I learned how to save money and skip the seed oils by making and freezing my own homemade french fries. It’s easy to prepare a batch at home and have crispy, delicious fries ready whenever you want. Once frozen, you can cook them straight from the freezer in the oven or air fryer!
Having a bag of fries in the freezer is super convenient, but I’m not willing to pay nearly $10 for a quality bag when it’s so easy to prep and freeze homemade fries myself.
Growing up in Ukraine, where potatoes are a staple in every meal, I learned how to prep them just right for crispy, delicious fries. Honestly, if I told my family back in Ukraine that I buy already cut and frozen fries in a bag, they’d be very unhappy with me—ha-ha!
By making your own fries, you’ll save money, skip unnecessary ingredients, and feel great knowing you’re serving your family homemade fries made with love.
What you will need
Depending on the prep method you choose, the ingredients may vary slightly:
- For the parboil method: potatoes, water, high-smoke-point oil (avocado, peanut, or cooking light olive oil).
- For the baking method: potatoes, high-smoke-point oil (avocado, peanut, or cooking light olive oil).
- For cooking from frozen: frozen fries, oil, salt, pepper, other seasonings.
The best type of potatoes for making french fries
When I make fries at home, I always use Russet or Idaho (Russet grown in Idaho) potatoes. Russet potatoes are a starchy type of potatoes. When cut into fries, they stay fluffy inside and golden-crispy outside. They are also longer than other potatoes, making them perfect for those classic, straight fries. You can use waxy potatoes, but the texture won’t be the same as classic fries.
How to make-ahead and freeze homemade french fries
Step 1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Wash and scrub the potatoes. The peeling is optional. If you choose to peel, I like to rinse them again one more time afterward.
Step 2. Cut the potatoes into fries. Chose your favorite cut and slice them accordingly:
- Regular Fries (Straight-Cut, about ¼-inch thick): Good balance of crispiness and soft center.
- Shoestring fries (very thin cut, about ⅛ inch thick): delicate and extra crispy.
- Crinkle-Cut Fries (Wavy edges, thicker than regular fries): Great for dipping, kids' favorite. You will need a crinkle knife.
- Steak Fries (thick wedge-like cut): soft and fluffy, great for different seasonings.
- Wedges (Thick triangular cuts from whole potatoes): great for dipping, better to parboil before frying for crispiness.
- Waffle or crisscut fries ( made with mandoline slicer with a waffle blade or using a knife and two skewers): fun, perfect for dipping, always golden and crispy.
Step 3. Soak the fries. Place cut fries in a bowl with cold water and soak them for at least 1 hour. If you soak them longer, place the bowl in the fridge. This step removes excess starch so they get crispier when cooked later. Drain, and pat them dry with a clean towel.
Step 4. Pre-cook the potatoes before freezing. You can either pre-bake or parboil the fries before freezing. Both methods work great.
To Parboil (Blanch):
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add about ¼ teaspoon of salt. Add the fries and boil for 3–6 minutes until they’re just getting tender in the middle but not fully cooked. For larger fries, like steak fries or crinkle cut, boil them for 5-6 minutes. Shoestring fries will take about 3-4 minutes.
- Drain them immediately using a colander. You can also shock them in an ice bath for a few minutes or simply spread them on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Let them steam dry and cool down completely.
Quick tip: if you skip ice bath, place the fries near the fan or open window so they cool down faster.
Prebake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat the fries with a little bit of avocado oil or light olive oil.
- Spread the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10–15 minutes, until just they are tender in the middle and dry out a bit. Do not let them brown. Larger fried will need a whole 15-16 minutes.
Step 5. Drain and dry the fries by placing them on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
Note: if you are using the baking methods, simply let them cool down.
Step 6. Initial flash freeze. Once parboiled or pre-baked cool down, and spread them in a single layer on top of the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Coat them lightly in oil (if parboiled. If pre-baked, they already have oil).
