There is nothing better than crispy oven fries alongside a juicy burger in the summertime. I used to keep a pot of oil on my stovetop all summer long for making french fries. It seemed like it took forever for them to cook and it was always making a mess. Then I started making oven fries with beef tallow, and I have never looked back. They are the crispiest, most delicious french fries you’ll ever eat. Check out foolproof method below for making these perfect crispy fries.

Crispy Oven Fries

There’s two secrets to getting perfectly crispy oven fries every time.

Soak cut potatoes in water for a few minutes before baking. This removes the starch and gives them a crisper exterior.
Use beef tallow as your fat for cooking. This will give your fries the best flavor, and the most beautiful golden color.

Cooking With Beef Tallow

I use beef tallow in place of most all other oils in my kitchen. It has a very high smoke point so it’s perfect for frying, baking or roasting almost anything. It’s also a healthy fat which is much better for you than seed oils like canola oil or vegetable oil. It’s also a fat that we can produce on our own homestead from our home raised beef so it’s not only high quality, but it’s low cost as well. Learn how to render your own tallow here.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a very hands off recipe. I only stir the fries a couple of times while they’re baking. This gives you time to make the rest of the meal.
This recipe is quick and easy to throw together.
These are the best french fries you’ll ever eat. Better than any restaurant!
These homemade fries can be seasoned many different ways
Leftover fries? No problem, they reheat beautifully in the oven.

Leftover fries? No problem, they reheat beautifully in the oven.

Tools You May Need

Mixing bowl
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Baking sheet

Want to save this post?

Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes and homesteading tips from us every week!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here

Ingredients

Potatoes – yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes make the best french fries in my opinion
Beef tallow – if you don’t have any beef tallow you can use coconut oil
Seasonings of your choice – salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ranch seasoning, etc.

How To Make Crispy Homemade Oven Fries

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
Using a cutting board and a sharp knife or a french fry cutter, cut the potatoes into fries. I like to cut the potatoes in half or thirds lengthwise, then lay each piece of the potato flat and slice into fries. I always leave the skins on my potatoes because it saves time and makes them extra crispy.
For steak fries, you can cut thicker fries, and just bake them longer in the oven.
Add the cut fries to the mixing bowl and cover with water. Let them soak for 10 minutes.
Place them on a tea towel and dry thoroughly.
Grease the baking sheet with tallow to keep the potatoes from sticking.
Add the cut potatoes in a single layer on the sheet pan.
Sprinkle seasoning of choice on the fries and gently toss.
Dab remaining tallow on top of the fries.
Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and crispy, stirring occasionally.
Serve with ketchup, ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce.
Store leftover fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To Reheat:
Place cold fries in an even layer on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. They’ll be crispy and taste fresh baked.

crispy oven fries with ketchup overhead shot

Tips

If you don’t have access to beef tallow, use coconut oil or avocado oil.
Need to plan ahead? Cut your fries ahead of time and soak in cold water in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Just make sure the potatoes are completely covered in water so they don’t turn brown.
Make chili fries, nacho fries or top with other favorite toppings
For steak fries, bake them at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, and then turn up the heat to 425 degrees to get them golden and crispy
Don’t skimp on the seasonings, salt and fat is what makes things taste good
You can bake these fries on parchment paper to save on dishes.
Use a salad spinner to quickly dry your french fries before baking

FAQ

Soaking them in water first reduces their starch content which gives them a crisp exterior. Cooking them at a high temperature with a high quality fat like beef tallow also makes crispy baked french fries.

Yes, especially if made with beef tallow because it’s a healthy fat. Baked fries are generally much healthier than deep-fried fries because it doesn’t take near as much fat to make them. Fries that have been deep fat fried in hydrogenated oil are much more unhealthy.

Beef tallow makes the crispiest french fries. One nice thing about the tallow is that it doesn’t take a lot of it to make really nice french fries.

More Recipes Like This