A recipe to make deep-fried French fries, the right way to make restaurant-style fries at home!
Table of contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- The one true method. Of all the things that should be easy but are actually hard, fries are number one. And hard isn’t exactly the right word, either. The issue is this: there is ONE correct way to make fries. You have deep fry them. Twice. And before that, you have to soak them in ice water. For hours. I know! It’s totally ridiculous. But if you can just accept that, life will be easier.
- Super frugal. A bag of frozen fries will cost over three dollars at the store. A few russet potatoes? Under a dollar.
- The perfect side for any other deep-fried food. If you have your deep fryer filled and hot, throwing fries in there is no big deal.
🧂 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.
You’ll need the following for this recipeL
- Russet potatoes
- Salt
- Peanut oil
🥣 Equipment
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- French fry cutter (optional)
- Vegetable scrub brush
- A deep fryer! (or you can deep fry in a Dutch Oven and use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature)
🍴Instructions
Step One: cut with a knife or fry cutter
Make sure your potatoes are scrubbed very clean. We will be eating the outside of them.
Then we cut just cut them into French fry shapes. First, cut the ends off so the two short sides are flat. Cut them into 1/4 inch slices, then strips. This takes a few minutes of work, but it’s not hard.
But there’s another way to do this too!
If you have a French fry cutter, slicing the potatoes just takes a few seconds. Cut off the ends, place the potato inside, and push. It will magically slice your potato into perfect fries.
Step Two: the ice bath
After slicing, the potatoes need to soak in ice water. Why? To pull out some of the starchiness in the potatoes. This makes sure that they are soft inside and crisp outside. It’s a crucial step that you can’t skip. (Trust me, I’ve tried!)
Just place them in a bowl with ice cubes and water and place them in the fridge. They’ll need to soak for at least 2 hours, and can wait up to 12 hours.
When that’s done, take them out and pat them dry. Start preheating the deep fryer to 325.
Step three: the first fry
This first fry is done for a longer time at a lower temperature to cook the potatoes. Fry them for about 5-7 minutes. They won’t darken much, but they will be soft. Remove the fries and allow them to drain on a paper towel.
Increase the heat in the deep fryer to 375.
Step Four: the second fry
So your fries are soft, pale, and not very delicious looking. Don’t worry, when you fry them the second time they’ll crisp right up.
Fry them in batches so that they have a little more room to swim around in the oil. This will help them brown faster. Lower them into the deep fryer and let them cook for a few minutes, about 2-4, until they are as browned as you would like them.
Lift up the basket and let them drain on a fresh layer of paper towels. Salt them immediately when you take them out.
Serve right away!
🥫 Storage instructions
Fries, homemade or otherwise, do not keep all that well. However, if you have an air-fryer, you can store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in there.
🔍 FAQs
Russet or Kennebec. Russet are the most widely available and affordable, so unless you grow your own potatoes, those will probably be the best choice.
Yes and no. If you don’t, you’ll still have fries in the end. But for the best results, it’s a step you can’t skip.
Peanut oil! Vegetable will work too.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
You can soak these in cold water for up to 24 hours, so feel free to get the prep work done ahead of time.
Keep in mind that the second frying will be very short, only 1-2 minutes, so have you paper towels and salt ready!
Be careful with hot oil, especially with little people around.
📘 Related Recipes
🍽 Serve it with
- Any time you are deep frying anything, you might as well make some fries! We serve these with deep-fried chicken tenders, one of our favorite dinners.
- Burgers are popular with fries, but I never, ever make these unless I am already deep frying something else.
📖 Here’s the recipe
The Best Deep Fried French Fries
Ingredients
- 3 russet potatoes scrubbed clean
- 1 quart peanut oil for frying
- salt
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife or French fry cutter, cut the potatoes into 1/4 square strips. Place them in a bowl of ice water. Place in the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 2 hours, up to 12 hours.
- Set up deep fryer according to manufacture's instructions and fill with peanut oil. Preheat the deep fryer to 325.
- Drain the water from the potatoes and pat them as dry as possible. They will be very cold, maybe even frozen. Place the potatoes in the basket. It's okay if they are crowded for the first fry. Submerge into the oil and deep fry for about 5-7 minutes until they are softened and slightly darker, but still pale. Place on paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
- Increase heat in deep fryer to 375. Fry the French fries a second time, this time in smaller batches so that they float freely in the oil. Fry for only 2-4 minutes, or until they have reached the desired level of brownness and crispness. Drain on paper-towel-lined baking sheets, and salt immediately. Serve as soon as possible
Awesome. Very pleased with the results.
BOMB!!!! thank you!
💕 thanks jay!