Crispy Oven French Fry Recipe

French fries without the fryer? That’s right, these spuds are just as crispy, tasty, tender, and easy to bake in the oven as those fried in oil — and much healthier!

up close baked french fries with salt

For more healthy ways to cook potatoes, check out my recipes for Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges, Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes, and my Instant Pot Baked Potatoes.

I loooooove potatoes. Any which way, I’m down. But my favorite might just be fried: french fries of all shapes, sizes, and varieties are my weak spot. Serve them up next to a yummy mixture of ketchup and mayo for dipping and forget about even talking to me until the entire serving is gone.

I never thought I’d ever find a crispy french fry recipe that wasn’t dunked in oil to be actually fried. That is, until I tried this easy oven-baked recipe, which has now become my favorite and my waistline thanks me for it several times a week.

overhead french fries on sheet pan with ketchup in cup

Why This Recipe Works

High temperature: The key to baking potatoes in this french fries recipe is a high oven temperature. 450 degrees keeps them crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.

Thin strips: Another way to ensure even, crispy baking is to cut the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as possible.

Pat dry: Patting the potatoes dry with paper towels removes excess starch and water, and helps them to crisp up faster.

Skin on: I leave the skin on my potatoes for extra flavor, texture, and nutrition but you can peel these if you like.

ingredients for french fries

Here’s How To Make French Fries

Not sure how to make french fries from potatoes that taste like their fried but right in the oven? Read on!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and then line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan.
Slice the potatoes thinly, into about ¼-inch strips.
Before putting the potatoes on the parchment, lay them on paper towels and pat them with paper towels to remove extra starch.
Next, toss the potato slices with olive oil.
Lay the potatoes in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Pop them in the oven and let them cook for 15-30 minutes, until golden brown or crisped up to your liking.
Toss the fries in salt and serve with all the dips.

Do You Have To Soak Potatoes Before Frying?

A lot of recipes will instruct you to soak the sliced potato wedges before frying them but I don’t think you have to do that. As a lover of all things time-saving, I have learned over the years that simply blotting the potatoes with paper towels to remove the starch is much quicker and just as effective as soaking the potatoes and then drying them off before frying/baking.

Are Baked French Fries Bad For You?

Baked oven french fries are much, much healthier for you than those fried in oil. This recipe only uses a little bit of olive oil spread around all the potatoes to help them crisp up and achieve that golden-brown color and slight crunch.

If you don’t want to use as much oil, you can cut back to 2-3 tablespoons, or use cooking spray (but they won’t be as crispy).

What Can You Dip Fries In Besides Ketchup

Omygosh the dips! The spreads! The condiments! All colors, flavors, creaminesses, homemade or from a jar…I’m all-in. And with these fries…The. Best.

Garlic aioli: keep an eye out for my recipe coming SOON!
Cilantro dressing: tangy, creamy, and with that cilantro flavor (most people) love.
Fry sauce: Utah’s famous sauce: mix equal parts ketchup and mayo. So. Good.
Honey Mustard: whisk together 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup dijon mustard. Add salt to taste.
Tzatziki sauce: for when you’re feeling your inner Greek.

Expert Tips

Peeling the potatoes: I usually do not peel the potatoes — they taste great with the skin on and it adds prep time to the recipe BUT you absolutely can peel them if you prefer.
Extra crispy: be sure to arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet, not overlapping and not touching as much as possible.
Potatoes: I use russet or Idaho potatoes because they make for a large, dippable wedge/fry and they crisp up nicely when sliced uniformly.
Spacing: If possible, leave a little bit of space between the fries so that they can crisp all the way around and you won’t end up with a bunch of them stuck together.

Best Side Dish Recipes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut potatoes into thin, 1/4-inch strips.
Lay potatoes out on paper towels. Use more paper towels to pat the potatoes dry and to remove the starch.
Toss potatoes with olive oil.
Arrange potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet.
Bake, undisturbed, for 15-30 minutes until golden.
Immediately toss with the salt. Serve fresh with your favorite dipping sauce.

Peeling the potatoes: I usually do not peel the potatoes – they taste great with the skin on and it adds prep time to the recipe BUT you absolutely can peel them if you prefer. Extra crispy: be sure to arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet, not overlapping and not touching as much as possible. Fry Sauce: Utah is famous for this sauce. Combine equal parts ketchup and mayo. Honey Mustard: whisk together 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup dijon mustard. Add salt to taste. Garlic Aioli: grab my easy garlic aioli recipe here!