Baking frozen french fries is a must in K-12 foodservice. (Can you think of anything your students love more?) But transforming frozen potato strips into crispy, golden fries isn’t always simple in ovens. Little things make a big difference. And, let’s face it, not every fry was designed to be baked.
In this article, you’ll learn how to make frozen fries crispy in the oven in a way that rivals the best your K-12 students have enjoyed in restaurants. And we’ll share some of our favorite bakeable french fry recommendations.
Baking frozen french fries: 8 steps to better results
Deep fryers have one advantage over ovens: when the boiling oil heats the potato strips, the water inside the fries evaporates, rises into the air and dissipates, or is whisked away by the hood over the fryer.
During baking, the frozen fry moisture also evaporates. However, much of it remains trapped inside the oven. And that elevated humidity plays havoc with texture, reducing crispness. So baking frozen french fries is really about managing and mitigating the moisture generated during cooking.
Here are eight tips for the best possible baked french fries:
- Preheat your oven. Keep the oven shut as much as possible to reach cooking temperature faster.
- Use a perforated sheet tray. This helps hot air circulate more easily among the fries, increasing crispness.
- Don’t thaw your fries before baking. We get it: you’re trying to shorten cook time. But thawed fries turn into soggy fries. For best results, keep your frozen fries frozen until you’re ready to cook them.
- Bake two bags or less per tray. Remember, fries are full of water. The more fries you add to a tray, the more steam they’ll be releasing in your oven, reducing crispness.
- Load the oven quickly. This prevents heat loss that can result in soggy fries.
- Place trays on every other rack. Airflow is the key to maintaining cooking times. Too many trays in the oven reduces air circulation. Instead, only load fries on every other rack.
- Use heat lamps or holding cabinets with vents that release moisture. Humidity is the enemy of crispy fries!
- Use shallow holding pans for serving to disperse moisture after cooking. Shallower holding trays promote greater air circulation, helping disperse the steam from cooked fries better than deeper pans.
Only use fries that are specifically designed for baking
Of all the best practices, this is the most important: only use fries designed to be baked. Bakeable french fries (sometimes called “ovenable” fries) are specially made to deliver great results whether baked or fried.
Here are our favorite frozen fries for baking in ovens:
Unseasoned Bakeable Fries
Simplot Tater Pals® unseasoned fries bake up crisp and golden every time. These Grade A ovenable fries never disappoint!
Simplot Tater Pals® Ovenable Shoestring Fries
Simplot Tater Pals® 1/2” Ovenable Crinkle Cut Fires
Seasoned/Battered Bakeable Fries
Seasoned with paprika, onion and garlic, Simplot Tater Pals® savory fries deliver bold flavor with far less sodium than regular seasoned fries.
Simplot Tater Pals® Savory Reduced Sodium 10-Cut Wedges, Skin-On
Simplot Tater Pals® 5/16" x 3/8" Savory Reduced Sodium Fries, Skin-On
Simplot Tater Pals® Savory Reduced Sodium Loops
Baking frozen french fries: The crisp is worth the effort
Fries are undoubtedly one of the most popular items on any K-12 menu. And thanks to fast-food restaurants, your students are experts on how great fries look and taste. Now that you know how to make crispy fries in the oven, you can ensure they live up to student expectations—and keep kids coming back.
FAQs
Using a rack on a large tray, spread the fries into a single layer, and season to taste. If no rack, you may use parchment paper but will need to flip half way through cooking. Bake at 425° convection until golden brown—about 30 minutes. Season again while still hot if desired.
How to bake frozen fries so they're crispy? ›
Using a rack on a large tray, spread the fries into a single layer, and season to taste. If no rack, you may use parchment paper but will need to flip half way through cooking. Bake at 425° convection until golden brown—about 30 minutes. Season again while still hot if desired.
How do restaurants make french fries so crispy? ›
They are double dropped. First cooked on a lower heat (~130°C) until the tips of the chips go golden brown. After this they are cooled and then recooked in service at a much higher temperature. Just make sure to drain all the excess oil after the first cook or they won't go crispy.
Why are my frozen fries not crispy? ›
Oil temperature too low. Fry time too short. New oil. Poor fryer heat recovery.
Are oven baked fries better than deep fried? ›
There are many advantages of baked fries over fried fries. Baked fries are lower in calories and fat, and they're also much easier to make at home. When you fry potatoes, a lot of the potato's natural nutrients are lost in the process. But when you bake potatoes, they retain more of their vitamins and minerals.
How do you crisp up fries in the oven? ›
Fries / Tots / Brussels: Heat oven to 350F. Spray or lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Remove your side from its container and spread evenly across a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes and remove.
Why are oven fries not crispy? ›
Remember, fries are full of water. The more fries you add to a tray, the more steam they'll be releasing in your oven, reducing crispness. Load the oven quickly. This prevents heat loss that can result in soggy fries.
Why is Mcdonald's french fries so crispy? ›
The suppliers we work with first peel, cut and blanche the potatoes. They then dry, partially fry and quickly freeze the fries for our restaurants. Once in our kitchens, we cook them in our canola-blend oil so you can have them crispy and hot—just the way you like them. Want to hear more about our fry ingredients?
What is the coating on crispy fries? ›
To achieve perfect french fry results, we're going to start by rinsing our potatoes and then coat them with a light layer of cornstarch before double frying them.
Is it better to cook fries frozen or thawed? ›
When frying French fries, do not let them thaw before using. I recommend that frozen French fries be kept completely frozen before using. This guarantees that the surface of the potato is sealed during the frying process, resulting in a crispy, high quality fry. Some operations do thaw potatoes before cooking.
Koeppe previously told Insider that you can "add a bit of gourmet flair to your fries by sprinkling them with some garlic powder, fresh rosemary, seasoned salt, or fresh virgin-olive [oil] or truffle oil."
How to make crispy frozen fries in oven reddit? ›
I toss them with some oil, and roast uncovered at 400 F until they're browned. Stir every ten-fifteen minutes. It's about 30 or 40 min total depending on how thick you sliced them. Cold oil technique is amazing.
How to make frozen fries crispy in the oven? ›
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425º.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the fries to the baking sheet. ...
- Sprinkle with the salt and sumac (if using) and toss again. ...
- Bake for 30 minutes, checking half way through and tossing the fries to help with even browning.
Trust us, 'cutting cook time' isn't worth the batch of soggy fries you'll get in the end. Keep your fries frozen until you're ready to cook them. Frozen fries are full of water so you definitely don't want too much steam in the oven which makes your fries soggy and limpy.
How to make frozen fries less soggy? ›
Increase the Baking Temperature
Cranking up the oven temperature, to around 475 F, will help the fries get even crisper. The higher, dryer heat will dehydrate the fries and make them crunchier. Just keep a close eye on the fries and check on them frequently to ensure even browning.
How to make frozen food crispy in the oven? ›
To make frozen food crispy again, try baking it in the oven instead of microwaving. Spread the food out on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake at a high temperature (around 400-450°F or 200-230°C) until it becomes crispy. This method helps to remove moisture and crisps up the outer layer of the food.
How do you make potato fries crispy again? ›
Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the french fries to the pan, stirring and flipping them around frequently for three to five minutes, until crispy. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your potatoes.
Why are my baked French fries soggy? ›
Trust us, 'cutting cook time' isn't worth the batch of soggy fries you'll get in the end. Keep your fries frozen until you're ready to cook them. Frozen fries are full of water so you definitely don't want too much steam in the oven which makes your fries soggy and limpy.