Step 7. Place them like that in the freezer and let them stay there for at least 1-2 hours or until they are feel solid to touch.
Step 8. Package and freeze: Transfer them to freezer-safe bags, removing as much air as possible. Store them in the freezer until ready to cook. Do not forget to label the bags.
Step 8. To store: Homemade fries (parboiled or pre-baked) will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to cook homemade frozen french fries
Oven Method: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line the baking pan with parchment paper. Spread frozen fries in a single layer on top. Drizzle them with light olive oil or avocado oil. Bake frozen fries for 20–30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy and golden. Season to taste when they are still hot right .
Air fryer: Preheat at fryer to 400°F. Add frozen fries and drizzle them with oil. Add seasonings if desired. Air fryer for 15–20 min, shaking them halfway. Season to taste and serve.
Deep fry: Fill your deep fryer or a pot with vegetable, soy oil or tallow. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C). Take out frozen fries from the freezer. Carefully add a handful to the hot oil. Cook in batches if needed, but do not overcrowd the pot. Cook them for about 4-6 minutes, stirring them occasionally until they fries become golden and crispy. Remove them using a slotted spoon or spider strain on a plate lined with paper towels. Season to taste, and enjoy.
Safety tip for deep frying: Always be careful when frying frozen fries, make sure they’re dry to avoid oil splatters.
Tips for success
- Soak your fries before precooking them to remove extra starch.
- Parboiling is best for classic fries with a fluffy inside and crispy outside. Pre-baking is more convenient since you don’t have to worry about drying the fries, and it adds more flavor with a slightly drier texture — both methods work well.
- Flash-freeze them before packing them in the bags, so they do not stick together.
Oils and seasonings for homemade fries
It can get confusing in the process, so I have decided to make a separate paragraph on how to add oil and seasonings.
After blanching your fries, toss them lightly in a high-smoke-point oil (avocado, peanut, or cooking light olive oil) before freezing. This step helps create that perfect crispy exterior when you bake or air fry them later from frozen. When it’s time to cook, drizzle a little more oil on top of the frozen fries again, for crispier results and golden color.
As for seasoning, add the salt and any other seasonings when the fries are freshly cooked and still hot. Adding salt too early will draw out moisture and make your fries soggy.
Besides traditional salt and pepper, you can use paprika, garlic powder, cajun, Italian and other seasonings.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, because it really helps! According to the USDA, blanching befiore freezeing stops the enzymes so your fries stay fresh and tasty in the freezer.
They will stay fresh for about 3 months. After that, they might still be safe to eat, but they can get freezer-burned or lose flavor.
Yes, because freezing removes moisture. So the fries will be crispier after cooking, similar to restaurant fries.
I recommend going for Russet or Idaho Russet potatoes when making fries. They are a starchy type of potato, which means they’ll be fluffy inside and crispy outside when cooked.
📖 Recipe
How to Make and Freeze Homemade French Fries (From Scratch)
Equipment
- 1 cutting board
- 1 large pot
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 freezer-safe bags
Ingredients
Making and freeing homemade fries
- 3-4 large Russet potatoes
- water for blanching
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
Baking frozen fries
- 2 cups frozen homemade fries
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼-½ salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into fries. You can choose between shoestring, regular, steak or crinkle shape fries.
- Soak the fries in a cold water for at least 30-60 minutes.
- Bring a large pot with water to a boil. Add a handful of fries to the pot and boil for about 3-6 minutes, until they just become fork tender ( depending how big you cut your fries). Work in batches not to overcrowd the pot.
- Remove them from hot water and transfer them into the iced bath. Let them sit for at least 3–5 minutes or until fully cooled. Drain and dry the fries well.
- Toss them lightly in oil. Spread the fries on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and flash freeze them for about 1 hour, so they do not stick.
- Transfer frozen fries to the freezer-safe bags and mark them with the date. Store homemade fries in the freezer for up to 3 months. Do not thaw before cooking. You can bake, air fry or deep fry them from frozen.
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