How To Make Home Fries In The Oven

Seasoned beautifully with smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, making home fries in the oven never tasted so good. And so easy.

Serve these oven fries with a selection of dipping sauces such as Chipotle Mayo, Spicy Lemon Aioli and ketchup.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Russet Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Spices: Smoked Paprika, dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper.

Ingredient Subs:

• Oil: Substitute canola or vegetable oil.
• Spices: Have fun and make it yours. Use a commercially purchased Cajun seasoning. Or make them true steak fries and use a steak seasoning like Montreal Steak Seasoning.
• Salt: Substitute sea salt for Kosher salt.
• Paprika: Don’t substitute regular paprika and smoked paprika, just say yes to Smoked Paprika Home Fries. If you’re feeling in a spicy mood, use hot smoked paprika. It will bring a punch of heat, so be careful.

What Kind Of Potatoes Are Best?

• Baked potato sized Russet Potatoes are best to make oven fries. Russet potatoes are high in starch, which means when they cook they’ll have a fluffier texture. In this case, they’ll be crispy on the outside and fluffier on the inside. Russets are also perfect mashed potatoes, soups and baked potatoes.
• Waxy potatoes, like Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes are lower in starch, making them better for potato salads. They’ll hold their shape better once cooked, and they’ll be easier to slice. Even though the size might be good, stick with russet potatoes for fries.

How To Make Oven French Fries Crispy

Most of the great fries you get in restaurants are deep fried using a commercial deep fryer. And are actually twice fried. Once at a lower temp to temper the moisture level in the potato, and then fried at a higher temperature to crisp them up. Most of us don’t have a commercial deep fryer in our kitchen, nor do we probably want one, so why not take the grease out of the equation and make home fries in the oven. Here are some tips:

• Soak the potatoes. Once you have the potatoes cut into wedges, soak them in water for about 30 minutes. This will remove some of the starch and will make a crispier fry.
• Dry The Potatoes. A very important step. Patting the potatoes dry before seasoning will remove the moisture that will cause the potatoes to “steam” as they cook rather than crisp.
• Then oil and season. The oil is required for crisping those fries.
• Double Bake: Bake the fries at 375 degrees for a short time to start the cooking process. Then turn the heat up to 425 to crisp them.

How To Cut Potatoes Into Wedges.

• Step 1: Simply slice the potato in half long ways.
• Step 2: Lay the potato flat, cut side down and cut them in half again.
• Step 3: Then cut those into smaller wedges.
• Step 4: Cut them again, into steak fry sized wedges, about 3/4″ to 1″ thick.

You’ll get 6 – 8 wedges from one good sized russet potato. Don’t worry, they won’t all be exactly the same size.

How To Bake Home Fries

• Step 1: Once the fries have been soaking in water, simply turn on the burner and par-boil them until slightly tender. About 6-8 minutes. A fork should be able to pierce the potato without breaking it. If the potatoes start to break apart, remove them from the heat immediately. That means they’re getting too done.
• Step 2: Place the potatoes on a clean kitchen towel and with another towel, pat them dry. Get them as dry as you can. Place them in a large bowl and toss them with the oil and the seasonings.

• Step 3: Transfer the fries to a sheet pan. Don’t over crowd, try to space them out. If the potatoes are crowded, they won’t crisp up as well. They need space for air to circulate. Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes at 375 degrees, then turn the heat up to 425 degrees to finish. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray for easier clean up.

Tips To Make The Best Homemade Oven Fries

• Parboil potatoes before roasting. This will release some of the moisture in the potato before it hits the oven. This will help the outside crisp and the inside to stay creamy. How to know when they’re par-boiled? Insert a knife into one of the wedges. If the knife will insert somewhat easily but not release, you’ve done a good job.
• Use just enough oil to coat the potatoes. Too much will equal too crispy and not in a good way.
• Don’t over-crowd the sheet pan. Space out the potatoes for even roasting.
• Don’t pamper or fuss over the potatoes. Let them brown completely on one side before turning.

How To Reheat Fries

• An air fryer works great to reheat oven fries. In just a few minutes time they’ll crisp up like a charm.
• Reheat fries in the oven on a sheet pan in a 375 degree oven for 5 – 10 minutes.
• Using a microwave simply doesn’t work. It will only make for fries soggy.

One of my favorite way to eat left-over home fries is for breakfast the next morning served with an Mexican Omelette. Yes please.

Oven Home Fries Recipe

You know this is a great oven home fries recipe when Hubs announced twice “man these potatoes are good” with no mention of the sauerkraut slathered beer brat on the other side of the plate.

I hope you give these paprika oven home fries a try. They’ll soon be one of your favorite side dish recipes. Potatoes simply go with everything.

Make It A Meal, What To Serve With Home Fries

Home fries are also called steak fries, so why not serve them with:

• Flank Steak Topped with Chimichurri Sauce. Perfect!
• Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak
• Curry Lemon Sirloin Steak Beef Kebabs

More Potato Recipes You Might Like

Looking for something more exotic than ketchup to dip those fries? Take a look at this recipe for Fry Sauce.

And if you’re looking for more side recipes, check out my Side Dish Category, you’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular on my site for Broccoli Cheez Whiz Casserole.

Paprika Home Fries In The Oven …They’re What’s for a Side Dish.