Those directions on the bag? They're steering you wrong. They don't tell you about air fryers
or seasoning. Toss those instructions out, and watch to learn how to do frozen fries right.
You know how sometimes frozen pizza cooking instructions will suggest
cooking the pizza directly on the oven rack if you want a crispier crust? Well,
the same goes for frozen french fries. You have two options:
either place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet so there is space between
the surface of the rack and the pan, or just cook the fries directly on the cooling rack.
Cooking the fries on a rack as opposed to directly makes space for more air circulation, and gives
the moisture released from the fries somewhere to go besides pooling underneath the fry,
potentially making it wet. The moisture instead drops into the pan which, in turn, creates steam,
and this helps ensure even crisping and browning on all sides of the fry. It's fried potato magic.
In general, when it comes to frozen french fry cooking methods, we prefer to trust the potato
country's potato experts. According to The Idaho Potato Commission, while you technically can let
a frozen french fry thaw out before cooking it, it's not the ideal scenario. The potatoes cook
faster when thawed but if they're still in a completely frozen state when they hit the heat,
the fry's surface remains sealed as it cooks, which yields a crispier,
this-is-what-a-french-fry-should-always-taste-like final product.
The same goes for baking or air frying the fries. Get everything heated,
prepped, and ready, before you pull out the fries,
so there isn't too long of a lag time between frozen and starting the cooking process.
If you cook frozen fries in an air fryer, as opposed to the oven,
there is a greater chance the entire surface of the fry will get cooked
due to the design of the air fryer, which features an effective heating element
and a fan that quickly circulates air within the chamber and around the items in the basket.
You'll end up with all around crispier fries that don't require much added
oil — just a spritz of cooking spray on the basket of the air fryer and the fries,
and some shaking of the basket halfway through the cooking process. That end result? Irresistible.
"Where's you get these? Can I have them?"
"No."
It's the universal truth that french fries are nothing without a generous sprinkling of salt.
Having said that, if you are using frozen fries that are plain and not pre-seasoned,
it might be worth adding an acidic component as part of your seasoning in addition to salt.
An acidic ingredient like lemon juice, for example, combined in a very small dose with
the oil used to cook the fries, can bring out the flavor and potentially keep the fries from
browning too much. Vinegar is another acidic ingredient that can bring out the best in french
fries — just look at what the combination does in potato chips. Tomatoes are an acidic food,
which might explain why ketchup is such a delicious accompaniment to fries.
Honestly, this might be hard to hear but, one of the biggest reasons why
your store-bought frozen french fries might not taste nearly as good as the
fries you order at a restaurant is that you're not using an actual deep fryer.
They're called french fries for a reason. If you want legit, delicious fried potatoes you have to,
well, fry them. Yes, the oil will splatter and,
yes, the cleanup might be a bit harder, but how badly do you want it?
We're just pointing out, you always have the option to actually dip those frozen fries into
a vat of hot oil, in order to achieve the perfect flavor and texture. If you
don't have a commercial or small home-friendly fryer, you can always use a sturdy pot or pan.
By preheating the pan in the oven — at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes
in a perfect world — before you put the frozen fries on it, you are more likely to guarantee the
fries developed a seared, crunchy outer layer that doesn't require any actual frying on your part.
Tossing the potatoes halfway through the cooking
time is still necessary to get an even cooking if you go this route.
Just be sure to never underestimate the power of a very hot pan — and of course,
be safe and have your oven mitts on and ready when pulling the preheating pan out of the oven.
Salt is an essential ingredient for the perfect french fry. A common misfire in the world of
frozen fry preparation is assuming you need to salt the fries before you cook them, but it's best
to apply the salt to the fries as soon as they emerge from the oven, deep fryer, or air fryer.
Salting the fries as soon as they're done
cooking helps the salt stick to the fries better. While it's possible your fries come pre-salted,
it never hurts to still add a dose of salt when you cook them, and the best time to do this is
when the fries are hot out of your chosen cooking receptacle — not any time sooner.
You might not even consider the source of the frozen french fries as a reason why they might
not be as tasty as the restaurant kind, but there is some validity to the notion
that where you buy the frozen fries can affect the eventual outcome of its frying.
It's actually kind of important to skip the smaller corner stores when buying frozen fries
and instead pick them up from a larger store that will have more regular turnover and,
in turn, fries that haven't been sitting in a freezer for who-knows-how-long.
Also, the freezers are better at bigger grocers: And this information is simultaneously mind
blowing and the most logical thing we've ever heard. The moral of this story is,
support the small local businesses, but not when you're purchasing frozen french fries.
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