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Gourmet Cooking at Home!

You’ve Been Making French Fries The Wrong Way!

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It’s National French Fry Day!

You love french fries, right?  Just close your eyes and imagine them.  Perfectly crisp outside.  Tender and light inside.  That crunch when you bite into them — no soggy wannabes.  For most of us the siren call of a side of fries is almost too magnetic to ignore.   

 

potatoes

And for most of us – we get our fries when we’re eating out.  Not at home.  Never at home.  Why?  Hello??? – they’re a pain in the ass, um, too much trouble to make.  Until now.  Seriously.

 

sliced potatoes in a bowl of water

The traditional method — requires frying not once, but twice.  The first time cooks the inside, the second crisps the outside.  P.I.T.A.    No more.  I heard about this new technique on NPR. I’m sure you’ve heard Christopher Kimball and his culinary gurus broadcast  America’s Test Kitchen answering questions and offering tips to home cooks.  

 

potatoes in a pot of cold oil

You’ve been making french fries the wrong way!

This episode was revelatory to me — because they suggested  that frying only once with very little hands-on effort would result in magically crisp-tender fries — and use about 1/3 less oil.  Whaaat???  Easier and healthier?  

“No”.  

“Yes.”  

“Noooo”.  

“YES!”

 

potatoes frying in a pot fried potatoes with a spider

It was all too much to believe, so I did the only thing I could.  I tried it.  The secret to these fries is to place the rinsed and dried potatoes directly into COLD oil.  As the oil heats to the normal frying temperature, it gradually cooks the inside of the potato, so that by the time the oil is bubbling, the inside is cooked – and it goes right into the crisping phase.  All by itself.  No help from me.  AND the potato doesn’t soak up as much oil.  Really.

 

french fries draining on a sheet pan

To confirm that, I fried the potatoes,  let the oil cool and then poured the oil back into the original container.  It filled back up nearly to the top.  Maybe a quarter cup was actually absorbed in the whole batch.  Incredible.  

 


sprinkling salt on french fries

And look at the result.   Perfectly browned.  Not greasy.  Perfectly crispy and gorgeous.  A sprinkle of sea salt while they’re still hot is all they need.  And maybe some ketchup.  I love ketchup.

 

french fries on a board with ketchup

Also try these crazy good Duck Fat Potatoes.  They’re baked in real duck fat until crispy and crackly.

french fries with ketchup

dipping french fries in ketchup

french fries and a bowl of ketchup



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4.34 from 33 votes

World's Easiest French Fries

You'll never make french fries any other way!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword fries, potatoes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 349kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 32 ounces peanut oil for frying
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water. Set aside. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes into thin fries (about 1/3"-1/2" thick). Transfer the cut potatoes to the cold water. Swish the potatoes in the water with you hand and drain the water from the potatoes. Refill the bowl with cold water and rinse again. Use paper towels to pat dry the potatoes.
  • Add the oil to a medium dutch oven. Put the potatoes into the cold oil. Place the oven on the stove and turn the heat to medium-medium high. The oil will bubble briskly once it comes to temperature. Cook the potatoes for 25-30 minutes until crisp outside and tender inside, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
  • Use a spider or slotted spoon to scoop out the fries and transfer them to the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle the fries with salt. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 4g | Vitamin C: 19.4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 5.5mg

More Ways With Potatoes:

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Thyme
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Thyme
Blue and Gold Potato Souffle | Garlic + Zest
Luscious Blue & Gold Souffle

 

Pin “Homemade French Fries” For Later!

 

 

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Side Dishes// Vegetables43 Comments

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Comments

  1. Timmo says

    September 17, 2020 at 4:25 PM

    Tried this. It was easy and the results were good, but they still don’t hold up to twice-fried potatoes, which I glaze with a bit of truffle oil.

    Reply
  2. Sara A says

    June 3, 2020 at 5:58 PM

    Hi, would this work with an electric deep fryer?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 3, 2020 at 6:09 PM

      Yes, you should be able to use an electric deep fryer (not an air fryer). Just start with the cold oil as directed.

      Reply
  3. HuxFlux says

    May 28, 2020 at 12:47 PM

    The method is actualy nothing new. It’s called confi, witch is a French way of cooking in oil, instead of frying.
    In the original method you coock your potatos, meat, veggies, fruits in the oil on 90 Celsius or sometimes even less.
    The method was invented a long time ago and was used mainly to preserve the dish.

    If you cock your meat confi, and than put in a jar covered with oil, and store it in a cool dark place it will last years!

    Even though the method was invented to preserve the dish, witch the name of the method suggest (confire in French, to preserve), it is often used by novadays chefs because what is also preserves is water.

    The oil is the thing that transports taste, if you put plums and apples in the oil in witch you prepare your confi duck or confi turkey it will have a very strong plum and apple taste.
    Confi is a lot stronger taste adding agent than water.

    The other advantage of confi is the fact that even though it penetrates the meat like water can not, it dose not mix with water inside your meat, so it dose not take taste out of your dish. Contrary to cooking in water.

