Make French Fries Yourself, Recipe With a Chef Step By Step Cooking School

Author:
is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger.
Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.

You can find my proven french fries recipe in this post.

I promise you super fries that are crispy and browned and soft on the inside.

In addition to the right type of potato, the even cutting of the potato sticks and the right frying fat are crucial for success.

You can find all of the tips below.

Take a look at the instructions with photos, then you can get to work right away.

I wish you good luck!

1. French Fries Recipe

Below are the instructions with all step-by-step photos. I look forward to comments and success stories!

French fries

Cooked, photographed and written down by chef Thomas Sixt.

Servings 2
Calories 624
Total Time 45 Min.
Preparation Time 25 Min.
Cook Time 20 Min.

Simple instructions for preparing home-fried fries.

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4.78 from 2193 ratings

make your own french fries - served in a bag
Make your own French fries Recipe Image © Thomas Sixt

Ingredients

400 g big potatoes (You can find the potato variety info under point 1.)
700 g vegetable fat or oil
etwas primal salt

Instruction

Peel potatoes for french fries
Wash and peel the potatoes thoroughly, follow the tips on the type of potato!

Peel potatoes

Peel and wash the potatoes and put them in a bowl of cold water.

Cut raw, peeled potatoes into slices
The raw potatoes are cut into even slices.

Cut potato slices

Remove the potatoes from the cold water and cut into 1 cm thick slices.

Potato slices into potato sticks - cut the fries
The even potato slices are now cut into even potato sticks.

Cut potato sticks

Then cut the slices into 1 cm thick sticks and put them back in the cold water.

After peeling and cutting, the potatoes must be placed in cold water so that they do not turn brown.

Frying fat in the pot when heating.
Heat the frying fat, a temperature of 170-180°C is appropriate.

Prepare to fry

Sicherheitshinweise zum Frittieren unter Punkt 10. im Artikel.

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Heat the frying fat to 175-180°C in a tall pan (note the filling level!) or in a fryer.

Temperature test: The correct temperature has been reached when bubbles appear on a wooden skewer dipped in the hot oil.

The fryer does not continue to heat up once the temperature has been reached.

–> Important note:

Pot frying can be very dangerous because you have to control the temperature yourself.

Please work with extreme caution and use a suitable thermometer.

Also, keep a lid handy to cover the pot in case the oil overheats or even catches fire.

Please note the safety instructions for frying under point 10 in the article.

Dry the potato sticks
Potato sticks lying in water will not turn brown. Dry well in hot fat before free-swimming.

Dry the potato sticks

Take the prepared potato sticks out of the water and dry them completely twice.

Blanch fries, fry the first
Fry the fries the first time, which is called blanching.

Blanch potato sticks

Place the potato sticks in the hot oil and fry for 3-5 minutes.

In the jargon of chefs, this is called “blanching” – although it doesn’t happen in the water but in the fat.

blanched french fries in the frying basket over the hot fat
Remove the blanched French fries from the hot fat and allow to cool slightly.

Supercool potato sticks

Lift the pre-fried potato sticks out of the hot fat and let them cool for 10-15 minutes.

Homemade French fries in a bowl
Drain the fries well after the second frying!

Fry french fries

Finally fry the fries in hot fat until golden brown and crispy.

make your own french fries - served in a bag
Make your own French fries Recipe Image © Thomas Sixt

Salt and serve

Drain the fries very well, place in a large bowl, season immediately with salt and toss, then serve quickly.

Video

Cousine

2. Calories (kcal) And Nutritional Values

3. The Right Type Of Potato For French Fries

Which type of potato is the right one for the fries?

For the preparation of fries, please use a predominantly waxy variety such as:

The color code of this potato variety is red.

Potato varieties classified as predominantly waxy contain 13 to 15 percent starch.

When roasting or deep-frying, they therefore develop an appetizing tan.

fries in the bowl
French fries in the bowl, please don’t forget the salt.

4. The Right Fat For Frying French Fries

Experiment with the frying fat and see how it affects the taste.

You read that right, frying with olive oil is great!

It’s amazing how the taste of the fries changes depending on the type of fat used!

By the way, the best French fries are in Belgium, where beef fat is used for frying.

You can use canola oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, beef fat or olive oil.

Recommends Chef Thomas Sixt
French fries and potato wedges in the fryer
French fries and potato wedges are best fried in fat!

5. Tools And Ingredients For Making French Fries Yourself

To make deep fryer fries yourself, you need…

6. How To Properly Fry French Fries From Fresh Potatoes

How do you get golden brown, crispy and delicious french fries from fresh potatoes on your plate?

  1. Thoroughly peel the potatoes, cut.
  2. Fry the raw potato sticks twice.
  3. For the first frying, let them float in the fat for about 3-5 minutes.
    -> During this process, the potato sticks get little color and cook slowly.
  4. Then remove from the fat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
    -> The cooling process causes potato starch to come out of the potato sticks.
  5. This starch makes the fritters take the right color during the second frying and you get crispy fritters.
crispy, homemade fries
French fries prepared crispy.

