Homemade Seasoned French Fries are crispy, fluffy, and delightfully flavorful. Learn how to make these easy fries with a handful of our favorite seasonings and serve them with our Cast Iron Skillet Burger at your next barbeque!
These mouthwatering golden fries are seasoned with basil, paprika, and garlic powder for lots of flavor. Pair them with a delicious dipping sauce like our spicy aioli, truffle aioli, or wasabi mayo for extra flavor!
Homemade seasoned fries can be made year round and go with so many lunch and dinner recipes. Try these yummy fries with Cast Iron Skillet Burger, BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs (Baked in Oven), or as a base for Animal Style Fries (In-N-Out Copycat).
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About Homemade French Fries
- Taste - These crispy French fries are earthy and savory. The garlic powder, basil, and smoked paprika also add an herbaceous and slightly spicy seasoning.
- Texture - The fries are crispy and fluffy.
- Effort - You only need to fry the potatoes then lightly season them. If you want to streamline the process, use store-bought fries instead of making them yourself.
- Time - You need to chill the potatoes for about 30 minutes then it takes about 15 minutes to cook the potatoes twice and season them.
Ingredients
- Potatoes - Yukon and russet potatoes have pleasant flavor. When fried, both get crispy on the outside while maintaining a fluffy interior.
- Frying oil - Canola oil, peanut oil, and vegetable oil are great for deep frying potatoes because they all have a high smoke point. Olive oil has a lower smoke point and is not ideal for frying.
- Paprika - Paprika adds a light spiciness to the fries.
- Garlic powder - Garlic powder adds the quintessential aroma to the fries without overpowering the other ingredients.
- Dried Basil - Basil brightens up the fries with herbaceous flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Minced garlic - Used minced garlic instead of garlic powder for a more robust garlic aroma.
- Black or White Truffle oil - Truffle oil has a robust aroma and slightly garlicky taste.
- Parmigiano-reggiano cheese - Parmigiano-reggiano is an aged Italian cheese made of cow's milk. It is full of umami flavor and the perfect cheesy topping for fries.
- Frozen Fries - In order to make this recipe with frozen fries, just follow the instructions on the packaging, then add our seasoning blend.
- Potatoes - Idaho or Russet potatoes are a good replacement for Yukon golds because they have a high starch content and will also maintain their fluffy interior when fried.
- Air fryer - Make the fries in an air fryer instead of over the stove.
Variations
- Extra spicy - Add smoked paprika or chili powder to the seasoning to make these classic seasoned French fries extra spicy.
- Onion Powder - Add onion powder for a pungent and sweet flavor.
- Parsley - Parsley adds a bright and herby flavor.
- Cajun fries - Check out our Cajun Fries for uniquely flavored fries.
- Parmesan truffle fries - Parmesan Truffle Fries are a rich and unique spin on traditional fries.
- Caramelized Onions - Top these fries with Caramelized Onions for rich flavor.
Instructions
- Chill potatoes - Place the cut potatoes in a bowl bowl in the refrigerator and soak potatoes for at least 30 minutes and as long as overnight. When ready to fry, drain the water completely and place the sliced potatoes on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels then pat dry right before frying. (Photo 1 and 2)
- Heat oil for frying - Add about 3 inches of oil to a large pot or dutch oven and heat the oil to 300˚F. If the oil starts to bubble against the spoon, it’s ready for frying. (Photo 3)
- First fry - Add a third of the potatoes to the oil and cook for 5 minutes, until the potatoes turn light golden brown. Remove from the oil, carefully shake the excess oil into the pot, and place the fries on a rack. Return the oil back to 300˚F between each batch to ensure the fries are cooking evenly. (Photo 3 and 4)
- Second fry - Once all of the fries have cooked once, increase the heat of the oil to 400˚F. Repeat the process and add a third of the fries to the oil and fry until they become deep golden brown. (Photo 5)
- Season fries - Remove the fries from the oil, shake off the excess oil, and place in a mixing boil. Season with garlic powder, basil, paprika, salt and pepper. Gently toss and serve immediately. (Photo 6, 7, and 8)
Pro tip: You can use store-bought frozen fries instead of frying them yourself then just add our fry seasoning. While we prefer the taste and texture of our fries, store-bought fries will save you time and effort.
What to Serve with Homemade Fries
These homemade fries are an easy side that taste delicious with a main course. Check out these dinner recipes that pair perfectly with fries:
- Cast Iron Skillet Burger
- Pesto Swiss And Turkey Skillet Sliders
- Cheese Quesadilla with Pan Roasted Vegetables
- BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs (Baked in Oven)
- Bavette Steak (Broiled Garlic Flank Steak)
FAQ
The origin of French fries is disputed, but many claim that the fries originated in Belgium in World War I. The story goes that there was a French speaking town in Belgium where the townspeople ate fried potatoes. When American soldiers encountered the French speaking townspeople and the fried potatoes, they called the potatoes French fries.