    Try coocking your meat confi.
    I am making a confi duck every Christmas.

    And always remember never put you’re confi used oil down the drain.
    It has all the smell of the duck and veggies, and can be a marvelous agent to frying potatoes and other vegetables you are going to add to your duck. And also it is a great base for the sauce.

    Try it out and I guarantee you are never gonna prepare your thanksgiving turkey any other way.

    Reply
  4. Rae Laidley says

    May 10, 2020 at 11:07 PM

    Yes, putting the fries in cold oil works! The fries were absolutely perfect. I don’t cook fries often, but will definitely use this method.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 11, 2020 at 8:34 AM

      So glad you enjoyed them Rae!

      Reply
  5. Ali says

    April 13, 2020 at 6:06 PM

    Can I use coconut or canola oil instead of peanut oil? Also can I use russet potatoes instead of golden?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 13, 2020 at 6:44 PM

      Coconut Oil has a smoke point of 350° and Canola oil has a smoke point of 400° whereas peanut oil has a smoke point of 450°. That means you can cook the potatoes at a higher heat without negative repercussions. I wouldn’t use coconut oil because it would impart a flavor to it. If you’re going to make a substitution, try canola oil, but watch the heat. it should be bubbling, but you don’t want it to go beyond the smoke point. The moisture content in the Yukon Gold is the optimum, but you can make this with russets if you want.

      Reply
  6. Laura says

    April 4, 2020 at 5:47 PM

    I’ve always been scared of “deep frying” at home!

    These are easy and delicious!

    #fearlessfryer

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 4, 2020 at 6:18 PM

      I’m so glad you found it to be an easy method. I certainly did. Congratulations on your fearless fryer status!

      Reply
  7. Mallory says

    March 29, 2020 at 7:18 PM

    My potatoes are all falling apart in the oil..do you know why that would happen?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 29, 2020 at 7:59 PM

      What type of potatoes are you using?

      Reply
  8. Janene Geisner says

    February 22, 2020 at 4:38 PM

    I made these a couple nights ago. They were good but not as crisp as I like. I cooked them the minimum time and they were cooked through but not real crisp. I will make them again tonight and cook a little longer. Even so they were better than any fast food frys and so easy! Thank you for sharing this method.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      February 22, 2020 at 7:14 PM

      Thanks for sharing. You can cook the fries until their a deep golden brown to get them crisper — also it will depend on how thick you’ve cut the fries. It is an easier method than the double-fry — and absorbing less oil is a good thing!

      Reply
  9. Alysia says

    January 21, 2020 at 8:13 PM

    I just made these tonight as a side to burgers. My son loves fries but they are so labor intensive. How did I not know about this method sooner? They are fantastic! I cooked them to a light golden brown and they were perfectly crispy AND they stayed that way. Generally the fries I made had a crisp shelf life of about 5 minutes.
    I will never go back again and now we can have fries more often. Thank you for sharing this!!!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 22, 2020 at 7:01 AM

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them Alysia! It’s definitely an easy method — and the results are fabulous!

      Reply
  10. Sonny says

    December 21, 2019 at 9:12 PM

    Sorry. I followed the recipe perfectly I thought but they came out burned. Only going 20-25 min even. I guess I can try again just cook it less?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      December 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

      I’m sorry your fries burned … how thick did you cut them? If they were shoestring, they’d obviously take less time. That said, my fries were a darker brown than the one’s you’d get at McDonald’s or the like, but they didn’t taste burnt. When you try it again, be sure you’re using your spider to turn the fries every so often as they cook and when they start to look done, take one out as a tester and verify that it’s cooked through and crisp.

      Reply
  11. Ronda Westhoff says

    September 15, 2019 at 8:21 PM

    Does the oil splatter when cooking?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 16, 2019 at 7:13 AM

      Not really. Of course, you need to use a pot that’s wide and deep. You want to have the volume of oil and potatoes several inches below the rim of the pot.

      Reply
  12. Elizabeth says

    September 4, 2019 at 2:54 PM

    Oh my! Wow, wow, wow. Thanks for sharing this technique! I’ve been craving homemade fries for days now, but my previous disappointing attempts usually meant making a huge mess and still driving for take out. Not this time. I followed your recipe, using russet potatoes and olive oil, and found I needed closer to 40 minutes for the level of crispness I was looking for. I have an electric range and feel I was too conservative on the heat from the start, but about 10 minutes in when I started seeing the first of the bubbles, I bumped the heat from 6 to 8. The end result was piles of perfect French fries. Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 4, 2019 at 6:05 PM

      So glad it was a success for you! Nothing better than piles of perfect french fries!

      Reply
  13. Ash says

    August 21, 2019 at 8:55 PM

    Is the lid duppossed to be on? Or open top?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 22, 2019 at 7:28 AM

      No, definitely don’t put the lid on.

      Reply
  14. Amy Lea says

    August 7, 2019 at 8:23 PM

    Absolutely awesome! Will always do this! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 8, 2019 at 11:09 AM

      I’m glad you like! I think it’s so much easier!