French fries secret: Please deep-fry potato sticks from raw potatoes twice. This is the only way to get browned and crispy super fries. The first frying for 3-5 minutes is called “blanching” by chefs. After this “free float” in the frying fat, the potato sticks must cool for a few minutes. During this process, the starch comes out of the potato sticks, and this starch provides the crispy browning during the second frying.

Recommends chef Thomas Sixt

7. Use Tip For Frying Fat Several Times

Pass the lukewarm frying fat through a fine sieve after use. This will remove the leftover frying. So you can use the fat more often and several times.

–> Let the fat cool down while it is lukewarm

–> Provide a large pot

–> Pass the lukewarm fat through a metal hair sieve

–> Leave the oil in a cool place to cool down

–> Cover with a lid after cooling

Filtering the used oil has also proven itself in the fryer.

A good fryer usually has a cold zone under the heating element, where suspended particles should collect.

Nevertheless, the filtering of the oil by passing counteracts the rapid spoilage and oxidation of the fat.

Strongly foaming and strong-smelling fat is no longer suitable for frying.

Please pay attention to the temperature. Extremely overheated fat is harmful to health and can also catch fire.

8. Prepare Alternative French Fries In the Oven

I’m not a fan of the homemade fries from the oven.

For a perfect result, the potato simply needs a free float in the hot fat.

The oven preparation works as follows:

Bought French fries from the bag are always fried before freezing, so they turn out quite well.

As an alternative to the oven fries, I recommend simple baked potatoes .

Baked potatoes recipe image
Baked potatoes recipe image © Thomas Sixt

9. French Fries As A Side Go Well With…

The crispy fries are generally a hit with Wiener schnitzel, currywurst and moules frites and steak.

Served as finger food and snacks with spicy sauces and tomato ketchup or homemade mayonnaise , simply wonderful.

Mixed mayonnaise
Homemade mayonnaise in a bowl.

A tip on the subject of finger food:

I paired a low-temp pink duck breast with chips and truffle mayonnaise.

This is a real hit and a good idea for a perfect dinner – simply stunning!

Here’s another classic:

French fries as a side dish, here a steak with French fries and ketchup.
Steak with fries and ketchup, today an international classic and very popular.

10. Important Safety Instructions When Deep-Frying

When deep-frying, please pay attention to the following points:

–> Check the deep fryer’s temperature gauge before adding fat. This should be clean.

–> Note the maximum filling height of the deep fryer when determining the amount of fat.

–> Heat solid vegetable fat in a saucepan until it is lukewarm and then carefully pour it into the fryer.

–> When deep-frying in a pot, fill a maximum of 1/3 of the pot with oil and work with a thermometer.

–> The correct temperature range is between 160°C and 175°C.

–> Smoking fat is too hot, please reduce the temperature immediately.

–> Avoid frying food that is too moist or too wet.

–> Always keep a suitable lid close to the fryer.

–> If the fryer catches fire, cover it with the lid, leave the room, switch off the fuses.

Important NOTE:

You cannot put out an oil fire with water, this would lead to an explosion.

Lids and fire blankets are the right means of rescue here.

Information provided without guarantee! Frying in a DIN-tested fryer is generally harmless.

11. More Ideas For Side Dishes

Comments, Cooking Questions and Answers

4.78 from 2193 ratings

Below you can write to me directly.
Please don’t forget the star rating on the recipe, 5 stars means you liked it!

  • Hello Thomas, Thank you for this successful guide. Prepared fries from fresh potatoes for the first time for our children's birthday party. That worked very well and we were happy about fresh, crispy homemade fries. We have a cooking question: How can we store the fat used? In 2 weeks there is a party with the neighbors, so we want to prepare fresh fries again. Thank you 🙏 and greetings from the Baumanns

    Reply

    • Hello Baumanns! I really enjoy reading this kind of message, thanks for the nice feedback. Just had fries in Brussels, they were really tasty. Served with truffle mayonnaise. Delicious. Ms. Sixt added the cheese dip, which was good too. Use several times for the cooking question with the fat: –> Please look at the fat, it should not be too dark. –> Did it foam a lot at the end? Then I advise against using it again. –> If you have a good feeling, pass the lukewarm fat through a fine sieve into a saucepan. –> Allow the fat to cool down and "keep" with the lid in the refrigerator or in a cool place –> Please clean the fryer thoroughly and fill it again with the warm oil in two weeks. I wish you good luck! Kind regards Thomas

      Reply

  • Made for my birthday and I'm happy! Thank you Thomas

    Reply

    • So I wish you all the best for your birthday! Kind regards Thomas

      Reply

  • Thanks for the working instructions! Greetings Klaus

    Reply

    • My pleasure! Greetings Thomas

      Reply

  • Servus from Bavaria! Alfred writes you here, I made your fries today and the preparation worked perfectly. I used to eat french fries often when I went out, but today I seldom eat really good ones. Anyway, your recipe is perfect and it was a great treat. Greetings Alfred

    Reply

    • Hello Alfred, I'm always particularly happy about news from Bavaria, I'm from Bavaria 🙂 Thank you very much for your feedback and the praise. Would you like to try baked potatoes next? They are quick to make and taste super delicious! Sending you best wishes and continued success! Thomas PS My recipe newsletter is published once a month and is free. –> Provides you with news and ideas for the season.

