Everything you need to know about how to make the best french fries at home!

I’ve tried making oven baked french fries before and while they are delicious, they aren’t quite that restaurant crispiness that has me running to happy hour. After a few tries at home, BMW and I have nailed down the recipe and tips that you need to know to make the BEST french fries at home! These will rival any restaurant french fries and you don’t even have to put on pants.

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Crispy Homemade French Fries

There are a few secrets that will take your homemade french fries from meh to oh yes! We’ve made these in small batches for just the two of us to huge platters that will feed eight hungry adults. So basically what I am saying is that with a few tips, you can follow these easy steps for how to make the best french fries!

Step 1: Look for russets that are longer in shape, that will give those super long fries! Once you get your potatoes home, wash and peel them.

Step 2: Slice the potatoes into long fries. We like to make fries that are closer to shoestring type fries, so we slice into long rectangles that are about 1/4in on each side. You can cut them any thickness you, that will just change the fry time but we will go over that later!

Step 3: Place the sliced, uncooked fries into a large bowl. Cover with ice and fill with water. Let the potatoes chill in the water for at least 30min or up to an hour. This will help the starches stiffen and get crispier later.

Step 4: Get your oil ready. We’ve used peanut and vegetable oil and they both work well. Fill a large, deep pot about 2/3s the way full of oil. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature of the oil, you want the oil to get to 325 degrees F.

Step 5: Remove fries from water and pat dry. Then carefully place into the pot. Depending on the size and depth of your pot, you might need to fry the potatoes in batches. Do not stir the fries once they are in the oil. Let them sit, if you stir, there is a good chance you will break the fries. Let the fries cook until they are slightly lighter than the color of a McDonald’s french fry. The timing really depends on several factors like quantity of oil and potatoes, size of pot, etc. so timing is difficult to measure here but it seems to be in about the 10 minute range for us.

Step 6: Once fries are just beginning to get golden, remove them using a spider strainer. Let them cool on a paper towel lined plate or wire cooling rack. Let the oil come back up to 350 degrees F.

Step 7: Wait to this second fry until you are ready to serve the fries. The first fry can be done ahead of time, up to an hour, then do the second fry right before serving. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, return the fries to the pot for the double fry! Hello crispiness! Let fries fry for another 1-2 minutes or until golden. You’ll want to pull them out before they get too brown or they will be too crispy.

Step 8: Let the fries drain on a paper towel lined plate or wire cooling rack. Season with salt and serve while still hot. I season liberally, but it’s up to you. I wouldn’t recommend using flaky salt here, table or kosher salt works best because you want the hot fries to dissolve some of that salt into the actual fry. Usually, I toss the fries and salt a little while on the paper towel.

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How To Make The Best French Fries

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 large, long russet potatoes

8 cups of vegetable or peanut oil, approximately, for frying

1 teaspoon of kosher salt, plus more to taste

Kitchen Equipment:

Candy Thermometer

Spider Strainer

Cast Iron Pot, or other large pot for frying

Wire Cooling Rack

Directions:

Wash and peel the potatoes.
Slice into desired fry length and thickness. I recommend about 1/4in thick for a skinny, crispy result.
Place the sliced, uncooked fries into a large bowl. Cover with ice and fill with water. Let the potatoes chill in the water for at least 30min or up to an hour.
Fill a large, deep pot about 2/3rds the way full of oil and heat to 325 degrees.
Remove fries from water and pat dry. Then carefully place into the hot oil. Depending on the size and depth of your pot, you might need to fry the potatoes in batches. Do not stir the fries once they are in the oil. Let them sit, if you stir, there is a good chance you will break the fries. Let the fries cook until they are slightly lighter than the color of a McDonald’s french fry. The timing really depends on several factors like quantity of oil and potatoes, size of pot, etc. so timing is difficult to measure here.
Once fries are just beginning to get golden, remove them using a spider strainer. Let them cool on a paper towel lined plate or wire cooling rack. Let the oil come back up to 350 degrees F.
Wait to do the second fry until you are ready to serve. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, return the fries to the pot for 1-2 minutes or until golden. You’ll want to pull them out before they get too brown or they will be too crispy.
Let the fries drain on a paper towel lined plate or rack. Season with salt while still hot. Serve immediately.