I’ve been experimenting with baked French fries for years, but it wasn’t until recently that I had a lightbulb moment. If you’ve tried my baked chicken legs, you know a secret ingredient (baking powder!) makes the skin ultra-crispy. Like, shatter in your mouth, crispy.
That had me wondering… can we do the same thing to baked French fries?
I immediately headed to my kitchen to find out. First, I tested the fries without soaking them in water to see whether adding baking powder would give them a crispy texture in less time. I also tested another version by soaking the potatoes first. Unfortunately, soaking helps a lot, so I don’t recommend skipping it. (Even though it’s tempting to save time.)
But baking powder definitely helps improve the texture, too. If you’re hoping to make delicious French fries with less oil, I think you’ll love this recipe as much as my family does.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“WOW! These were great. I’m trying so hard to not buy an air fryer. I don’t need another piece of equipment in the kitchen. Man, these are simple and spot on. This will be my “go to” for fries.” – Irene
Baked French Fries Ingredients
- Potatoes. You can use Russet or gold potatoes to make homemade fries. The gold potatoes will be softer and creamier in the center, while the Russet potatoes will be a little drier on the outside. Choose Russet potatoes for the crispiest results.
- Olive Oil. You only need a little oil to bake fries, so use whichever type you keep readily on hand.
- Baking Powder. This is a recent addition that helps the French fries crisp up even more as they bake. You can’t taste it in the final fries.
- Spices. I like to use garlic powder, salt, and pepper for a simple seasoning that’s surprisingly flavorful. If you want heavily-seasoned fries, check the recipe notes for an alternative.
How To Cook Fries in the Oven
Step 1:
Start by slicing the potatoes into thin, French-fry-like shapes. I like my fries to be 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick. The thicker the fries, the more tender they will be on the inside, while thinner fries tend to be crunchier. (But also prone to browning faster.)
The more consistently you slice the fries, the more evenly they will bake.
Once you’ve sliced the fries, place them in a bowl of water and let them soak for 15 to 30 minutes. I know it’s annoying to wait, but it really does make a difference. If you don’t mind limp fries, you can skip this step.
Note: If you want to take things a step further, soak the fries in salt water. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of salt to the cold water and stir vigorously. The salt helps pull even more moisture from the potatoes, so they will turn out even crispier later. (But, this is optional.)
Step 2:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and lightly grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil. (I use a half sheet pan, which is 13-by-18 inches.) Drain the fries of the soaking water and briefly dry them with a towel. Wipe out the soaking bowl, so you can reuse that, too.
Return the fries to the bowl and drizzle them with olive oil. Toss well, then season with the baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss again, just until the potatoes look evenly seasoned.
Transfer the seasoned fries to the baking sheet and spread them out evenly. You don’t want any of the fries to touch each other for the crispiest results. (Don’t crowd the pan.)
Step 3:
Bake the fries at 400ºF for 20 minutes. The fries won’t necessarily look golden on top when you remove the baking sheet from the oven, but use a sturdy spatula to flip them over, and the side that was touching the pan should look lightly golden.
Once you’ve flipped all the fries and spread them out evenly in the pan, bake them for 15 to 20 more minutes. Watch the smaller fries, as you might need to remove them from the oven earlier.
Serving Tips
Baked fries are best served right away for the crispiest texture. Try them with my healthy ketchup (which is fruit-sweetened!) or with mayo-free Special Sauce for an extra-flavorful dip.
Storage Tip: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in an air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes, until crispy again. Or place them on a pan in the oven at 350ºF for about 10 minutes to reheat.
- 1 pound Russet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes; or use Yukon gold)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt (plus extra for soaking water)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Slice the potatoes into spears (about ¼-inch thick). Keep in mind that the thinner the fries are sliced, the faster they will cook. If you want to make thicker fries, that’s okay, too! As long as the fries are similar in size and thickness, they will cook evenly.
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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. The salt water will draw out excess moisture from the potatoes, so they will help bake up crispier. When the potatoes are done soaking, drain them and dry well with a towel. (Dry the soaking bowl, too, so you can reuse it for the seasoning.)
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Add the potatoes back in the dry bowl, and toss them with the olive oil. Then sprinkle the baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper over the fries, and stir again to evenly coat.
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Arrange the fries in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Make sure the fries aren’t too close together or touching. (An over-crowded pan of fries will steam together and won’t get as crispy.) Bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the pan and flip the fries to promote even crisping.
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Return them to the oven to bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until they look golden and crispy. Keep an eye on any smaller fries that might burn; they could need to be removed earlier. (Note– thinner cut fries will bake faster than thicker cut fries; so thinner fries might not need to bake as long.)
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Serve the fries warm right away with your favorite dip. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, but keep in mind that the texture won’t be as good when they are reheated. (They tend to dry out more.)
Nutrition information is for 4 ounces of potatoes, or a quarter of the batch. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Update Note: This recipe was updated in February 2026 with the addition of baking powder for extra crispiness. The original recipe just called for a homemade fry seasoning, which you can find below.
French Fry Seasoning: For more seasoned fries, use this spice blend for 1 pound of potatoes: 1/2 teaspoon each of celery salt and fine sea salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon each of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. My French Fry YouTube video includes this seasoning.
Salt Water Soak: Adding salt to the soaking water helps draw out more moisture from the potatoes, but you can also soak them in plain water if you prefer. Any soaking is better than no soaking at all. (Unsoaked potatoes will likely turn out softer.)
Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg
More Recipes to Try
If you try these homemade French fries, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like them. I appreciate your feedback!