The Crispiest Frozen French Fries Start With This Unexpected Hack

Of all the mistakes you're making in your quest for perfect frozen french fries, not nuking your fries before baking or air-frying might be the biggest blunder you weren't aware of. Foodie's sister site, Food Republic, interviewed David Davidov of The Cooking Foodie, about how to take strides towards restaurant-quality frozen fries. Davidov had a lot to say on the matter, some of which was deeply surprising to those of us who usually just throw our fries on a pan and consider matters settled. He recommends blasting fries in Chef Mike for around 30 seconds straight from the freezer as an alternative to deep frying that still promotes mega-satisfying crispiness.

"I've actually tested this trick quite a few times when I needed fries fast but still wanted that satisfying crisp," he said. "It helps dry out any surface ice or moisture and also starts cooking the inside just a little." When you microwave as a first step, he divulged, when you finally do put the fries in the oven or air-fryer, "the outside can crisp up properly without the inside still being frozen or too firm." Davidov mentioned that this trick is especially worthy when it comes to thick-cut fries, which otherwise might struggle to heat evenly on a pan. It's not as useful for thin fries like fast-food style shoestrings, because the extra cooking could cause them to scorch.

When you've making homemade french fries from scratch, one oft-repeated tip for crispy fries is to blanch the potato slices first, which allows the inside to par-cook before they hit the fryer. Microwaving your frozen fries before the oven or air-fryer does the same thing, just using different tools. It's a misconception that microwaves cook from the inside out; rather, heat produced by the appliance heats the outer layer of the food, which, in turn, cooks the middle. A short spin 'round your microwave's turntable allows the icy inside of your fries to start thawing, which means that they have a head start on getting soft and tender inside the oven or air-fryer. The outside slightly dehydrates, setting the stage for superb crisping.

Whether you are going to dip your fries in ketchup or use them as the star of a Pittsburgh-style french fry salad, it's likely that, like us, you are always on the hunt for new, simple ways to ensure your frozen french fries come out crisp and delicious instead of limp and uninspiring. Your microwave is just waiting to be tagged into the fray, willing to do its part towards achieving the crispiest, most satisfying fries you've ever made at home while starting with a freezer bag. A quick nuke later, you can cook your fries using their normal instructions and be delightfully surprised by a whole new dimension of texture and scrumptiousness.

Static Media owns and operates Foodie and Food Republic.