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Oven Fries · Classic Russet

Crispy Oven-Baked French Fries

A short soak in hot water and a hot oven give you crisp, golden fries with fluffy insides, using a few tablespoons of oil instead of a pot of it.

New, no ratings yet0 reviewsby Simmerbee Kitchen

Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 lb russet potatoes, about 3 large
  • hot water, for soaking
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
    Swaps for vegetable oil

    Instead of vegetable oil

    • Another neutral oil: The same amount. No difference.
    • Melted butter: The same amount. Richer, buttery flavor; cakes are a little less moist and firmer once cool.
    • Light olive oil: The same amount. "Light" olive oil tastes mild.

    All 4 swaps for vegetable oil

  • 1 tsp kosher salt
    Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

  • ½ tsp garlic powder (optional)
    Swaps for garlic powder

    Instead of garlic

    • Fresh garlic: 1 clove for each ⅛ tsp powder, minced fine. Sharper and stronger.
    • Granulated garlic: About twice as much as the powder. The same flavor in coarser grains, which blend better into rubs.

    More for garlic

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Different pan? Written for 18x13-inch half sheet; rescale the amounts for an 8x8, 9x13, round, loaf or sheet pan.

Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.

Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the lower third.
    Line (how to line a pan) Line a pan Cover the bottom (and sometimes sides) of a pan with parchment or foil so food doesn't stick and lifts out easily. 1. For a sheet pan, tear parchment the size of the pan and lay it flat.2. For a round cake pan, trace the bottom on parchment, cut the circle out and press it in.3. For brownies and bars, leave two long sides hanging over to make handles (a "sling").4. A little grease under the paper holds it in place. Done when: The paper lies flat with no folds where the batter could run under it. How to line a baking pan with parchment: mistakes to avoid
    a sheet pan with parchment paper.
    450°F
  2. Scrub the potatoes. Peel them if you like; skin-on fries are fine.
  3. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slabs, then cut each slab into 1/2-inch sticks.
  4. Put the sticks in a large bowl and cover them with very hot tap water. Let them soak to rinse off surface starch.
    ⏱ Soak: 10 min
  5. Drain the potatoes, spread them on clean kitchen towels and pat them completely dry.
  6. Wipe the bowl dry, add the potatoes and oil, and toss until every stick is coated.
  7. Spread the fries on the lined pan in a single layer with space between them. Use two pans if they are crowded.
  8. Bake until the undersides are golden.
    450°F⏱ Bake: 15 min
  9. Flip the fries with a thin metal spatula.
  10. Bake until crisp and deep golden.
    450°F⏱ Bake: 12 min
  11. Toss the hot fries with the salt, garlic powder and pepper right on the pan and serve.

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

  • Drying the potatoes well is the step that matters most for crispness.
  • Salt after baking. Salt added before draws out moisture and the fries steam.

Storage

Best hot. Leftovers re-crisp in a 425°F oven or an air fryer in about 5 minutes.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: potatoes (August to November).

Quick answers

What can I swap?
  • Instead of vegetable oil: Another neutral oil, the same amount.
  • Instead of garlic: Fresh garlic.

Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
270
Protein
5 g
Carbohydrates
41 g
Fiber
3 g
Sugars
1 g
Fat
10 g
Saturated fat
1.5 g
Sodium
450 mg

Whole recipe, 4 servings: about 1,080 calories.

Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 4 of 4 ingredients.

How we estimate

We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 4 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.

Not counted: hot water (to taste or as needed); garlic powder (optional).

Estimated cost

About $0.55 a serving

About $2.20 for the recipe as written (4 servings).

Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. Priced: 2 of 4 ingredients, 99% by weight.

How we estimate

Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.

  • russet potatoes $2.00 BLS
  • vegetable oil $0.25 ERS

Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): kosher salt, black pepper.

Not counted: hot water, garlic powder (optional, or to taste).

More dishes for less: cheap eats.

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Cleanup score 4/5 (easy cleanup): 2 things to wash, sheet pan, mixing bowl. More sheet-pan recipes.

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simmerbee.com/r/oven-fries-russetSimmerbee