How to make crispy frozen fries in the oven

Take your bag of frozen French fries and kick them up a notch!  Loaded with parsley and garlic, and taking just 30 minutes to bake, they’ll be a hit staple in your weekly mealtime repertoire!  Faster than take out!

Better than Take Out

Over the past two years my family switched from our weekly restaurant dining to a weekly take out night.  With everyone home for three meals a day it was really nice to have a night off!  We quickly developed a list of our favorite restaurants who were really winning the take out game!  We also quickly learned which foods held up really well to take out (sushi!), and which did not (I’m looking at you, french fries).  Every time we ordered from our local Mediterranean spot the boys would beg for fries….and every time we got them we were disappointed at how quickly they became a soggy mess.  So we started making them at home!  

We have tried making French fries completely from scratch at home….and it’s really hard.  While it seems like you would just drop sliced potatoes into hot oil (at least that’s how it seemed to me), it’s really not that simple.  You have to pre-cook them first—either by doing a flash fry, or a blanch.  And then a second fry.  And it’s messy work.  After a few attempts at making truly from scratch French fries we threw in the towel and switched to freezer fries.  They are delicious, and so convenient!

How do you Cook Gourmet Frozen French Fries At Home?

I’ve found that the directions on the back of most freezer fries aren’t quite right.  The cook time usually is a little off—we cook them a bit longer to get them nice and crispy.  And they can be kind of bland straight out of the bag.  We jazz them up in the style of our fave Mediterranean restaurant—tons of garlic, a sprinkle of sumac, fresh parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil.  They are so good that sometimes we can hardly get them on our plates.  We just stand around the sheet pan, straight out of the oven, snacking away!

What is Sumac?

Sumac is spice commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking that has a subtle citrus flavor.  It’s a background flavor in this recipe, but since I have a bag in my cupboard I always use it because I love the look of the little reddish brown specks.  You could substitute a sprinkle of paprika, or skip it entirely if you can’t find it nearby.

Perfect Weekend Food

Freezer fries and veggie burgers are a weekend staple in our family.  It’s an easy low-cook meal that we all look forward to!  We can’t get enough of these crispy fries!

Perfect Main Dishes to Pair with your Frozen French Fries

• Curry Chickpea Salad
• Vegan Sloppy Joes with Lentils
• Vegan Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs (+ stovetop instructions)
• Bacon Cheese Dogs — Totally Vegan!
• Vegan Chicken Salad with Pickles

Let’s Cook Frozen French Fries!

Are you ready?  You’re just 30 minutes away from delicious crispy fries, fully loaded with garlic.  That’s faster than getting in the car and picking up take out!  Leave me a note in the comments below and let me know how you like them!

How to Cook Frozen French Fries

Take your bag of frozen French fries and kick them up a notch!  Loaded with parsley and garlic, and taking just 30 minutes to bake, they'll be a hit staple in your weekly mealtime repertoire!  Faster than take out!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: comfort food

• 1 pound frozen french fries (choose a plain variety)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (depending on how salted your fries are in the package, you may want to reduce to 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac see note
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped finely (a handful)

• Preheat the oven to 425º.

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Add the fries to the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat.

• Sprinkle with the salt and sumac (if using) and toss again. Arrange french fries so that they are all in a single layer.

• Bake for 30 minutes, checking half way through and tossing the fries to help with even browning.

• When the fries have finished cooking remove them from the oven. Sprinkle them with the fresh minced garlic and parsley. Toss very well to distribute the garlic evenly. Enjoy!

If you can't find sumac, you can try substituting paprika (not smoked), or skip it completely.  If you do use paprika, reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon, as it's a finer grind than sumac.