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!
Table of Contents
- Why we love this Steak Fries Recipe
- Why you’ll love these Steak Cut Fries
- What are Steak Fries made of?
- Seasoning for Steak Fries
- How to make Steak Fries in the Oven
- How to make Steak Fries in the air fryer
- Baked Steak Fries tips
- Make ahead tips for Oven Steak Fries
- Storing Homemade Steak Fries
- Steak Fries Recipe FAQS
- How to serve Steak Cut Fries
- Homemade Oven Steak Fries Recipe
Why we love this Steak Fries Recipe
French fries are my absolute favorite!!!
Curly fries, french fries, steak fries, you name it! I can never have enough of them!
Also, my 5-year-old is 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! Yay!
Ok, confession time…
One of my guilty pleasures, when I go 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…
What are Steak Fries?
Steak fries are fries made of thick-cut potato wedges. They are often served with steaks, hamburgers, or other types of sandwiches.
Why do they call them steak fries?
Steak fries are called steak fries because they are often served as a side dish with steaks, burgers, and fried chicken.
Why you’ll love these Steak Cut Fries
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:
- oven method
- air-fryer method
You know how obsessed I’m with my air-fryer from my air-fryer roasted carrots, remember?
What are Steak Fries made of?
- Potatoes – Choose russet potatoes for nice and fluffy steak fries inside with a crispy exterior. Soaking the potato wedges prior to cooking is key for achieving crispy fries.
- Cornstarch – Cooking cornstarch with water to make a paste to coat the potato wedges for extra-crispy skin all around the fries.
- Oil – A little bit of oil goes a long way here! We’re simply oiling the baking sheets to prevent the fries from sticking to the pan and to encourage browning and crisping!
Seasoning for Steak Fries
You can use any kind of seasoning for your steak fries! I keep things simple smoked paprika and garlic powder, as my young boys enjoy these fries as well.
- Smoked paprika adds smokey flavor, as well as a nice color to the fries.
- Garlic powder adds a nice flavor too!
How to make Steak Fries in the Oven
While it’s incredibly easy to make these crispy steak fries, it does require a little bit of 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 the crispiest fries, because 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.
Tip
This mixture is 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.
How do you cut steak fries out of potatoes?
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.
How to make Steak Fries in the air fryer
Air-fryer cooks the potatoes much quicker, in half the time compared to the oven method.
The only downside is that you can fry a 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.
Tip
Don’t forget to season with salt right out of the oven, when they’re still piping hot.
Baked Steak Fries tips
- Don’t skip the soaking for the crispiest fries.
- The cornstarch mixture is a game-changer!
- Use a cooking spray on baking sheets before adding oil that way the potatoes won’t stick to the baking sheets.
Make ahead tips for Oven Steak Fries
While the steak fries are the 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.
Storing Homemade Steak Fries
Store leftover steak fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating Instruction:
- Stovetop method: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the fries and cook until fries are heated through.
- Oven method: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the fries on a baking sheet and bake until fries are heated through.
Steak Fries Recipe FAQS
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.
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.
The main difference between steak fries and French fires is their size. Steak fries are thick-cut potato wedges, whereas French fries are long and skinny.
How to serve Steak Cut 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:
Hope you’ll make and enjoyed these amazing homemade steak fries. Please leave me your feedback if you do! Thank you for reading!
Homemade Oven Steak Fries
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (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
Instructions
- 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!
- 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!!!)
- 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.)
- Drain the potato wedges and dry them well with paper towels. Coat the potatoes with the cornstarch mixture.
- 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.
- For air-fryer method: arrange the potato wedges in the basket in single layer. Spray olive oil over the potatoes. 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.
- 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.
Tips & Notes
– Stovetop method: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the fries and cook until fries are heated through.
– Oven method: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the fries on a baking sheet and bake until fries are heated through.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on July 9, 2014.
What a colossal mess and waste of time. Temp and timing did not work for my air fryers. Ended up throwing the entire batch away. Really ruined my night.
Hi, Gabby! I’m so sorry to hear that my recipe didn’t work for you. Would you mind sharing what was the issue?
Wonderful crispy fries! We read the comments as well as the recipe and we modified a bit, had to add more water to thin our cornstarch gloop as it was too thick. We used garlic powder and S&P. We also dredged the fries in flour before and after the cornstarch so it had something to stick to. We had to cook longer 35-40 mins in the oven, but we had extra thick wedges. SO TASTY! SOOOO CRISPY!! Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Adria!! Thank you so much for your feedback. And a special thank you for trying my recipe despite the comments!! 🙂 So happy you enjoyed them!
The crispness is not there and the cooking time is at least 2 times higher then here written… The taste is good, because I made the seasoning on my own way. So in total its a 2.5 but only entire points are possible to give.
Thanks for your feedback, Szilvia.
made these…
First the cornstarch doesnt stick to the fries like in the pic..it needs a base..like flour..
I had to modify the ingrediants they were just so bland..I got more cornstarch on my hands than on the frys. yea ..what you should have done is:
make a flour dredge with black pepper and garlic powder
make the corn starch with half the corn starch
Dredge the frys in flour then the wet cornstarch then flour..shake off extra flour..then bake.
..-T
Professional Chef 4 seasons restaurants
Hi, t! The pictures aren’t fake, I make the recipe exactly as written and take pictures along the way. And thank you for sharing your tips!