Almost any meal can be improved with French fries, and my baked version is a little bit herby, a little bit salty, and packed full of flavor. Using just four ingredients, you can create restaurant-quality oven-baked French fries that aren’t just better for your wallet but taste so much better than any you could find at the grocery store.
How to make French fries in the oven
Prepare and season Potatoes. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190ºC. Next, scrub and wash your potatoes well – especially if you won’t peel them. I prefer to keep the skins on for extra flavor, but you can peel them. Pat the potatoes dry. Then, cut them into uniform strips. They should each be about an equal size so that they cook evenly – I prefer them in a thin French fry style, but you can cut them thicker if you prefer. Add the potato strips into a large bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 20-30 minutes to remove any excess starch which could otherwise result in a gummy texture. Rinse, then dry the potato using a kitchen towel. Toss the potatoes in the olive oil. Arrange on Baking Sheet and bake: Place the French fries on a baking tray in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd them or have any crossing over – this will prevent them from cooking evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 425ºF/220ºC and cook for a further 25 minutes until the baked French fries are golden. Depending on the thickness of your fries and how crispy you like them, the cooking time can vary. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper to taste. Serve alongside your favorite dips – I always like pairing it with my homemade ketchup and garlic aioli, but why not try it with In-N-Out sauce, my copycat Cane Sauce, fry sauce, mayo, or a creamy honey mustard sauce?
How to reheat the baked French fries
If you’ve got any leftover fries, return them to an oven heated to 400°F/200°C. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the fries are hot and crispy again. If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
