Oven-Baked French Fries

These Oven-Baked French Fries are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and seasoned with a simple blend of smoked paprika, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Soaking the potatoes before baking helps remove excess starch, giving you fries that bake up much crispier without needing to deep-fry them.

Jump to Recipe

Prep Time: 40 minutes (includes 30-minute soak)
Cook Time: 30–40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 3-4 servings

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Crispy and flavorful – A hot oven and potato soak help create that delicious crispy texture.
• No deep fryer needed – Everything is baked right in the oven.
• Simple ingredients – You probably already have most of the seasonings in your pantry.
• Easy to customize – Make them thicker, thinner, more seasoned, or extra crispy.
• Perfect side dish – They pair with burgers, sandwiches, chicken, and so much more.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb russet potatoes
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil or other high-heat cooking oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

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How to Make Oven-Baked French Fries

1) Prepare the potatoes

Scrub and/or peel the potatoes, depending on your preference. Cut the potatoes into evenly sized fries. For this recipe, we cut them approximately 1/4-inch thick.

2) Soak the potatoes

Place the cut potatoes into a large bowl and completely submerge them in cold water. Allow them to soak for 30 minutes. This helps remove excess starch and can result in crispier fries.

After soaking, drain and rinse the potatoes. Thoroughly pat them dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Getting the potatoes as dry as possible is important for crisping.

3) Preheat the oven

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

4) Season the fries

Add the dried potatoes to a large bowl and drizzle with the vegetable oil. Add the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Toss everything together until the potatoes are evenly coated with the oil and seasonings.

5) Arrange on the baking sheet

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the fries across the baking sheet in a single, even layer.

Try not to overcrowd the pan. If the fries are packed too closely together, they can steam instead of becoming crispy.

6) Bake

Place the fries in the preheated oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them.

For more even browning, you can flip or toss the fries about halfway through baking. Remove them once they’re golden brown and have reached your preferred level of crispiness.

Serve immediately while hot!

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Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the soak. The cold-water soak helps remove excess starch and improves the texture.
• Dry the potatoes extremely well. Excess water can prevent the fries from getting crispy.
• Cut the fries evenly. Similar-sized fries will cook more consistently.
• Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. Give the fries some space so they roast instead of steam.
• Use russet potatoes. Their high starch content makes them especially good for crispy fries.
• Want them extra crispy? Give them a few additional minutes in the oven, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
• Serve immediately. Homemade fries are at their best right out of the oven.

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What to Serve With

These fries are perfect alongside:

• 🍔 Cheeseburgers
• 🍗 Fried or grilled chicken
• 🥪 Chicken Parm Sandwiches
• 🌭 Hot dogs and brats
• 🥩 Steak
• 🍗 BBQ chicken
• 🥪 Pulled pork sandwiches

They’re also great with ketchup, ranch, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or fry sauce for dipping.

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Final Thoughts

These Oven-Baked French Fries are a great way to make crispy, flavorful fries at home without the mess of deep-frying. The cold-water soak and thorough drying are the two steps that make the biggest difference, so don’t skip them. Serve them hot with your favorite dipping sauce and you’ve got an easy side dish that goes with just about anything.