The Crispiest Baked Steak Fries

These baked steak fries are outrageously delicious! Super crispy on the outside and thick and fluffy on the inside. The secret mixture ensures these baked fries come out ultra-crispy every time!

French fries are my absolute favorite!!! 

Curly fries, french fries, steak fries, you name it! I can never have enough of them!

And now my 4-year-old son is also obsessed! Guess who is to blame?

Grant is also our “crispiness police”. He always makes sure our roast chicken has crispy skin (one day he had a big tantrum about soggy chicken skin. Ooops!) and fries are crispy!

And he gave these crispy steak fries his seal of approval!

Ok, confession time…

One of my guilty pleasures, when grocery shopping, is to order a side of steak fries at our local grocery store. Their thick-cut steak fries are so fluffy on the inside with crispy coating on the outside.

And I really wanted to recreate that same texture with my homemade baked fries. Especially now that we don’t get to go shopping that often…

Well, I’m so excited that I found a perfect way to make ultra-crispy baked fries with meaty fluffy inside!!!

And you can make these steak fries 2 ways:

1. oven method
2. air-fryer method

You know how obsessed I’m with my air-fryer from my air-fryer roasted carrots, remember?

HOW TO MAKE STEAK FRIES:

While it’s incredibly easy to make these crispy baked steak fries, it does require some patience.

Step 1. Prepare the potatoes: wash, peel, cut and soak the potatoes for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight!

• Soaking is crucial step for crispiest fries. It removes excess starch on the surface, which prevents the fries from darkening too much and make them crispier. Trust me on this one, I’ve tried baking the potatoes without soaking, and it wasn’t the best!

Step 2. Make the secret mixture: Combine cornstarch and water and microwave for 1 minute or so, then mix it well until thick and gelatinous. Then stir in paprika and garlic powder.

• I know this sounds SO weird, but this’s what really make these steak fries the best! I learned this trick from this America’s Test Kitchen video and it was a game-changer!!! The only thing I changed is added some spices.

Step 3. Bake the potato wedges: Drain the potato wedges and dry them well. Coat the fries with the cornstarch mixture and arrange them on an oiled baking sheets in single layer. You’ll need 2 baking sheets. And bake for about 30 minutes, or until cooked, turning the fries half way through. OR you can also cook the fries in an air-fryer. 

TIP: Spray the baking sheets with a non-stick cooking spray before adding the oil. I tested it with and without a cooking spray, and potatoes stick to the pan without cooking spray even when the sheets were oiled well.

Air-fryer cooks the potatoes much quicker, in half the time compared to oven method. The only downside is that you can fry small batch at a time, because my air-fryer isn’t big. (I have this one.)

TIP: Use an olive oil spray on potato wedges when cooking in air-fryer.

And don’t forget to season with salt right out of the oven, when they’re still piping hot.

WHAT KIND OF POTATOES TO USE:

• Russet potatoes are best for making fries in general due to its high starch content and low moisture. These potatoes yield the fluffiest fries with nice crispy outside.

HOW TO CUT STEAK FRIES:

I like to cut the potato wedges nice and thick, because again I love that fluffy soft interior.

• For small to medium potatoes, I cut it in half lengthwise first, and then each half into thirds. 
• For large to extra large potatoes, I cut it in half lengthwise first, and the each half into quarters.

STEAK FRIES SEASONINGS:

You can use any kind of seasoning blend you like. In my recipe, I’m using 2 main spices:

• smoked paprika – mostly for color
• garlic powder – it’s my favorite spice!

Garlic and rosemary is a great combination. If you have fresh rosemary, I’d toss some chopped fresh rosemary when the potatoes are cooked.

BASICS FOR THE BEST STEAK FRIES EVER:

1. Don’t skip the soaking for the crispiest fries.
2. The cornstarch mixture is a game-changer!
3. Use a cooking spray on baking sheets before adding oil that way the potatoes won’t stick to the baking sheets.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS:

While the steak fries are best when they’re freshly cooked, you can prepare a few steps in advance:

• Prepare the potatoes up to 1 day in advance by cutting and soaking them in cold water. If you’re soaking the potatoes for more than 4 hours, go ahead and put it in the fridge.

HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVER FRIES:

If, for whatever weird reason (or maybe you have a great self-control!), you ended up with leftover fries, here’s how to reheat them:

1. Stovetop method: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the fries and cook until fries are heated through.
2. Oven method: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the fries on a baking sheet and bake until fries are heated through.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED STEAK FRIES:

Ok, let’s enjoy all the crispiness!! I love my fries with some delicious dipping sauces, so I prepared 5 different options for you! Do you like options?

• My favorite is this honey mustard dipping sauce! Oh my goodness, be prepared for a punch of flavor!

You can get the recipes for all of these sauces right here.

Now, here’re some dinner entrées to serve your fries with:

• Philly cheesesteaks
• Pan-seared ribeye steaks
• Grilled swordfish steaks
• Pork kebabs
• Philly cheesesteak sliders

Hope you’ll make and enjoyed these amazing homemade steak fries. Please leave me your feedback if you do! Thank you for reading!

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The Crispiest Baked Steak Fries

These baked steak fries are outrageously delicious! Super crispy on the outside and thick and fluffy on the inside. The secret mixture ensures these baked fries come out ultra-crispy every time!

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time:1.5 hours

Cook Time:30 minutes

Total Time:2 hours

Ingredients:

• 2lbs (1kg) Russet potatoes
• ¾ cup water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola/avocado oil)
• Coarse kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. To prepare the potatoes: wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into thick wedges. (See Note 1 for cutting instructions). In a large bowl, soak the potatoes in cold water for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight! (Refrigerate, if soaking for more than 4 hours.)
2. To make the secret mixture: combine water and cornstarch in 1-cup measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute or so, then mix it well until smooth, thick, opaque and gelatinous. Then stir in paprika and garlic powder. (I know, this sounds SO weird, but this’s what really make these steak fries the best! I learned this trick from this America’s Test Kitchen video and it was a game-changer!!!)
3. To cook the potato wedges: preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and divide the oil between 2 baking sheets. Spread the oil evenly all over. (I use this pastry brush for this step.)
4. Drain the potato wedges and dry them well with paper towels. Coat the potatoes with the cornstarch mixture.
5. For oven method: arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheets in single layer. And bake for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through, turning the fries half way through.
6. For air-fryer method: arrange the potato wedges in the basket in single layer. Spray olive oil over the potatoes. (I use this olive oil spray.) Cook for 15 minutes at 400°F, turning the potatoes half way though. (Make sure to spray olive oil after flipping the fries.) Depending on the size of your air-fryer, work in batches.
7. To serve, while the fries are fresh out of oven/air-fryer, sprinkle some kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste and toss to coat evenly.

Note 1: For small to medium potatoes, I cut it in half lengthwise first, and then each half into thirds. For large to extra large potatoes, I cut it in half lengthwise first, and the each half into quarters.

Note 2: Soaking is crucial step for crispiest fries. It removes excess starch on the surface, which prevents the fries from darkening too much and make them crispier. Trust me on this one, I’ve tried baking the potatoes without soaking, and it wasn’t the best!

 

Slightly adapted from this America’s Test Kitchen video.

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This recipe was originally published on July 9, 2014, and last updated on June 29th, 2020.