My great-grandma, who lived to the age of 93, used to make fries for the whole family every Sunday. We’d gather around the table and dine — no TV, no radio, no distractions; just good food and each other’s company.
I miss those days sometimes. Life was calmer, slower, simpler. Everything moves so fast now. You have no choice but to succumb to FOMO and keep catching up. I still make fries when I want to slow down time and reconnect to that feeling.
We call French fries French, but they’re actually from Belgium, where, according to National Geographic, villagers along the River Meuse ate them with fried fish. They became the favorite food of American soldiers stationed in Belgium during and after WWII.
At first glance, French fries are easy to make: Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them into fry shape, then cook them in hot oil. However, it takes skill to get them right, and if you slip up along the way, you’ll end up with fries that are bland, or soggy, or overcooked.
I wrote this guide to share everything I learned about making fries from my great-grandmother — and the decades of cooking since; see below.
How to Make French Fries
I have a five-step method for making French fries. First I prep the potatoes, then I soak them to remove excess starch, and, finally, I fry them twice for extra crispiness.
The method
- Prep the Potatoes: Wash the potatoes thoroughly, peel them, and cut them into even-sized fries. The size is up to you — thick-cut, thin, or shoestring — but consistency is key for even cooking.
- Soak and Rinse: Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes or longer (up to a few hours in the fridge). This helps draw out the excess starch, which prevents the fries from sticking together and helps them crisp up better. After soaking, rinse the potatoes well and pat them dry with paper towels. Really dry. Any leftover moisture will cause the oil to splatter.
- First Fry: Heat your oil of choice in a deep fryer or large pot to a temperature of 325–350°F. Fry the potatoes in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook them until they’re soft and slightly translucent, but not browned. This will take about 5–7 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fries. Remove the fries from the oil and let them cool on a wire rack lined with paper towels for 5–10 minutes.
- Second Fry: Heat the oil to 350-375°F. Fry the potatoes again, in batches, until they’re golden brown and crispy. This should only take a couple of minutes.
- Season and Serve: As soon as the fries come out of the oil, season them liberally with salt. You can also add other seasonings at this point, like pepper, paprika, or Cajun seasoning Five Guys-style.
If you’ve ever wondered how burger joints and hotel bars get their fries so crispy, the secret is double frying.
Which Potatoes Should I Be Using?
In a potato facts and figures article on the International Potato Center’s website, it says that there are more than 4,000 native potato varieties out there. But not all potato varieties are created equal. Some are on the dry and starchy side. Others are moist and waxy. Which should you be using?
To make French fries, you need potatoes with a high starch and low moisture content. Spuds like that have a thin, crispy crust and a light, fluffy interior. They also soak up less oil during frying. Russets and Yukon Golds fit this description and are carried by most grocery stores. Other potato varieties suited to frying are Kennebec and Maris Piper.
Avoid waxy potatoes. They don’t have enough starch and pack too much moisture. They produce dense, less crispy fries that don’t cook quickly and brown unevenly.
Can I Use Any Oil for French Fries?
All fats and oils have a smoke point. That’s temperature at which they become unstable and start to burn.
As a rule of thumb, you should choose oils with smoke points higher than the cooking temperature. When an oil exceeds its smoke point, it starts to degrade and burn, producing off flavors and toxic compounds.
The ideal oil temperature for French fries is between 325°F on the low end and 375°F on the high end. Whichever cooking oil you decide to use, to be on the safe side, make sure it has a smoke point of at least 375°F.
| Oil | Flavor | Smoke Point |
|---|---|---|
| Ghee (clarified butter) | Buttery | 485°F |
| Peanut oil | Neutral | ~450°F |
| Rice bran oil | Caramel popcorn (strong) | ~450°F |
| Corn oil | Neutral | ~450°F |
| Vegetable (soybean) oil | Neutral | 400–450°F |
| Canola oil | Neutral | ~400°F |
| Sunflower oil | Sunflower seeds (mild) | ~440°F |
My two favorite oils for French fries are peanut oil and rice bran oil. The smoke points of both oils are 450°F, so I never worry about burning them. Peanut oil has a neutral flavor; I use it when I want the taste of the fries themselves to stand out. Rice bran oil smells and tastes like caramel popcorn. I use it on special occasions, like when I want to treat the family to dinner or when I have guests to entertain.