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How to Make Homemade French Fries

Homemade French Fries are so delicious and addicting. Once you learn how easy it is to make them, they just might be on the weekly menu at home.

This recipe is very flexible. Make as many or as few fries as you like. If you like crispy potatoes, we have a few tips for you.

Plan on one large potato’s worth of fries per person if serving as a side dish. 

How to Make Homemade French Fries
How to Make Homemade French Fries

It takes Minutes to Make These French Fries

You will need a large frying pan or a kettle that can hold a few inches of oil and approximately two servings of French fries at a time.

This recipe is flexible. You can make batch after batch for a large crowd or make just enough for yourself. It just takes minutes to prepare the potato and heat the oil. Drain on a paper towel and you are all set.

Dipping French Fry in Sauce
Dipping French Fry in Sauce

Two Tips for Making Crispy French Fries.

To get them crispy, soak them in water to remove the starch. It helps with crisping and helps prevent the potato sticks from sticking together while frying. Let the potatoes soak in the water for 2 to 3 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

Pat dry with paper towel before frying.

Double Fry for Crispy Fries. Then the best fries are double-fried. First fry at a lower temperature to cook them through. Drain on paper towel, then fry again in hotter oil to crisp them up to golden perfection. 

Prepare the Potatoes for Frying

I like to use russet potatoes for French fries; however, I have used reds, Yukon gold. Really any potato will work well.

If your potato has a thicker skin, you might want to peel the skin off before slicing. A thin-skinned potato is great for just washing and drying and slicing. Peeling is totally optional.

I cut each potato into ¼-inch to 1/2 -inch thick slices. Stack a few of the slices on top of each other and make another ¼-inch to ½-inch thick cut. You will end up with a French fry. If you prefer a fatter fry, that is okay, it will just take longer to cook in the oil.

Slicing the Potatoes
Slicing the Potatoes

Once all the potatoes are prepped and sliced, I like to place them in a towel and fold the towel over the potato slices.

This does three things:

  1. It helps dry out the slices for less splattering when you add them to the hot oil.
  2. It helps them get crispier when cooking.
  3. The potatoes can start to turn color when sliced and left out to the elements. Therefore, if you cover the slices with the towel, they stay nice and fresh looking.
Sliced Potatoes in a Towel
Sliced Potatoes in a Towel

Fry the Potatoes

In a large heavy skillet or frying pan, heat at least 2 inches of oil to 325 F. Once the oil is hot, add approximately one to two servings of the potatoes carefully – a few at a time. Fry for approximately 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove the fries with a slotted spoon, spider, or tongs. Drain on a tray lined with a paper towel.

We enjoy our fries right away. They are crispy, cooked through and hot.

French Fries in Oil
French Fries in Oil

Extra Crispy French Fries

However, if you prefer even crispier fries.

Once they are drained on the paper towel and cooled, go ahead, and fry them again. This second fry gives them an extra crispy crunch.

Extra Crispy Fries
Extra Crispy Fries

Making French Fries for a Crowd

They can have their first fry and be refrigerated overnight in a container. This is especially nice if you are making fries for a crowd. When ready to make, just head the oil, add the fries in batches and cook until crispy – just a few minutes.

French Fries Drizzled with Ketchup
French Fries Drizzled with Ketchup

If you will be making a lot of batches of French fries, I put the plate of cooked French fries in the oven with the oven on warm. This keeps them simply perfect while you are cooking the rest of the fries.

Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.

How to Make Homemade French Fries
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How to Make Homemade French Fries

Homemade French Fries are so delicious and addicting. Once you learn how easy it is to make them, they just might be on the weekly menu at home. This recipe is very flexible. Make as many or as few fries as you like. Plan on one large potato's worth of fries per person if serving as a side dish. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy recipe, easy side dish, potato recipe, steak side dish
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 292kcal

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Ingredients

  • 6 large Potatoes Russet or large Red, or Yukon Gold
  • 4 Cups Vegetable Oil for frying

Instructions

  • If the potatoes are new (or recently harvested) they can be washed in cold water and scrubbed a bit. You can leave the skins on. However, if you do not like the skins on or the potatoes are not new, peel the potatoes removing the outer skin
    6 large Potatoes Russet
  • Wash the potato by running under water a few seconds. Add the oil to a kettle or large pan…use what you have. Start heating the oil so it is hot by the time that the potatoes are ready. I have a gas stove and I use the right front burner as it is the hottest burner on the stove, and I use medium-high for the heat range.
  • I use a chef knife and my cutting board to cut lengthwise slices about 1/4 inch thick. Then I lay each slice flat and make another lengthwise slice about 1/4 inch thick. This will give you a nice size fry.
    Slicing the Potatoes
  • I like to take a clean kitchen towel and put the sliced potatoes on the towel. This keeps them from turning brown before cooking and it also dries them off so there is less oil splashing when the potatoes are added to the hot oil.
    Sliced Potatoes in a Towel
  • Once the potatoes are sliced, the oil is generally hot enough. Gently slide in one sliced potato. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. (I know…normally it is recommended to use a thermometer to make sure that the oil is 350 degrees. You can do that or check the oil with the potato…both methods work wonderfully). If the potato sizzles and the oil is ready, go ahead and add a couple of handfuls of sliced potatoes.
    4 Cups Vegetable Oil for frying
    French Fries in Oil
  • Keep cooking until the potatoes are golden brown. I like to move the potato slices around a few times in the pan during cooking. This ensures that the potatoes do not stick together. When the French fries are done, remove them with a slotted spoon. This will help the excess oil drain off of the French fries prior to eating.
    Extra Crispy Fries
  • Place the cooked, crispy French fries on paper towel on a plate or pan. This will soak up any remaining oil left over from cooking. If you will be making a lot of batches of French fries, I put the plate of cooked French fries in the oven with the oven on warm. This keeps them simply perfect while you are cooking the rest of the fries.

Your Own Private Notes

Notes

Two Tips for Crispy Fries

To get them crispy, soak them in water to remove the starch. It helps with crisping and helps prevent the potato sticks from sticking together while frying. Let the potatoes soak in the water for 2 to 3 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. 
Pat dry before frying.
Double Fry for Crispy Fries 
Then the best fries are double-fried. First fry at a lower temperature to cook them through. Drain on paper towel, then fry again in hotter oil to crisp them up to golden perfection.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 1539mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

We hope you loved these this delicious potato recipe. Here are a few more easy recipes for you to explore.

AboutVictoria

You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.

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