Nothing beats a french fry and they couldn’t be easier to make! This baked version is healthier and you can easily dress them up with various fancy toppings.
These Ms Russet Oven Baked French Fries are much healthier than the fully fried version. I LOVE french fries, but I really detest the process of boiling a giant pot of oil – it smells up the house and then you have a giant pot of oil to deal with. So, when I make them at home, I bake them and they still come out great. This recipe is much healthier than the fully fried alternative.
Pro Tip: If you want them extra healthy, minimize the amount of oil you are using – only adding a teaspoon at a time to lightly coat the potatoes.
Ms Russet Oven Baked French Fries – Ingredients:
- 3-4 large Idaho russet potatoes
- 2-4 tbsp oil of choice (I like olive or avocado oil)
- Salt and other seasonings (to taste) – see fancy serving suggestions below for more ideas
Pro Tip: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil ahead of time.
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F convection
2. Peel and cut your potatoes into long strips (I usually keep the skin on because I like it)
3. Rinse well with cold water and drain (if you have the time, you can soak for 30 mins to remove more starch and you will have slightly crispier fries)
4. Dry out on tea towels until they are very dry (if you skip this you will not have crispy fries)
5. Add potatoes to a large bowl and toss in enough oil to coat each fry (for a healthier version, minimize your oil of choice, adding only 1 tsp at a time) – then add salt or any seasoning of your choice and toss well
6. Evenly spread onto a sheet pan so that they are not overlapping (I also like to line it with parchment paper or foil for easier clean up)
7. Bake until crispy – start checking at 25 mins, it could take between 25-40 mins depending on the thickness of your fries and your desired level of crisp
Note on Steak Fries: If you are going to do a thicker cut, like a steak fry, you will need to roast at a lower temperature first to avoid burning. Start at 350 F convection for 25 mins and then turn it up to 425 F convection and bake for another 15-25 mins
8. Final taste test – Once they have cooled to the point where you can taste without burning your tongue, decide if they need more seasoning and adjust
Alternative Preparation:
- Instead of oil and seasoning, toss the dried potato strips in chili crisp oil. Here are some of my favorites: (Fly By Jing Chengdu Crunch Oil, Momofuku Chili Crisp, and Lao Gan Ma)
- Also check out this Basic Baked French Fries recipe from our friends at the Idaho Potato Commission. You can’t go wrong with any potato-related recipes they have on their site!
Fancy Serving Alternatives:
- Rosemary Parmesan Fries: Toss in grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped rosemary
- Truffle Fries: Drizzle with a very small amount of truffle oil and toss
- Chili Crisp Fries: Drizzle with a small amount of chili crisp and toss
- Szechuan Fries: Sprinkle ground Szechuan peppercorns and toss
- Salt and Pepper Fries: Toss in fresh cracked pepper and flaky sea salt
- Italian Fries: Toss in grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and Italian seasoning
- Greek Fries: Toss fries with diced feta and kalamata olives
- Poutine: Top fried with brown gravy and cheese curds (or chunks of nice mozzarella cheese)
My Favorite Dipping Sauces:
- Curry Aioli: An easy fancy addition is a simple mixture of mayo and curry powder
- Fry Sauce: You could also go with the classic Fry Sauce (it’s super popular in my homeland of Idaho) – simply mix ketchup and mayo until you have a light pink color and desired taste profile
- Tzatziki Dip: Mix full-fat Greek yogurt with garlic salt and finely diced cucumber
