Every time I see mashed potatoes, it makes me sad... Because instead of boring mashed potatoes, these potatoes could have been crispy oven fries or croquettes or chips! They just didn't reach their full potential.
Would you also like to enjoy crispy, homemade oven fries, but don't have an air fryer (yet)? Then look no further, with this recipe it's child's play to make them in your oven at home!
And maybe you're just like me and prefer wavy fries to straight-cut fries? The wavy shape provides the fries with more surface area and makes them even crispier overall! You can also easily make wavy fries yourself at home by getting a wavy cutter* and using it to cut your fries into strips! I've put a link to a wavy cutter like mine in the remarks.
The trick to getting crispy oven fries
To ensure that your oven fries get really crispy, the most important thing is that there is not too much steam in the oven. The best way to achieve this is by opening the oven door after about 10 minutes of baking and letting the steam escape. From this point on, you should also leave the oven door slightly ajar while baking so that the steam can escape as the food continues to bake. This is the crucial factor that most people don't know or take to heart!
At this point I would like to thank Mrs. Flury and her recipe for “Sweet Potato Fries 2.0” who inspired me to try this trick myself for the first time.
Olive oil or coconut oil?
When choosing the right oil for oven fries, you need to keep in mind that you shouldn't expose olive oil to high temperatures. Depending on whether it is cold-pressed or refined olive oil, the smoke point is 320 °F (160 °C) or 430 °F (220 °C). For this reason, I cannot recommend using olive oil for this recipe. Also, I remember I once read in a recipe for sweet potato fries that the fries become crispier with coconut oil than with olive oil. For me, these are two very good reasons to choose coconut oil.
And please remember: always add salt to oven fries after baking! Otherwise, the salt can lead to more moisture on the surface of the fries during the baking process, which makes them less crispy.
If you are as enthusiastic about my recipe and this method as I am, please leave me a comment!
Crispy Homemade Oven Fries
Very few people know that with a simple trick you can easily conjure up crispy oven fries in your home oven. The secret is to let the steam escape from the oven so that the oven fries become really crispy! Just follow my simple recipe!
Ingredients
Instructions:
-
Cut the potatoes into (wavy) strips and let them soak in water. Place them in the fridge for at least an hour.
-
Preheat your oven and a baking tray to 430 °F (220 °C), fan setting.
-
Now drain the potato water, spread the potato strips on a towel and melt the coconut oil (in the microwave).
-
Dry the potato strips well with a towel and put them in a ziplock bag or freezer bag. Season with pepper and then add the liquid coconut oil. Now use the bag to distribute the coconut oil well so that all of the potato strips are well coated.
-
Then carefully line the hot baking tray with parchment paper and spread the raw "fries" evenly on it. Let them bake for 10 minutes (with the oven door closed).
-
After 10 minutes, open the oven door wide and let the steam escape. Let the fries continue to bake for another 5 minutes while leaving the oven door slightly ajar. You can, for example, wedge a plastic or wooden spatula in the oven door.
-
Now flip the fries on the baking tray and spread them out in a single layer again. Then also turn the baking tray 180° so that the fries are baked evenly on all sides. Let them bake for another 10 minutes.
-
After a total baking time of 25 minutes, you can season the crispy, golden-brown oven fries with salt for fries and paprika seasoning and serve.
Please note that the baking time may take longer if you make more than one serving. Keep an eye on the fries while they are baking and extend the baking time if they are not golden brown yet.
Nutritional Information
servings 1
- Amount per Serving
- Calories 300kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 12g19%
- Total Carbohydrate 41.3g14%
- Dietary Fiber 5.5g22%
- Protein 5.5g11%
** The daily percentages are based on a 2000 kcal diet. Your daily figures might be higher or lower according to your caloric need.
Remark
Advertisement (Affiliate): I use a wave cutter like this one to cut the oven fries into a wavy shape.