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Thin Crispy French Fries

posted by Liz Berg on March 11, 2015 (updated 2/5/26)

These homemade Thin Crispy French Fries will rival your favorite fast-food version. Pure perfection from your own kitchen.

Learn the tricks on How to Make Crispy French Fries in your own kitchen!!

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Ingredient Notes:

3 How to Make

4 Frequently Asked Questions

5 You May Also Like

6 Thin Crispy French Fries

Why You Must Make

There is nothing better than hot, freshly made French fries!
You don’t have to leave your house for crispy fries.
There are just 4 ingredients and 4 steps to making: boiling, frying, freezing, and frying again!
These are so much better than frozen, then baked French fries.

Ingredient Notes:

Russet potatoes – Starchy potatoes like russets work best. Keep the cut potatoes in a bowl of water to prevent oxidation or turning brown.
White vinegar – PRO-Tip: Vinegar adds a slight crust to the fries, helping them retain their shape
Kosher salt – I prefer coarse salt for fries. Make sure to sprinkle while the fries are hot, as this will ensure the salt will stick. If you’d like more flavor on your fries, this Fry Seasoning is outstanding!!!
Peanut oil – Has a higher smoke point than other oils and is best for frying.

Thin Crispy French Fries in a basket on a checkered napkin with a plate with a few fries and a blob of ketchup.

How to Make

These homemade fries were the result of a quest for the very best French fries. The recipe comes from Serious Eats and was thoroughly researched by one of their chef contributors, who happens to be an MIT grad.

Break out the deep fryer. Or in my case, the Dutch oven and digital thermometer. For the first stage of this recipe, the raw fries were boiled in salted, acidulated water till tender.
There’s obviously some food science involved, but nothing I learned in nursing school (note MIT degree trumps my BSN). After air-drying for a few minutes, the spuds were briefly fried in hot oil before a stint in the freezer.
Freezing overnight is recommended, but I only had a few hours.
Right before serving, the oil was reheated and the fries were fried again to a perfect golden brown.

Thin Crispy French Fries in a ceramic basket lined with parchment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are French Fries really French?

American soldiers during WWI were exposed to French fries in Southern Belgium. Since the language spoken in the area was French, the soldiers referred to them as French fries.

Are French Fries always eaten with ketchup?

Though ketchup is most popular in the US, my Canadian friends enjoyed their fries with vinegar, and others prefer mayonnaise.

How do you Slice Potatoes for French Fries?

First, peel them. Then slice a small piece to make a flat side. With the flat side down, slice planks in your desired thickness lengthwise, from top to bottom. Then slice those planks into fries.

Why do you Soak Potatoes in Water Before Frying?

Soaking helps remove some of the starch from the potatoes, making them firmer and more likely to hold their shape. The salt in the solution infuses flavor, and the vinegar also plays a role (see ingredient note below).

Why Didn’t My French Fries Get Crispy?

The most common reason is that they were not dry enough when fried. After soaking, the fries need to be drained on paper towels, then patted dry. Make sure all sides are dry before frying.

These were a home run hit with my family! I can usually restrain myself, but I ate my fair share. Their first salty bath infused them with the needed flavor, so just a light dusting of kosher salt while hot finished them off.

If you have a hankering for homemade fried potatoes, you must try these thin, crispy French fries! If you’d like to try your hand at sweet potato fries, they are another fabulous side for your burgers (and a bit healthier)!