Learn the secrets to the best oven-baked French fries that are tasty, crispy, and healthier. Cut them yourself or use frozen fries. The perfect side dish for burgers or any casual meal.
Introduction
All the food blogs have oven-baked french fry recipes, so I'll jump in too. But I'm lazy; I don't want to be flipping halfway through. I don't want to precook in any way—I what relatively simple prep and even simpler cooking. But I also want crisp and tasty. I'm so picky; I want it all, but so do you!
Baked French fries are healthier than the deep-fried fries you get at fast-food restaurants. While it would be a stretch to call them heart-healthy, you do get to control the oil and calories. So, relatively healthier but not really healthy.
👨🍳How to this recipe
- For frozen fries—go to step 4.
- For homemade fries from raw potatoes: Scrub, peel (if Russets), and cut Russet or Golden Yukon potatoes into ¼ to ⅜ inch strips for French fries. A mandoline in highly recommended.
- Soak in cool water for 15-20 minutes, rinse and dry completely with paper towels.
- Coat with vegetable oil or olive oil. You may use unthawed frozen French fries starting at this step but cooking may take a bit longer.
- Using a rack on a large tray, spread the fries into a single layer, and season to taste. If no rack, you may use parchment paper but will need to flip half way through cooking.
- Bake at 425° convection until golden brown—about 30 minutes. Season again while still hot if desired.
🥔What Potatoes to Use
Use raw potatoes or even frozen French fries. Russet potatoes, frequently called Idaho potatoes, are the most commonly used for fries, but Yukon Gold potatoes are good for French fries with creamy centers.
Due to skin texture, I recommend peeling Russets, but peeling is not needed with most other potatoes with thinner skins.
After cutting into ¼ to ⅜ inches, the fries need to be soaked in cold water for 20-30 minutes to remove starch, then dried well before proceeding. If you skip this step, you will have a mushy mess that will not be crisp.
You can use almost any potato for this recipe. But this is not a sweet potato recipe; they need some special treatment to get crispy fries.
❄️What is different when using frozen French fries?
Not much is different if you are using frozen fries—the technique is mostly the same. Do not thaw the frozen fries before cooking. Don't do the soaking. Start at the step of coating with oil. Also, since they are starting colder, they may take a bit longer.
Seasoning
Just salt added after the oil and after cooking will be fine for most people. If I feel like the 1960s, I use table salt. Otherwise, a coarse salt like kosher or sea salt.
You can add other spices like paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, or a touch of cayenne pepper work well.
You can make them unique with a Cajun seasoning mix or ranch dressing mix.
You can also add some grated Parmesan cheese with a sprinkle of parsley or chives after cooking while still hot.
🌡⏰Oven Temperature and Time
The best oven temperature is 425° convention, and it will take about 30 minutes to bake French fries. Always preheat the oven. Using a convection oven with a rack will get more even cooking with no need to flip the fries during cooking.
The length of time for baked French fries will vary, depending on how thick you cut them, your oven, and of course, personal preference.
If your fries are too thin, they may burn without crisping.
Very thick fries, like steak fries or potato wedges, need a lower initial temperature since the higher cooking temperature would get the outside cooked before the center is done. About halfway through cooking, increase the temperature to get a crispy finish. Total cooking time will be longer, and since they are thicker, you can check an internal temperature—potatoes are fully cooked at 200°-210°.
❓FAQs
By elevating French fries, all sides will cook better, especially if using convection.
If you don't have a rack, using parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, aluminum foil with a coating of cooking spray, or a sheet pan with a good coat of oil will work, but the fries will need to be flipped halfway through cooking.
Never overlap the raw fries. If they touch some, they will be ok since they will shrink a little and still brown. But overlap causes them to clump together and undercook in those areas.
The easiest way to reheat is a few minutes in an air fryer. But the best way seems to be the oven if doing a large amount.
Oven Reheating: Preheat your oven to 400° with a baking tray or pizza stone on a middle rack. Once preheated, remove the tray and spread the leftover fries single-layered on a baking tray. And then bake again for about 5-8 minutes. Thinner fries take less, and thicker take more.
1) When using raw potatoes, be sure to soak the raw fries for 20-30 minutes in cold water to remove surface starch.
2) If using frozen fries, do not allow them to thaw even a little.
