Grilled French Fries Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak french fries in water before frying? ›

This step is commonly missed in making homemade fries, but it might be one of the most important! Soaking your fries in cold water helps remove excess starch, which allows for crispy, golden fries! The cold water bath also helps the french fries retain their shape and contributes to a fluffy inside.

FAQ: Can I grill frozen French fries on a gas grill? Yes, you can grill frozen French fries on a gas grill.

Place fries in disposable foil pan sprayed with cooking spray. Place pan on grill grate. Grill 15 to 20 min. or until fries are heated through, stirring after 10 min.

The Double-Fry Method

When it comes to the actual cooking, you want to fry the french fries twice. The first round is at a lower temperature to cook the inside of the potato and the second time you'll use a higher temperature to make the fries golden brown and crispy.

The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.

If you're pressed for time, the slightly sticky, cut potatoes should be soaked for a minimum of 15 minutes. However, a longer soak time may allow more starch to be removed. So, if you can prep the fries ahead of time, a few hours of soaking can help make them even crispier.

When frying French fries, do not let them thaw before using. I recommend that frozen French fries be kept completely frozen before using. This guarantees that the surface of the potato is sealed during the frying process, resulting in a crispy, high quality fry. Some operations do thaw potatoes before cooking.

This method produces a crispier and more evenly cooked fry, similar to deep-fried fries, but with less oil. So, while both options can be delicious, air fryer fries tend to have a crunchier texture compared to oven fries.

Add herbs and spices for extra flavor.

"Add a bit of gourmet flair to your fries by sprinkling them with some garlic powder, fresh rosemary, seasoned salt, or fresh virgin-olive [oil] or truffle oil," Koeppe said. As well as adding flavor, a drizzle of oil can also help keep fries from sticking together in the oven.

Should we boil potatoes for french fries? ›

A properly made fry must hit the oil twice--once at a lower temperature, and then again at 350 degrees Fahrenheit--to get the perfect creamy interior and crunchy exterior. Before all that, though, the secret is to briefly poach them in boiling water (or "blanch" them) before they go into the hot oil.

“McDonald's does add beef flavor to its fryer oil…for the French fries,” he said. “You're going to get your vegetable oil, and you're going to add two tablespoons of beef tallow per two cups of oil.”

Once in our kitchens, we cook them in our canola-blend oil so you can have them crispy and hot—just the way you like them.

Soak, rinse, and pat.

Soaking them right after cutting minimizes oxygen contact and keeps the fries looking fresh and appetizing. After slicing all the potatoes, rinse them with cold water multiple times until the water runs clear. This process helps remove excess starch and sugars from the potato surfaces.

Starch rich potatoes usually turn soft and crumbly, while frying or baking. So, if you are making delicacies wherein you want the potatoes to be crispy and crunchy, then removing starch is the best way to keep your wafers, fries, crispy potatoes, hash browns crisp and delicious.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in 2 tablespoons of salt. Place the sliced potatoes in the salt water and let them soak for 15 to 30 minutes. This will help them bake up crispier. When the potatoes are done soaking, drain them, and dry very well with a towel.

If you're simply trying to remove starch from potatoes then you can soak them for a shorter period, and strain and refill the water several times throughout the process to speed things along. Soak your potatoes for a minimum of 30 minutes in cold water, and then get to cooking.