How to fry french fries
Deep-fry french fries twice, in oil at 325°F (165°C), then 375°F (190°C) for about 3–5 min + 2–3 min, until golden brown and crispy. Treat the time as a starting point: piece size, batch size and your pot all change it, so watch the color and the oil thermometer rather than the clock.
- Oil temperature
- 325°F (165°C), then 375°F (190°C)
- Method
- Deep fry
- Starting time
- 3–5 min + 2–3 minFirst fry at 325°F until the corners just start to color, about 3–5 min; cool to room temperature, then second fry at 375°F.
- Piece size
- 1/2-inch-wide sticks
- Done when
- golden brown and crispy
Numbers from Food Network: Hand-Cut French Fries (Justin Devillier). Celsius values are rounded.
Getting it right
- Use a heavy, deep pot or a countertop fryer and fill it no higher than its safe fill line. The oil rises when food goes in.
- Clip a frying thermometer to the pot and bring the oil to 325°F (165°C), then 375°F (190°C). Keep the sensor in the oil, off the base of the pot.
- Pat the food dry before any coating. Water on the surface spits in hot oil and steams the crust soft.
- Lower a small batch in, away from you. The temperature will drop; adjust the burner so it climbs back toward the target.
- Lift out with a skimmer onto a rack over a tray, salt while hot, and let the oil recover before the next batch.
Why the temperature matters: oil that is too cool lets the coating soak up fat before it sets, so the outside goes heavy and pale. Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the middle is ready. The thermometer is how you hold the window between the two.
Pub-style fish and chips