Spicy Cajun Fries are crispy homemade French fries with zesty Cajun seasoning. Enjoy these flavor-packed fries as a snack or serve them as a side with your favorite dipping sauce.
Summertime means sunshine, the outdoors, and burgers and fries. These Spicy Cajun Fries are our go-to for satisfying our summer fry craving. It takes only a little time and effort to make these gourmet fries. They are tasty on their own but pair deliciously with a burger or Pesto Turkey Sliders. Dip them in truffle aioli or wasabi mayo for extra flavor!
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About Cajun Fries
- Taste - The Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper add a delicious accent to the earthy and rich fries.
- Texture - The fries are crispy and fluffy.
- Effort - You jus need to fry the potatoes then 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, peanut, and vegetable oil are great for frying potatoes because they all have a high smoke point. Olive oil has a lower smoke point and is not ideal for frying.
- Cajun Seasoning - Cajun seasoning adds the spicy pop to the fries. We love Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning for its classic Cajun flavors.
- Kosher salt or sea salt - Salt accentuates the other ingredients.
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper - Pepper adds a little extra spice.
See recipe card for quantities.
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 then pat dry right before frying.
- 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.
- 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 300ËšF 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 400ËšF. 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 Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Gently toss and serve immediately.
Hint: You can use store-bought frozen fries instead of frying them yourself. While we prefer the taste and texture of our fries, store-bought fries will save you time and effort.
What to Serve with Cajun Fries
These spicy fries are an easy side that taste delicious with a main course. Check out these dishes that pair perfectly with Cajun 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
Yes, this Cajun fries recipe is decently spicy, but not too spicy. In order to make them less spicy, use a little less Cajun seasoning than the recipe calls for. You can also try our Parmesan Truffle Fries if you want a non-spicy alternative.
Cajun seasoning is a blend of fragrant, flavorful spices, including salt, red pepper, black pepper, and garlic. Some blends also include paprika.
No, all of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten free. Most Cajun seasoning does not have gluten, but you can double check to be safe.
Phonetically, you pronounce it kay·juhn frize.
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.
Substitutions
- Frozen Fries - In order to make Cajun fries with frozen fries, just follow the instructions on the packaging, then add our seasoning.
- 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.
- Homemade Cajun seasoning - If you want to make your own Cajun seasoning, there are plenty of recipes online.
- 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 fries extra spicy.
- Onion Powder - Add onion powder for a pungent and sweet flavor.
- Parsley - Parsley adds a bright and herby flavor.
- Parmesan truffle fries - Check out our Parmesan Truffle Fries if you want to make rich and uniquely flavored fries.
- Animal Style Fries - Animal Style Fries are one of the most popular items on In-N-Out's secret menu. It features crispy fries, melted American cheese, and caramelized onions. Our recipe recreates them so you can enjoy them at home!
- Classic Seasoned French Fries - These classic fries have just a light seasoning and are best enjoyed with ketchup or another dipping sauce.
- Spicy Chili French Fries - Enjoy these fries with some of our homemade turkey chili to make chili fries.
Dipping Sauces for Fries
These Cajun fries pair deliciously with many different dipping sauces. Check out these ideas:
- Ketchup - Ketchup is a classic fry dipping sauce. The sauce is sweet, vinegary, and slightly tomatoey.
- 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.
- 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.
- Honey mustard - Mustard has a pungent flavor, the honey adds sweetness.
- 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.
- Wasabi Mayo Aioli - Wasabi Mayo Aioli Sauce is a zesty, creamy spread with hints of pungent wasabi, garlic, and soy sauce.
Equipment
This spicy fry recipe calls for a few kitchen essentials that can be used for countless other recipes. You will need a tongs, knife, cutting board, dutch oven, oil thermometer, baking sheet, and mixing bowl.
Storage
Store these homemade French fries in an airtight 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.
Top 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 featured in this recipe also tastes delicious with 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 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.
Did you Like This Recipe?
Homemade Cajun fries are an approachable, flavorful weeknight side. If you loved this recipe, check out these other delicious sides:
Spicy Cajun Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
Fries
- 1 quart frying oil canola, peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 Yukon gold or russet potatoes cut into matchsticks or wedges
- 2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 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 cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Gently toss and serve immediately.2 teaspoon cajun seasoning, Sea salt, Pepper
Notes
Storage
Store these homemade French fries in an airtight 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.
Top 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.
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