Who doesn’t love crispy French fries? Avoid all the messy oil splatters by baking these crispy French fries in the oven! I’ve been baking these for a while now and always baked them on tin foil for easy clean-up. A couple of months ago, I tried baking them on parchment paper for the first time.
Incredibly, the parchment paper seems to help the fries crisp up much better! I was shocked when I turned over the fries halfway through baking. They were so nicely browned on that side!
Another plus for using the parchment paper is that the potatoes won’t stick to the pan, a common complaint in reviews you’ll see!
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Crispy French Fry Fiasco
For the last few days, I have been making these French fries to be sure I share the best way to make them. You make them a couple of times perfectly. Then, you decide to write a post on them and can’t get the same results! Geez. I should have written this down earlier! Let’s just say at this point that Dave may not want French fries for a while. Lol!
Day 1
The first day, even though I used the parchment paper, the fries didn’t crisp up as well. I stewed over this. Using a heavy metal sheet pan to lay them out in a single layer, they should have, right? I put them on the bottom shelf in a 350° oven for 15 minutes. Then, I turned the fries over and they weren’t really brown like before. (What????) After turning up the heat to 425°, they went back into the oven and baked for 15 more minutes. They had color, but they were kind of limp and not really crispy. They were tasty, but those I made before were really crispy.
Day 2
Day 3
Ellie Krieger of Food Network has a recipe for oven fries. Her instructions say to bake at 450° for 35 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the fries, and bake for 15- 20 more minutes.
Reading the comments, I see some reviewers say her method works perfectly, some say their fries were burnt to oblivion, and some say it’s just okay.
Using this method, the fries were crispier, but still weren’t perfect.
Day 4
Sudden Realization
I’m explaining to Dave why we are having French fries again. Then, I’m going over my estimation of why the other fries weren’t crisping. He just keeps saying, “Turn the heat up!”
I’m explaining the mixed reviews for Ellie’s method. In explaining, it dawns on me that when I last made these and they were perfect, I didn’t use the heavy sheet pans. Those pans were in use for food prep at the time. I used a darker, older, thinner cookie sheet. That could be key!
So, if your fries don’t come out just like you want, consider these different factors.
A note here, even though we had fries four days in a row, Dave ate almost all of these himself! They ended up being the best. He said they were good. That is huge coming from this man! Find the directions and recipe below.
Crispy French Fries for Two
This recipe is for six, but when it’s just Dave and I, we use one russet potato and 1 teaspoon of the Old Bay seasonings, salt and pepper to taste, and oil. It works perfectly and is just enough for the two of us.
Cutting the Fries
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You may have a French fry cutter, or you may want to purchase one like this Weston French Fry Cutter Machine and Veggie Dicer. At just around $20, it was rated the best bang for your buck at BestReviews.com.
However, if you just want to cut your fries with a sharp knife, it’s not that difficult. I’ve found the best way to do that is to cut the potato in half lengthwise first. Then, lay the potato cut side down. Next, cut the potato into 1/4 – inch strips. Then, lay those on their side and cut each of those strips into 1/4 – inch strips.
It’s a little more difficult to get each of those strips as uniform as a cutter might, but you can cut them relatively uniform, which is important. Try to keep them about the same size so that they’ll bake evenly. I kind of like that they aren’t perfect. Remember that if you cut your French fries bigger, they will take longer to bake.
The first time we ever had French fries with Old Bay Seasoning was in a little restaurant in New Bern, North Carolina near the Tryon Palace. It looked like a little hole in the wall restaurant, and it was some of the best food we had while we were there. If you haven’t had fries seasoned with Old Bay, you need to try these!
Crispy French Fries in the Oven
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Ingredients:
- 3 Russet potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°
First, wash the potatoes. You can peel the potatoes if you like. I love them with the skins intact.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.
Then, cut the potato halves into 1/4 – inch strips.
Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for 30 minutes. This helps remove excess starch.
Then, drain the water. You’ll see the excess starch in the water. Rinse the potatoes with cold water and dry on paper towels.
Place the potatoes in a large dry bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes, covering them. Sprinkle the Old Bay over the potatoes and toss to coat.
Line the bottom of a sheet pan with parchment paper. (I use two smaller sheet pans.) Lay the fries in a single layer on the parchment. Season the fries with salt and pepper on both sides.
Then reposition the French fries in a single layer, not touching. That extra space assures they’ll crisp up during baking.
Bake on the lowest oven rack for 15 minutes at 450°. Then, turn the fries over.
Bake 10 – 15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Check the fries at 10 minutes. Sheet pans bake differently depending on thickness and color. In addition, temperature can vary from one oven to another. Check your fries the last 10 – 15 minutes, but don’t open the oven.
Check your seasonings. You might want to sprinkle on a little salt or more of the Old Bay seasoning before serving with your favorite condiment.
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(We are an Amazon affiliate and may receive a small percentage of any sales through the links in this post at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting this website!)
Crispy French Fries in the Oven
Ingredients
- 3 Russet potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°
First, wash the potatoes. You can peel the potatoes if you like. I love them with the skins intact.
Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.
Then, cut the potato halves into 1/4 - inch strips.
Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for 30 minutes. This helps remove excess starch.
Then, drain the water. You'll see the excess starch in the water. Rinse the potatoes with cold water and dry on paper towels.
Place the potatoes in a large dry bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes, covering them. Sprinkle the Old Bay over the potatoes and toss to coat.
Line the bottom of a sheet pan with parchment paper. (I use two smaller sheet pans.) Lay the fries in a single layer on the parchment. Season the fries with salt and pepper on both sides.
Then reposition the French fries in a single layer, not touching. That extra space assures they'll crisp up during baking.
Bake on the lowest oven rack for 15 minutes at 450°. Then, turn the fries over.
Bake 10 - 15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Check the fries at 10 minutes. Sheet pans bake differently depending on thickness and color. In addition, temperature can vary from one oven to another. Check your fries the last 10 - 15 minutes.
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