3) Be sure to dry as completely as possible before adding the oil.
4) Fully preheat the oven and use convection if you have it.
5) Use a rack and if not using a rack, be sure to flip.
6) Cook to a dark golden brown.
📖Suggested Recipes
Meatloaf Burger Patties
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
Grilled Hamburgers
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Start with a couple of medium russet potatoes (about one pound). That will make four servings—preheat oven to 425° convection. If you don't have convection, you can use 450° or stay at 425°, which will take a bit longer.
Scrub the potatoes and if using russet potatoes, peel the potatoes. Cut your fries ¼ to ⅜ inch thick. I suggest a mandoline, but a knife will do.
Place in cold water in a large bowl and soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
Drain, rinse the fries with cold water several times, place them on a paper towel and dry well.
Dry the bowl, put fries back in, and stir with about a tablespoon of oil.
Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack. Spray with PAM. Spread the fries on a prepared rack. Do not overlap, but they may touch a little. Give a light sprinkle of coarse salt.
Bake until golden brown—about 30 minutes. Season again while still hot.
📖 Recipe
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Crispy Baked French Fries - Fresh or Frozen
Ingredients
- 2 russet potatoes - about 1 pound
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt - to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Start with a couple of medium russet potatoes (about one pound). That will make four servings. Preheat oven to 425° convection. If you don't have convection, you can use 450° or stay at 425°, and it will take a bit longer.
- Scrub the potatoes and if using russet potatoes, peel the potatoes. Cut your fries ¼ to ⅜ inch thick. I suggest a mandoline, but a knife will do.
- Place in cold water in a large bowl and soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Drain, rinse the fries with cold water several times, place them on a paper towel and dry well.
- Dry the bowl, put fries back in, and stir with about a tablespoon of oil.
- Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack. Spray with PAM. Spread the fries on a prepared rack. Do not overlap, but they may touch a little. Give a light sprinkle of coarse salt.
- Bake until golden brown—about 30 minutes. Season again while still hot.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Very easy recipe to cut in half or double.
- I suggest Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes but other potatoes can be used. But this is not a sweet potato recipe.
- I like thinner fries so I cut ¼ inch wide but wider is fine but will take a few more minutes to cook.
- You can use frozen fries. Start at the step after soaking/drying. They may take a bit longer.
- Oil is needed for crispy fries.
- I like to salt before cooking and after cooking.
- Seasoning options are discussed in the post.
- Fries can touch but overlapping is a problem with cooking.
- If you do not use a rack and convection, you do need to flip the fries halfway through cooking.
- Two large potatoes will make enough fries for four servings and fill a half sheet pan (18X13 inches).
- You can reheat cooked fries in an air fryer. In the oven: preheat your oven to 400° with a baking tray on a middle rack. Once preheated, remove the tray and spread the leftover fries single-layered on a baking tray. And then bake again for about 6 minutes. Thinner fries take less and thicker take more.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editors Note: Originally Published: September 23, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Tricia says
These are the best oven fries I've ever made. They were crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. This was the first time I've ever used a rack, and it made a huge difference. Thanks so much for a great, healthy recipe!
Leelee says
Possibly my oven? Tried this recipe, but the chicken smoked up the entire kitchen! Serious smoke coming out of the oven, I thought it would catch fire. I used Pam spray on the tray and rack (version of Pam with olive oil).
Was it the Pam that caused so much smoking or the chicken? Is my oven off? I don't see this issue when baking other items at lower temps. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Oh, and my oven is NOT convection style. Thanks!
DrDan says
Hi Leelee,
I'm not sure which chicken recipe you were using but let's discuss your specific case first. The olive oil can smoke more than plain old vegetable oil so that may have contributed some. The oven not being convention might be part of the issue especially if you did the add 25-degree thing for conventional to convection conversion.
Here are the general smoking oven recommendations. I have them in the FAQ section. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-temperatures-abbreviations/
SMOKING OVENS
Smoking ovens have been an issue for some due to high temp cooking of some meat recipes. It is probably related to multiple factors and here are some suggestions.
Of course, the oven should be clean, so the smoke isn’t coming from any previous splatter.
If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
Use a pan with some side on it to keep any splatter contained.
If your oven has convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode.
You could turn down the oven by 25-50 degrees. This will increase the cooking time some and may prone to drying out some. Remember to cook to an end point, not by time.
