasoning, or Greek seasoning. Use your imagination and make these your own.

Crispy Oven-Baked French Fries

Course: Dinner, Late Night, Side Dishes, Snacks, VegetablesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

minutes

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes (7–8 oz. each)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt (to taste)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
Scrub the potatoes under cold, running water to remove any dirt on the skin.
Snap off any protruding eyes and shave off smaller ones using a knife or vegetable peeler. Cut away any bruises.
Cut cleaned potatoes into ½ inch strips.
Pile cut potatoes on a large sheet pan and drizzle with oil. Toss until every piece is well coated in oil.
Line up oiled fries in one layer on sheet pan and ensuring there is some space between each fry.
Bake for 40 minutes, turning fries over half-way through. They should be golden brown and crispy.
Season with salt to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Lining the sheet pan with aluminum foil before baking may make cleanup easier. Lining it with parchment paper will prevent sticking.
Seasoning the fries as soon as they come out of the oven will help keep them crispy. Sea salt, kosher salt, and iodized salt all work well. Seasoned salt and garlic salt are also tasty options.
I don’t peel the potatoes because I like the skin, but the recipe works just as well with peeled potatoes if you want more traditional French fries.