Seasoned Fries are crispy, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and spicy, bursting with flavor. Comfort food made in the comfort of your own kitchen makes them so much better than fast food fries.
Of course, indulging in fast-food french fries is okay because they are delicious. But have you seen what goes in them? I can’t even pronounce all the words on the ingredient list. That means homemade is the best way to go.
A handy trick for effortless fries is having a stash of homemade french fry seasoning on hand. Even better, you can customize your seasoning blend as spicy or mild as you like. And if you’re avoiding all things fried, it goes great sprinkled on a baked potato.
How to Make the Best Seasoned Fries
A couple of tricks that help is to double fry. First, fry them once without browning, drain them well, increase the heat, and fry them crispy. The second is salt and season them right out of the fryer while they’re still piping hot. That way, the seasoning sticks for better flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- Potatoes – Larger potatoes make longer fries. Top potatoes for homemade fries include Russet, Idaho, and Yukon Gold. They hold their shape well and get beautifully crispy.
- Homemade Seasonings – Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and sea salt deliver the classic fry seasoning recipe. Dried herbs work best for a spice mix. I always triple the batch and store it in my spice cabinet for a fast and easy fry fix.
How to Make Seasoned Fries
Prep the Fries
- Seasoning – Combine the seasoning ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside or store in a spice jar. (Photos 1-2)
- Prep Potatoes – Thoroughly scrub the potatoes if making the fries with the skins on. Then, remove blemishes, such as bruising and discoloration, with a paring knife. If you peel them, place the peeled potatoes in a bowl of cold water and completely submerge them so they don’t turn dark while you peel the rest. (Photos 3-4)
- Cut the potatoes lengthwise with a sharp knife into 4-5 slices, then cut each slice into sticks. The width depends on your preference. Remember, the thinner the fries, the crispier they get. (Photos 5-6)
- Soak – Place the cut potatoes in the bowl of water, making sure they’re fully submerged. Soak them for two or three hours. Note: You can also soak them in the fridge for several hours or overnight to remove excess starch. It makes crispier fries. (Photo 7)
- Prep Work Station – When ready to fry the potatoes, line a cookie sheet or large plate with paper towels. You might have to use more than one plate or cookie sheet. Set aside.
- Drain the potatoes and lay them on the prepared cookie sheet. Pat the damp fries with paper towels to remove excess moisture. (Photo 8)
Fry Them Up
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 300℉/160℃.
- First Fry – Carefully drop fries into the hot oil for 5-6 minutes. Potatoes should be crisp and tender but not browned. (Photo 9)
- Drain – Remove the fries and gently shake off the excess oil using a large strainer or slotted spoon. Drain them on a plate or rack. Continue frying the remaining potatoes until you have par-cooked all the fries. (Photo 10) At this point, you can freeze the fries in a ziplock bag for later.
- Increase heat to 350℉/177℃.
- Second Fry – Return potatoes to the fryer in small batches, frying until golden brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes. (Photo 11)
- Season – Remove from oil, shake off the excess, and immediately toss with the seasoning mixture. (Photo 12) Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.
Recipe Variations
- Creole Seasoning – Making Cajun fries seasoning is as simple as using Creole seasoning mix instead.
- Taco Seasoning – Add a touch of Mexican flair with a sprinkle of taco seasoning.
- Sweet Potato Fries – Use the seasonings on sweet potato fries or potato wedges. Yum!
- Air Fryer – Air fry them at 375℉ (190℃) for the second frying for a healthier version.
Tips and Tricks
- Peanut oil or lard are great options for frying at high temperatures without smoking.
- Remember to add the seasoning while the fries are hot so they’ll stick to them.
- Frying them twice is essential to crispy fries.
- Use a brown paper bag to toss and shake your fries and seasonings together.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Make the fries through the first frying. Then, spread them out on a baking sheet so they don’t stick together and freeze them. Store them in a freezer ziplock bag after they’ve frozen solid. You can fry or bake the fries straight from frozen when ready to enjoy your seasoned fries.
Pro Tip: Blanching or par-cooking is essential for freezing potatoes. That’s because raw potatoes contain a lot of water, which affects the texture when thawed.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Is there anything better than fries hot out of the fryer? I didn’t think so! 😋
In case of leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two max. Reheat them in the oven or, even better, an air fryer.
What to Serve With Seasoned Fries
Grilled hamburgers are the first thing that comes to mind. But any sandwich is perfect: a chicken or fish sandwich and seasoned fries will blow any McDonald’s Happy Meal out of the water. And for a gluten-free meal, try them with a jibarito plantain and steak sandwich.
More Soul-Satisfying Snacks to Try
- Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
- Cajun Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Mac and Cheese Bites
- Pulled Pork Egg Rolls
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in April 2022 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Seasoned Fries
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds (1.5-2k) russet potatoes
- vegetable or peanut oil for frying
- 2 teaspoons (5g) onion powder
- 2 teaspoons (4g) garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons (5g) paprika
- ½ teaspoon (.5-1g) dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon (.5-1g) dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon (.5-1g) dried basil
- ½ teaspoon (1g) black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (.5-1g) cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5g) sea salt
Instructions
French Fry Seasoning
- Combine the seasoning ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside or store in a spice jar.
French Fries
- Thoroughly scrub the potatoes if making the fries with the skins on. Then, remove blemishes, such as bruising and discoloration, with a paring knife. If you peel them, place the peeled potatoes in a bowl of cold water and completely submerge them so they don't turn dark while you peel the rest.
- Cut the potatoes lengthwise with a sharp knife into 4-5 slices, then cut each one into sticks. The width depends on your preference. Remember, the thinner the fries, the crispier they get.
- Place the cut potatoes in the bowl of water, making sure they're fully submerged. Soak them for two or three hours.Note: You can also soak them in the fridge for several hours or overnight to remove excess starch. It makes crispier fries.
- When ready to fry the potatoes, line a cookie sheet or large plate with paper towels. You might have to use more than one plate or cookie sheet. Set aside.
- Drain the potatoes and lay them on the prepared cookie sheet. Pat the damp fries with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Heat the oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 300℉/160℃.
- Remove the fries and gently shake off the excess oil using a large strainer or slotted spoon. Drain them on a plate or rack. Continue frying the remaining potatoes until you have par-cooked all the fries.At this point, you can freeze the fries in a ziplock bag for later.
- Increase heat to 350℉/177℃.
- Return potatoes to the fryer in small batches, frying until golden brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from oil, shake off the excess, and immediately toss with the seasoning mixture. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.
Tips & Notes:
- Peanut oil or lard are excellent options to fry your potatoes.
- Remember to add the seasoning while the fries are hot so it sticks to the fries.
- Twice-frying is the key to making the best seasoned fries.
- Use a brown paper bag to toss and shake your fries and seasonings together.
- Baking Method. After cutting and drying the sliced potatoes, transfer them to a bowl and season them with the spice mixture. Then bake them at 300℉ (150℃) for 30 minutes.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Wanda B. says
Hi Imma. For the baking method, do we sprinkle the fries with some form of oil before placing in the oven? Once I make it I will rate it but looking at the spices, I know that it will be good.
Imma says
Yes, I would toss the fries in a little bit of oil before baking them. They’ll bake more evenly and the seasonings will stick better.