These hand-cut Cajun Fries are as crispy as you can get in the oven or air fryer without deep frying. The trick? Soaking the excess starch off your potatoes. That one simple step means you can have homemade French fries with just 3 ingredients!
As a time-strapped mom with a passion for bold flavor, I’m always looking for the perfect side dish that satisfies my taste buds with a minimal number of ingredients. A crispy fry recipe that only requires three? Sign me up.
I’ll outline the simple steps you can take to ensure you get great fries to serve up with your meals (I will ALWAYS make these when I’m enjoying this Cajun Mahi-Mahi Sandwich if I can!). Let’s get to it!
Ingredients Highlights
It’s important to note that both the spice and salt levels vary greatly depending on the brand of Cajun seasoning you choose. I use my homemade Cajun seasoning in this recipe, which is on par with a McCormick or generic brand when it comes to salt and spice.
Please note, if you’re using something heavier on the spice and salt, like Slap Yo Mama, you may want to add a little less to your fries.
Cajun French Fries Tips and Tricks
How I Make Homemade French Fries
Start by peeling your potatoes. I’m pretty precise in this process. My husband is fairly picky and doesn’t like any skin or brown spots at all on his fries. However, if you’re less choosy and want to move quickly, leaving a little bit of skin behind won’t hurt.
Once peeled, cut your potato longways so you’re left with slices roughly ½-inch wide. Then, lay those slices flat and cut them into fries. Use your discretion, slicing thicker ones in half, so that each fry is roughly the same size.
Keeping them roughly uniform will help them bake (or air fry) more evenly.
Once cut, add your fries to a large bowl and cover them with water. Soak them to remove excess starch to get you crispier fries. Preferably, you’ll soak them for an hour, but if your low on time, 30 minutes will do.
Then, place a clean kitchen towel on a large baking sheet. Drain the water and place the fries on the towel. Use a second towel to pat dry the fries. The dryer you get the fries, the crisper they will be.
Remove the towel lining the tray. Add the olive oil and Cajun seasoning and toss to coat.
You can bake these in the oven or air fry them. Air frying them definitely gets them crispiest, but it’s a little extra work because you have to air fry them in batches.
Overcrowding your air fryer means your fries will not fry up evenly, and you’ll be left with soggy, uncooked bits. So, fill up your air fryer basket and fry them in batches at 380°F for 15-20 minutes until they start to brown and are crispy to touch.
Then, as you work on your next batches, keep the fries that are ready warm in the oven. If you have a “keep warm” setting use that, otherwise set the oven to the lowest temperature- usually 200 or 250°F.
If you’d rather just bake them in the oven, then do so on the top rack at 425°F for about 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway.
How I Serve Cajun Fries
These Cajun Fries make for a great side. Here are some of my favorite meals to serve them up with to get your mind churning:
How I Store and Reheat Leftover Homemade Fries with Cajun Seasoning
These spicy fries will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 6 months. Reheat in your pre-heated oven at 425°F for 15-20 minutes until crispy. If frozen, they will need closer to 30 minutes.
You can also air fry them to reheat them at 380°F for 5-7 minutes from the fridge or 8-10 minutes from the freezer.
Crispy Cajun Fries (Oven or Air Fryer)
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEIngredients
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
Cajun Fries
- Peel your potatoes and cut them in 1-inch slices longways. Lay the slices flat and cut into fries about ½-inch wide.2 large russet potatoes
- Place your hand-cut fries into a large mixing bowl and cover them with water. Allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes (an hour is preferable!) to remove excess starch.
- Cover a large baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel. Drain the water from your fries and spread them out on the towel. Use a second towel to dry the fries as best as you can (the drier you can get them, the crispier they will be!).
- Set both towels aside and drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle on the Cajun seasoning. Toss to coat.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
Oven Option
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Roast for about 40-45 minutes, tossing halfway. You want them crispy to touch and slightly browned.
Air Fryer Option
- Bring your fryer up to 380°F. Working in batches so as to not overcrowd your air fryer, fill your basket and air fry for 15-20 minutes until brown and crispy to touch.
- While you are air-frying the other batches, place your cooked fries in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve. If you have a "keep warm" setting on your oven, use that, otherwise just set it to the lowest temperature (usually 200-250°F, depending on your oven).
Pro Tips
Video
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