      Reply
  15. Eunice says

    April 15, 2019 at 10:08 AM

    French fries are my FAVORITE food, but I’ve always been hesitant to make them at home because I’m not a big fan of deep frying (makes me nervous). I finally decided to make some and gave this recipe a try. They turned out to be the BEST fries I’ve had. I’ve made them twice and both times they turned out amazing. I’ll be making them again tonight with some salmon burgers. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 15, 2019 at 10:32 AM

      Eunice — we love french fries too — and normally, I’m not a fan of deep frying either — but this method is so easy and so good! I’m very happy that you enjoyed them too!

      Reply
  16. Mark says

    January 13, 2019 at 4:49 PM

    Lisa,

    I can’t figure out how to reply to your replies so I have to make a new comment.

    The multi-chopper I have came from Williams Sonoma and it cost $50. It’s no longer available but newer versions of the product are. Here is my old one (one of the pictures shows the french fry cutter):
    https://uedata.amazon.com/Williams-Sonoma-5471628-Professional-Multi-Chopper/dp/B0047ONEVM

    I’m not sure I’d buy it new myself. If you just search on multi chopper you can likely find a better one, but this one does work.

    And yes, I know too much about ketchup. I was shocked to learn that mayonnaise outsells ketchup as the #1 condiment in America. Did you know that Heinz shut down one of their production plants up north (Ontario) which would have put lots of local tomato farmers out of business? Well, French’s (the mustard company) learned of this and bought the plant from Heinz. And that’s why French’s now makes ketchup. I bought some and it’s, well….. ketchup. It tasted good but with that secret ingredient I’ll always prefer Heinz. Own your ketchup purchasing and bring your family to heel!

    Reply
  17. Mark says

    January 12, 2019 at 8:32 PM

    Lisa,

    Thanks for the reply. Tonight I used russets and so tried a different method. I boiled them whole for 15 minutes, then sliced them using a multi-chopper for ease and perfect dimensions, then fried them in oil until golden brown. They turned out great – at least as delicious as high quality fries from a restaurant.

    And I’m highly aware of ketchups! I really enjoy Heinz ketchup, it’s got a “secret” ingredient I learned of from the Food Wishes blogger. It’s clove oil. Heinz now has a version with reduced and/or no sugar (the label has changed in the last year) that I really enjoy because it has, as I mentioned, a quarter of the sugar in regular ketchup. Almost all brands of ketchup, including Heinz, has 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon whereas their low/no sugar version has 1 gram per tablespoon. I love it!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 13, 2019 at 7:45 AM

      Those fries sound dynamite. Which multi-chopper do you have that gave perfect dimension? IMO, Shake Shake makes the perfect restaurant fries though — I’ll never say no to fries. Glad you’ve got the down low on the ketchup. I’ll have to look for the no sugar version in my store, but I’m gun shy after being lambasted for buying the wrong stuff the first time.

      Reply
  18. Mark says

    January 12, 2019 at 6:13 PM

    I’ve tried this method before because of Cook’s Illustrated and they turned out great. I did use Yukon Gold as prescribed. However, will this work with russet potatoes? Do any adjustments need to be made if using russets?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 12, 2019 at 7:48 PM

      I wouldn’t think you’d need to do anything different with russet potatoes, the texture will be more fluffy than with the Yukon Gold. Not necessarily a bad thing!

      Reply
  19. Linda @ With A Blast says

    August 8, 2017 at 2:42 PM

    Well I never ! I wouldn’t have thought of using COLD oil ! I’ll definitely try a batch using your method 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 8, 2017 at 3:20 PM

      I know! It’s CRAZY! But it works!

      Reply
  20. Jagruti says

    August 8, 2017 at 1:39 PM

    Thanks for showing me the right way of making fries!

    Reply
  21. Luci's Morsels says

    August 8, 2017 at 1:28 PM

    These look better than restaurant fries and I know my fries! I have got to make these ASAP! Thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try these.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 8, 2017 at 2:19 PM

      They’re delicious but I really like how simple they are to make!

      Reply
  22. Danielle says

    August 8, 2017 at 12:50 PM

    They look like the perfect crispy fries! You really can’t beat homemade.

    Reply
  23. Michael says

    July 13, 2015 at 11:31 AM

    What temperature?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 13, 2015 at 12:03 PM

      Keep it between 350 and 375. I had it on a medium high heat on my gas cooktop.

      Reply
  24. Katrina says

    July 13, 2015 at 7:39 AM

    Yes!!!! We love fries, but you’re right… Homemade fries have always been a P.I.T.A 🙂 Can’t wait to try this method – looks super easy!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 13, 2015 at 9:21 AM

      Super-easy!

      Reply

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Lisa

Calling all cooks! You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table! At Garlic & Zest, I’ll show you how to make hundreds of seasonal, fresh recipes and indulgent comfort foods with easy step-by-step instructions and photos to help you master the dish.

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