While we wouldn't consider them very healthy, homemade French fries typically have less fat, sodium, and carbohydrates than their fast food counterparts.
Both French fries and chips are fried potatoes. French Fries are popular in the US while chips are popular in the UK. Chips are typically made of thicker cut potatoes and are usually only cooked once at a lower temperature.
We fry them the first time at a lower temperature to soften the potatoes and create a water tight barrier so their inside stays moist when they are fried again. We fry them the second time to make them crispy.
No, we do not recommend feeding your dog fries since they are somewhat high in fat, sodium, and carbohydrates. All of which are unhealthy for your dog.
Dipping Sauces for Fries
These fries are perfect with dipping sauce. Check out these:
- Ketchup - Ketchup is a classic fry dipping sauce. The sauce is sweet, vinegary, and slightly tomatoey.
- BBQ sauce - BBQ sauce is a rich sweet and savory sauce. We prefer a smoky BBQ sauce with no artificial flavors or colors.
- Ranch dressing - Ranch dressing has a rich buttermilk and herby flavor.
- Chipotle mayo - Chipotle Mayo is a smoky sauce consisting of mayo, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic powder, and lime.
- Truffle Aioli - Truffle Aioli is a rich and creamy dipping sauce featuring mayo, truffle oil, garlic, and lemon.
- Honey mustard - Mustard has a pungent flavor, the honey adds sweetness.
- Wasabi Mayo Aioli - Wasabi Mayo Aioli Sauce is a zesty, creamy spread with hints of pungent wasabi, garlic, and soy sauce.
- Spicy kewpie Mayo - Spicy Kewpie Mayo is a tangy and flavorful Japanese sauce made with creamy Kewpie mayo, spicy sriracha, togarashi, mirin, and sesame oil.
- In-N-Out Sauce - Similar to Thousand Island Dressing, In N Out Sauce is creamy and tangy. Try pouring the sauce over the fries to make them animal style.
Storage
Store these homemade French fries in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. In order to reheat the fries, heat the oven to 300°F and bake fries on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, or until crispy. These fries don't stand up well to freezing.
Cooking Tips
- Cut fries evenly - Cut the fries so they have the same width. This will help them cook evenly in the oil.
- Leftover oil - Wait for the oil to cool then pour it into a sealed bottle or jar. You can either reuse the oil or throw it out.
Other Types of Fries
The seasoning used for these fries also tastes delicious with these other types of fries:
- Sweet potatoes fries - Sweet potato fries are slightly sweeter and healthier than regular French fries.
- Waffle fries - Waffle fries are dense yet still crispy like regular French fries.
- Crinkle fries - Crinkle fries are crinkled and are slightly crunchier and crispier than normal fries.
- Curly fries - Curly fries are usually made with onion and garlic powder seasoning, and as a result are golden orange.
Related Recipes
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Homemade Seasoned French Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 quart frying oil canola, peanut, or vegetable oil
- 2 Yukon gold or russet potatoes cut into matchsticks or wedges
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- sea salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Chill potatoes - Place the cut potato in a large bowl and fill with cold water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and as long as overnight. When ready to fry, drain the water completely and place the sliced potatoes on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels to dry right before frying.2 Yukon gold or russet potatoes
- Heat oil for frying - Add about 3 inches of oil to a large pot or dutch oven and heat the oil to 300˚F. If you don’t have a thermometer, take the end of a wooden spoon and dip it in the oil. If the oil starts to bubble against the spoon, it’s ready for frying.1 quart frying oil
- First fry - Add a third of the potatoes to the oil and cook for 5 minutes, until the potatoes turn light golden brown. Remove from the oil, carefully shake the excess oil into the pot, and place the fries on a rack. Return the oil back to 300˚F between each batch to ensure the fries cook evenly.
- Second fry - Once all of the fries have cooked once, increase the heat of the oil to 400˚F. Repeat the process and add a third of the fries to the oil and fry until they become deep golden brown.
- Season fries - Remove the fries from the oil, shake off the excess oil, and place in a mixing boil. Season with garlic powder, basil, paprika, salt and pepper. Gently toss and serve immediately.1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon paprika, sea salt, pepper
Notes
- Store these homemade French fries in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. In order to reheat the fries, heat the oven to 300°F and bake fries for 5-10 minutes, or until crispy. These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
- Cut fries evenly - Cut the fries so they have the same width. This will help them cook evenly in the oil.
- Leftover oil - Wait for the oil to cool then pour it into a sealed bottle or jar. You can either reuse the oil or throw it out.
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