Some water in the pan under a rack with the meat on the rack will prevent the smoking issue. When the fat drips, it will cool immediately to the temperature of the water which will be 212 degrees max.
George Wolfmeier says
Will these fries cool then microwave back warm later?
DrDan says
Like any French fry, not very well.
Dan
Karen V. White, Mt. Pleasant, SC says
The fries are awesome they were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. I had leftovers and heated them up a couple of days later - they weren't crispy, but they still tasted great. I reheated them in the microwave. I cooked them in my conventional oven on a rack at 450 degrees. I am waiting for some to bake at this moment. Thanks, Dr. Dan
DrDan says
Hi Karen,
Welcome to the blog.
The convection oven should work well or an air fryer is our favorite.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Ramona Kintz says
Trying for dinner tonight.
Tiffany Reynolds says
If cooking chicken legs and fries in the same oven, which shelf for each? Chicken on top rack?
Dan Mikesell says
Hi Tiffany,
Even with good convection, the two trays should probably be rotated 180 degrees and top and bottom switched out about half way through. Maybe not needed but that is what I do when cooking anything with two large trays.
emikat says
I have just found your blog and will be making the drummies tonight I would like to make these French fries as well but I have a regular oven and not convection is there a temperature or time change I need to be aware of? thank you
DrDan says
Go for 425 non-convection for both but they will take a few more minutes. See the FAQ's
DrDan
shakthi says
everything is goood but wat at wat temperature should i bake
DrDan says
This is so weird. It is in the first line of the instructions where I always put it BUT when I first looked after your comment, It was gone. I went to fix the code and it was there correctly. I changed nothing and it is there now..... so the answer is Preheat oven to 425 convection.
DrDan
Belkys Garcia says
Because of health reasons I don't eat fried foods but now I found your wonderful recipe for these delicious fries.
I also tried the chicken and it came out moist and tender inside and crispy flavourful outside. Thank you for a great combination.
DrDan says
Thanks for note. I don't feel too guilty eating these fries.
DrDan
Naomi says
Hi
Delicious recipe! Thanks. Is there a point in the method where I could freeze the fries, to use up all the potatoes I have?
Thanks
DrDan says
I have never frozen them. I guess I would freeze them after the wash and dry. I would spread them on a tray so they froze as individual fries and not a mass. Just a guess... Give it a try and report.
DrDan
Rozella Ann Dreesen says
Yes I can freeze them dry good freeze on cookie sheet then bag them this way they don't freeze together this also works on all fruit or veg
Betty Jones says
I was very disappointed with this recipe, the fries were only brown on one side and they were soggy.
DrDan says
Sorry it didn't work for you. There are not many variables in this recipe. Cut, soak, rack. convection and don't overlap. It has worked well for me many time...
DrDan
Angela says
Sounds like you forgot to dry potatoes and I always turn fried over to brown both sides. Try 450 for 20 minutes.
DrDan says
Dried in step 3. If you use a rack and convection, there is no need to flip.
Leanne says
We had a slightly less than traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which included buffalo hot chicken drumsticks, and your french fry recipe. I added a bit of vinegar to my potato soaking water based on some advice I saw elsewhere, but otherwise followed your instructions to a T. These were absolutely the best oven baked fries I've ever had, and they certainly surpassed deep fried fries in some unfortunate circumstances :) Crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside...just what a potato is striving to be!
Dan Mikesell says
Exactly the meal I have made many a time... My wife and I love this meal and we're picky too.
Lexii Rayne says
Wow. Delicious. My 2, 4 and 6 year old's loved them. They actually ate all their dinner tonight. I made them with your chicken drumstick recipe as well. My pickiest eater, the 4 year old..actually thanked me over and over for making a delicious dinner. :) Thank you!
Dan Mikesell says
Thanks I love fries too.
hyacinthmarius says
I have just come across your beautiful blog via sometimes sweet. I love it. and these fries look amazing. I love fries but loathe the frozen ones. thanks for the recipe - i will have try it out.
regards,
hyacinth ofnTesla GPU Workstation
Chris says
Those resting racks come in handy for any oven "frying" to avoid flipping, don't they? My fries were always horrible until I finally learned the soaking trick. I'm in the mood for fries now.