Easy Oven French Fries

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/23/23
Oven french fries recipe in a basket, ketchup

The Spruce 

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
244 Calories
0g Fat
54g Carbs
7g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 244
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1555mg 68%
Total Carbohydrate 54g 20%
Dietary Fiber 6g 22%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 21mg 105%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 1384mg 29%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

You can have delicious homemade french fries without making a mess with hot oil—and for a fraction of the calories and fat. These baked French fries are easy to fix. All you need to do is toss them in cooking spray along with your salt (or seasonings) and bake them in a very hot oven. (You may also toss the potato strips with a few tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil before baking.)

Use your favorite seasonings to flavor the fries, or simply sprinkle them with table salt or sea salt. Potatoes taste great with a variety of herbs and seasonings. Russet potatoes are the ideal potato of choice for french fries because they are high in starch and low in moisture. In a pinch, yellow or Yukon gold potatoes will work, too, You can cut the potatoes into the classic fry shape, or for something different, try these oven-fried potatoes.

Serve them alongside all your favorite dishes that love a good french fry, such as burgers, homemade chicken nuggets, or even just a classic grilled cheese or really good BLT. Or maybe you don't need a reason at all to make them. Serve with ketchup or aioli.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • 5 large baking potatoes, cut into french fry shapes

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons seasoning blend of choice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for oven fries
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  2. Heat oven to 450 F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

    Baking tray coated with nonstick spray
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  3. Toss potatoes with your choice of seasoning.

    Potatoes tossed with seasoning
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  4. Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes so they brown evenly.

    Potatoes arranged on a baking sheet
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  5. Bake until browned and crispy.

    Oven fries baked until brown and crispy
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  6. Serve as a side with homemade ketchup or aioli and enjoy!

Why Are My Homemade Fries Soggy?

There are a few reasons this could happen. If the oven is not hot enough to cook them quickly, they can come out soggy. If the potatoes are all crammed together without enough space for air to circulate around them, they will, like any veggie that's not spaced out on a sheet, will steam instead of bake.

Variations


There are so many ways to season french fries. Try these:

How to Store and Freeze Oven Baked French Fries

Leftovers will keep for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat these fries in a hot oven (400 F) for about 5 to 10 minutes.

You can also freeze these potatoes before you bake them. Freeze them on a baking sheet so they don't stick together and then transfer to a zip-close freezer bag. Bake as directed, adding on about 5 to 7 minutes as needed, to cook from frozen,