      Reply

  • Hello Thomas, I think it's great how comprehensive and simple each of your recipes and instructions is. Also that you always have a detailed list of the utensils at hand… I can't stand the fact that many blogs don't say right at the beginning that I might need something like a fryer or something similar… and afterwards I'm disappointed, if that's why I can't cook it again. Keep it up, I love reading your recipes and I love cooking them!

    Reply

    • Hello Ute, Thank you for the nice feedback, your praise and appreciation. Of course I like to read a message like this. I'll expand on the subject of equipment in the coming weeks and months. Will also add tips for cooking pots, knives and chopping boards. Thanks very much! I wish you continued success! Kind regards, Thomas PS Feel free to leave a cooking question, which I'm particularly happy to answer because we're all learning.

      Reply

  • Hello Thomas, very great instructions. Since I want to prepare a larger quantity of fries, I would like to know if the potatoes can be pre-fried the day before? Thanks for the reply and LG

    Reply

    • Hello Michaela, thank you for your cooking question. You could try this and freeze the pre-fried fries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try it out with a small amount and see if you are satisfied with the result and the choice of potato variety. To be honest, I always make the fries completely fresh. You can pre-fry a larger quantity and thus complete the preparatory work. Then later, when your guests are here, finish frying and serve. Feel free to contact us with any further cooking questions! Kind regards Thomas

      Reply

  • Hello Thomas, I would now like to fry french fries again. The first time I used organic refined sunflower oil, the second time Biskin. Both times the fat almost foamed over me. I constantly had to pull the pot off the plate. Finally, I fried them in a pan. I had dried the cut potatoes almost individually. What have I done wrong? Thanks for the reply. Greetings from a seasoned housewife

    Reply

    • Dear Monika, thank you very much for your message, the answer from Koch will follow soon 🙂 Why does the fat foam in the fryer? –> Cleaning residues in the fryer –> Old fat foams –> The wrong fat foams, use refined sunflower oil or rapeseed oil –> Observe the optimum temperature range of 165°C to 175°C, too high a temperature can be a problem! –> In old fryers, the temperature sensor may be dirty or defective. –> Note the amount of food to be cooked when frying: amount of fried food, too much fried food lowers the temperature! –> Dry the food before frying –> Too much fat in the fryer, please note the filling mark It sounds like the temperature was too high because you were working on the stove with a pot. 🙂 Wish you good luck! Kind regards Thomas

      Reply

  • This guide is as detailed as I need it to be. So today I'm going to try it for the first time. What do you think of air fryers? Should that work the same way? I've heard you should put a tablespoon of oil on the fries to improve the result.

    Reply

    • Hello Kai, sorry for the late reply, I was taking photos abroad. A little oil is certainly good. I even mix the freshly cut potatoes with the oil beforehand so that it spreads better. Important: French fries that have already been pre-fried (bought frozen) do not need oil. – Peel potatoes 400 g and cut really even fries. – Marinate raw potato sticks in a bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of oil. – Then pre-fry for about 8-10 minutes at level 3 of 4. – Then remove the basket and let the fries cool for 10 minutes. – Note: Overcooling can cause the starch to escape, which then creates the browning during the second frying – Finish the fries at the highest level and cook until crispy. – Alternatively you can use the fries program and hope for a good result 🙂 Let me know if you are satisfied with the result! Kind regards Thomas

      Reply

  • The instructions are awesome, my homemade fries turned out perfect the first time. Merci to the chef Thomas Sixt and ****** Chrisi

    Reply

    • Hello Chrisi, you're very welcome, I'm glad! Get in touch again 🙂 LG Thomas

      Reply

  • Nice pictures, cleaned up, really helped with preparing fries. Thank you Bridget

    Reply

    • That's the way it should be, sure to succeed, I'm glad it worked out for you! Kind regards, Thomas Sixt

      Reply

  • Hello Thomas, great instructions, I still have a few questions: – Where do you get the best fries served? – Which fat do you personally use? Thanks for the great impressions and the tips that get to the point! Greetings from Paul

    Reply

    • Hello Paul, Thank you for your kind words. I particularly like cooking questions and as I can see you are really thinking. Here are my answers: 1. The best fries are in Belgium 🙂 2. Normally refined sunflower oil Thank you very much for your questions, please get back to me! LG Thomas Sixt

      Reply

  • Great guide, thanks Thomas

    Reply

    • My pleasure! Enjoy it LG Thomas Sixt

      Reply