Reliable and super easy, anybody can learn how to make crispy homemade French fries. Make them on your stovetop with no special equipment needed or need to monitor oil temperature. So simple.
Introduction and My Rating
This is the ultimate easy french fry recipe. It just works. Cut. Put in cold oil. Cook for 25 minutes. Eat.
No double frying, no watching temperature on the oil, no catches. The original idea came from famed chef Joël Robuchon so credit to where credit is due.
When I first saw Christopher Kimball present this on a morning show, it was obviously a "me" type recipe. It was simple and logical. I have since seen it on his PBS shows several times.
By starting in cold oil, the interior of the potato has time to cook and get to temperature before the outside starts to crisp. It is like a one-step only double frying of French fries. And since most of the oil absorption happens between the double frying of fries, they are lower in fat by 1/3.
My Rating:
I do love a good French fry.
🥔The Potatoes
Most people will be using Russets potatoes for this, which is fine. Peeling is optional. Wider fries are ok but not thinner than 3/8 inches, and all pieces should be about the same size.
I always feel a potato is a potato, and I feel that it is mostly true here. Kimball and Cooks Illustrated made a big deal of using Yukon gold and implied no others worked well which seems wrong. They may be a bit creamier interior than Russets due to the starch levels being lower, but America is used to Russet fries, and they are fine.
Can I use frozen potatoes? I don't recommend it. I have not done it and have not seen that others have tied it either.
The Oil
Use a higher temperature oil. I have used peanut oil frequently but more recently used a more standard oil mixture with corn and canola oil.
The oil is not abused by very high temperatures, so it is fine to run it through a strainer and reuse several times.
👨🍳Method
- Trim the potatoes.
- Place in cold oil. Cover completely.
- Cook on high for 15 minutes without touching.
- Stir well once, then continue to cook for about 10 more minutes until golden brown.
📖Potato Recipes
🔪Instructions
Start with about 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes. About three medium or two large.
Clean and cut potatoes into 3/8 inch fries. Very easy with a mandolin or use a sharp chef's knife. BE CAREFUL.
Add fries to a Dutch oven or another large pan. Cover with oil.
Place over high heat. Cook for 15 minutes without touching. It will reach a hard boil after a few minutes. After 15 minutes using tongs or wooden spoon, stir and scrape the bottom to release any stuck fries and to break apart any clumped fries. This is the only time you will stir the fries.
Continue to cook for about another 10 minutes until golden brown. Place into a large bowl lined with multiple paper towels to drain. Salt to taste.
Do you want more recipes from 101 Cooking for Two? Sign up for the newsletter and get all posts delivered straight to your inbox!
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade French Fries
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb potatoes - about 3 medium or 3 large
- 4 cups oil - (peanut, canola or other vegetable with high smoking level). Just enough to cover.
- salt - to taste
Instructions
- Start with about 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes. About three medium or two large. Usually Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Clean and cut potatoes into 3/8 inch fries. Very easy with a mandolin or use a sharp chef's knife. Be careful especially with the mandolin.
- Add fries to a Dutch oven or other large pan and cover the fries with oil.
- Place over high heat. Do not cover. Cook for 15 minutes without touching. It will reach a hard boil after a few minutes.
- After 15 minutes using tongs or wooden spoon, stir and scrape the bottom to release any stuck fries and to break apart any clumped fries. This is the only time you stir.
- Continue to cook for about another 10 minutes until golden brown.
- Place into a large bowl lined with multiple paper towels to drain. Salt to taste.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Use the potatoes you want.
- Scale to the amount you want. You can double this recipe but more than that will not work well due to the mass of potatoes.
- You can make fries or wedges but avoid very thin, less than 3/8 inches wide.
- Use a higher temperature oil like peanut, corn, or canola.
- No need to rinse the cut fries in cold water. The starch helps in the browning.
- Keep the lid off the pan to let moisture out.
- Only stir the one time, otherwise, you will be breaking them apart.
- Salt after removing from the oil.
