French fries and the grill are not something most people do. But with the right technique, this can be a standard with these easy to follow step by step photo instructions.
Editor’s note: Originally published July 3, 2011. Last updated September 2, 2018, with updated text and re-edited photos.
There are only a few instructions out there, and they vary a lot. So I always like to experiment, and this is the 5th try in 2 weeks, and I now have it right.
They are not your basic fast food tasting fry. They are a cross between a fast food fry and a hash brown. And a great reason to buy that 10 or 12 inch cast iron pan you have thought about.
My Rating:
This will continue to be a frequent side when not in diet mode.
Recipe Notes for Grilled French Fries
The important point about getting this right.
- Do thin fries-They need to cook completely on the grill. Thick will not do.
- They go on raw not precooked. I tried to a varying amount of precooking, and they became too weak to work with.
- Wash them after cutting. The starch will stick them together. Then pat dry.
- Rotate the pan every time you touch the fries. Hot spots will do you in.
- Keep your hands off a lot more than you want. You will just break them up.
- A well-seasoned cast iron pan is almost a must.
It is another KISS recipe that is easily scalable to the size you need, but you will have a hard time doing a large batch. More than 2-3 pounds of potatoes should be a practical limit in a very large pan.
Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes are a good choice here, but most potatoes should work.
Preheat grill to 450-500 degrees. Scrub the potatoes. About 1 pound for two servings. Cut into 1/4 inch fries. I used a mandolin.
Wash the fries in cold water and drain. Place on paper towels and pat dry.
Add 1/4 cup of oil to the fries and mix well. Do not use olive oil since the grill temp will be high.
Coat grill safe pan with oil. Add fries to the pan. I used my 10 inch cast iron
pan. Place over high heat.
Do not touch for 12 minutes then flip fries and rotate pan. Flip every 4 to 6 minutes. Use the shorter duration near the end of cooking. Be sure to scrape the bottom to prevent sticking and rotate pan with every flip.
Cooking about 30-32 minutes total until well browned. Remove from grill. Place on a paper towel-lined bowl and sprinkle with coarse salt.
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Grilled French Fries
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/4 pounds potatoes - two medium
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 450-500. Scrub the potatoes. I used Golden Yukon, but others should work. About 1 pound for two servings. Cut into 1/4 inch fries. I used a mandolin.
- Wash the fries in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Add 1/4 cup of oil and mix well. Do not use olive oil since the grill temp will be high.
- Coat grill safe pan with oil. Add fries to the pan. I used my 10 inch cast iron
- Place over direct heat. Do not touch for 12 minutes. The lid is closed.
- Flip fries and rotate pan. Flip every 4 to 6 minutes. Use the shorter duration near the end of cooking. Be sure to scrape the bottom to prevent sticking and rotate pan with every flip.
- Cooking about 30-32 minutes total until well browned. Remove from grill. Place on a paper towel-lined bowl and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
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Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
Originally published July 3, 2011
I'm DrDan and welcome to my blog. You will find delicious easy everyday recipes mostly for smaller households. Please look around and enjoy your visit. 
julian
March 13, 2019 at 11:58 amHow can you call this recipe grilled french fries if the potatoes never touch the grill?
Mark
February 21, 2018 at 5:01 pmI only have olive oil can I still make it work if I’m careful?
DrDan
February 21, 2018 at 6:01 pmI don’t think it will work well. It needs to get very hot.
Bob Willoughby
September 20, 2017 at 8:13 pmWhat a great post. I just got a Camp Chef flat top griddle. This looks like a great way to do fries. Have you ever tried peanut oil? Do you know the temperature of the cast iron pan?
Thanks!
DrDan
September 20, 2017 at 9:21 pmHi Bob,
Peanut oil, of course, would be fine. The grill surface temperature on that grill was probably about 450-500 degrees. The pan temp unknown. But darn hot at the end.
Dan
David
July 13, 2011 at 8:44 amThanks for offering the recipe again with some great pictures. I will candidly admit that a picture of the dish surely adds to my interest in making it. And this recipe definitely has a fresh and tempting flavor to it that I loved.
Chris
July 10, 2011 at 9:04 amI just did this about a week ago and loved them. We did ours indirect at 425f (ish). A cast iron like yours would have been better, we used a 1/4 jelly roll pan.