- You can reuse the oil several times. I strain and refrigerate after use.
- Estimate about 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of raw potato per serving.
- I don’t recommend frozen potatoes for this recipe.
Nutrition
Editor's Note: Originally Published August 6, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Lodi
DrDan,
I'm embarrassed to admit it at my age, but how do you strain the oil? I know that the colanders/etc. that I have would not do the job. What kind of "strainer" do you use?
I actually have had this 'problem' in the past with various recipes.
Stay safe!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Lodi,
Welcome to the blog.
I use a food strainer. You can usually pick up a package of 3 sizes for about $10. I use them to rinse beans and things like that. They are fairly fine and can substitute for a flour sifter if needed.
I generally reuse the oil 3-4 times then it makes me nervous and it change it out. Initially, I used peanut oil but corn/canola works fine for me.
Stay safe.
Dan
Suzanne
Eek! I bought new Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned and cut 1 lb 8.25 oz into 1/4" strips, and put them in room temp. vegetable oil. Next the pot went on high sear induction heat. (FYI: High is 425 degrees. Sear doesn't specify a specific temp) The fries were at a rolling boil in about 2 1/2 Min. I touched NOTHING until 15 min had passed. Using tongs I insured nothing was clumping or sticking. They weren't. 10 more min passed with the oil boiling on. After 25 min I had a pot of greasy, little potato sponges that had not changed color at all. I knew they were trash so I left them for 15 more min just to see if they would get any golden hue at all. The bottom ones did brown slightly. 1 1/2 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes soaked in oil into the trash....
I apologize for writing all of that out, but you have been so kind in answering posts that I hoped perhaps you would see something I did differently than instructed. The only variable I can see is the induction, but since it boiled in the time specified and stayed at the temp specified (I used my Thermapen) I don't see how the induction could be the problem. Any thoughts?
I'm not letting this deter me. Your crock pot penne pasta is dinner Mon. I'm very much looking forward to working my way through your site.
DrDan
I'm wondering how much of the boil you saw was just the moisture from the potatoes. Since the manufacture of the stove says 425 degrees is the max. which is nowhere near the 572 degrees that is the boiling point for oil. So my guess is it never got to temperature correctly. Nothing you can do about that. It sounds like a disgusting mess.
Good luck with the other recipes.
Dan
Suzanne
Another question: what temp is considered "high"? I just got a new induction cooktop, and I need to set it by actual temperature. If I try it at my mom's house, it would be an electric range. Does it matter whether it is "high" on gas or electric? We don't have gas lines so I have never used it, but I can imagine it might make a large difference on a recipe like this. Thanks in advance for the answers. I'm very excited to have just found your blog. I can't wait to work my way through your recipes. I will be sure to rate them as I go.
DrDan
Hi Suzanne,
Welcome to the blog. Here high is as hot as it will go until you reach a rolling or hard boil of the oil. Cooks Illustrated states 5 minutes to get there and they use massive gas stoves. My electric took about the same time or a minute longer. The boiling point of cooking oil is about 300 C (or 572 F). Like boiling water, it can't go above that temperature. If you have a massive stove, you might cut it back a little once you get there but CI did not. An induction cooktop... I have never tried but again, turn it up.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Laura Plumb
Brilliant! So easy it makes me want to try it. Just two quick questions: what kind of oil do you use, and how do you keep the oil from burning? Thank you.
Joan Garneau
I bought an Actifry to use for French fries and other fried foods. The fries were very good and while not exactly the same as deep fried, close enough. One tablespoon of oil is all that needs to be used. I also used Russets and they worked well.
Dr Dan
I always reuse the oil several times. I use a strainer on it before I store it in the second fridge.
Chorister
Tried this tonight solely to test my theory that Alabama White BBQ sauce would be good on french fries (it its.) I couldn't bring myself to believe the house wouldn't smell of oil after, so I did it outside on the grill burner. I have also heard you can reuse the oil. What are your thoughts on that?