Who’s mouth isn’t watering? Come on….fess up.
Who DOESN’T love fat-free French Fries? It’s America’s favorite vegetable! (And yes, sadly, in some places the “french fry” is considered a vegetable – not the potato)
Whether we dip them in ketchup, tartar sauce (hey I was in High School), or even fry sauce – America LOVES their french fries.
But – and you knew there’d be a but….
They’re usually Deep Fried!
Well there’s nothing NON-vegan about deep frying potatoes, but keep in mind all that fat is going to go somewhere, and it’s usually your middle, your thighs, or your bottom.
Not to mention what all that grease does for your arteries. Don’t ask.
And baked french fries – well I’m sorry but they usually come out tasting like mini baked potatoes – not that crispy – french fry – crunchiness we all know and love.
There has to be a better way.
And there is.
Here’s my trick to making some of the tastiest, crispiest, BAKED, french fries, and without using a single drop of oil……
Crispy, Oven Baked, Fat Free French Fries
Fat Free French Fries | Brand New Vegan
Start with some good quality spuds. I like Yukon Golds myself, but a good Russet will work nicely too. Scrub them up and remove any eyes or green spots you may find.
With Golds, you don’t really have to peel them, or at least I don’t. Just give them a good scrubbing first. If you don’t like peels on your fries, then peel away.
Add some cold water to your cooking pot, and as you slice up your potatoes drop them in. I slice mine pretty thick, as you’ll see why in just a minute. Make them a good 3/4″ to an inch wide and thick.
After all the fries are in the water, turn the heat on high and wait for it to start boiling. Always add potatoes to COLD water as they will heat more evenly.
Once it comes to a boil, set your timer for 5 minutes and start preheating your oven to 425 degrees. You can also take this time to line your favorite cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sure makes cleanup a breeze.
Once the timer goes off, drain the potatoes and then put them back into the pot.
Here comes the magic part……
Add 1 tablespoon of flour, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chili powder to the potatoes in the pot. You can also add salt and pepper now if you want, or wait until they’re done.
Now place the lid securely on the pot, and while holding both the pot and lid in place….
SHAKE IT UP!
A good 5-10 seconds of shaking will not only distribute all the seasonings to the potatoes, but it will also smash up the edges a bit – and these are the yummy parts that get crispy!
Seriously! Try it.
After a good shaking or two, spread these babies out on your cookie sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
What comes out is pure fat free french fry heaven.
Now if you didn’t slice your fries thick enough, as I mentioned earlier, they will just turn to mush at this step. Oh they’ll bake up just fine, but they won’t be french fries. They’ll be nicely browned, amoeba like, globs of potatoes.
But hey – if that’s your thing…. 🙂
______________
We had these for lunch today, with just a splash of malt vinegar and a bit of ketchup. Mmmmm. They served very nicely with our Vegan Tuna Salad Sandwiches.
Oven Baked, Fat Free French Fries.
They’re crispy, they’re crunchy, they’re fat free, and they’re 100% french fry yumminess.
Go on, give them a try!
- 7-8 Potatoes (small - med)
- 1 Tbs flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- salt and papper to taste
- Clean and slice potatoes into fairly thick french fries 3/4" to 1" thick
- Add to pot of cold water (enough to cover) and bring to boil.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- After boiling, drain potatoes and place back into pot.
- Add all seasonings, cover, and shake to distribute.
- Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
diane
Does it matter what kind of flour you use? Will it work the same with w/w or w/w pastry flour or do I have to use a white unbleached flour? What did you use?
Chuck Underwood
I simply used what I had – which was King Arthur’s White Bread Flour. I don’t think it will make a difference. I will try it with w/w next time and let you know.
2lbs of Starch
Hey, I’ve seen this recipe around lately. I’m going to try it!
Sunny
Great recipe, looks amazingly tasty. Wondering – could this work with sweet potatoes? Would any adjustments be required eg less boiling time or maybe steam instead of boiling?
carps
Just made these, and they were delicious – a big hit with the whole family! We are four days in to this new way of eating, and missing our oil! This made us feel indulgent without compromising. Thank you!
Chuck Underwood
Welcome and thanks for the comment! The craving for oil will eventually go away, and then the slightest taste will be noticeable. I’m so glad you decided to take this journey! Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!
E Jeff
We made these for the first time and they were really great turned out exactly as you said they would. Felt like we were having a real treat. Thanks for the recipe!
Chuck Underwood
You’re very welcome! Glad you enjoyed them!
Heather N
Made these for lunch today to go with our bean burgers and they were fantastic! Loved the flavor! Thanks so much for sharing.
Chuck Underwood
You’re very welcome Heather! Glad you enjoyed them.
Mel
We had these tonight with bean burgers! Very, very, very good! This recipe is a keeper.
Sheri
Delicious! Made these today for lunch! Yum!
Staceyb
These are awesome! Made them tonight and the entire family devoured them.
Definitely a keeper! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Amy Johnson
These sounds amazing! I have them in the oven right now, and I can’t wait to try them!!!
Zion
We had it yesterday for dinner. It was really good!!!! Thank you!
Chuck Underwood
Glad you enjoyed them!
Cindy
These were the BEST textured fat free, oven baked fries I’ve ever eaten!
Chuck Underwood
Like! thanks 🙂
Cynthia P
These are fantastic – hands down the best oven baked fries ever. I wouldn’t have believed how crispy they could be without oil until I tried them myself. I’ve had these 7 out of the past 9 days, and they just keep getting better every time (seriously, you’ve created a monster…). Loving your site – thank you! 😀
washbear
I made these for lunch today– yummy! Loved the texture. Thank you for another great recipe!
Jay
do you think the potatoes can be cooked in the Instant Pot?
Stephanie
Yes! I cooked the potatoes whole for 10 min, ran them under cold water, then cut them. Put them back in the IP and put a plate on top and shook away.
Charity
I made these this evening, using a spiralizer to make curly fries, boiled for 1 minute, instead of 5, and they were amazing… Best oil-free fries ever!!! Thanks for a great recipe.
Chuck Underwood
You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed them! That spiralizer sounds like a cool tool to own…
Wayne McIntosh
I made these, or attempted to but they look nothing like the picture and came out all powered! 🙁 Not trying to be a vegan or anything like that, just wanted something different!
Dede Djeraudi
maybe try shorter boiling time as someone below suggested.
Michelle
Can I use cornstarch?
Dede Djeraudi
From experience I would say yes. maybe try shorter boiling time as someone below suggested. GOod luck. Enjoy)
Shellie .
All the seasoning came off and stuck to the pot during the shaking. We had to add more once it was on the parchment. Oven is almost pre-heated…
Heidi
that happened to me too. Enough stuck to make it okay though, and they are baking right now. We’ll see. I may sprinkle more seasoning on the finished fries.
5busyrussells
Trying these “as we speak,” to go with VLTs tonight (veggies, lettuce and tomato on sprouted wheat toast). They are in the oven and smell wonderful!
Cookie
I know we are all about using fresh foods when possible but when I first saw this recipe I had to try it. I only had canned new potatoes so I drained them, dried them on paper towels then jazzed them up with the dry ingredients. My hubby and I ate every last crumb. I think the trick to the crispy is to have the potatoes not too wet.
Fuji Kitsune
To keep things from sticking like potatoes, I use cornmeal. I love the flavor and it works perfectly.
Gayle
WONDERFUL crispy fries! I baked them on a silicone mat (I didn’t have parchment) and they were perfect!!! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Pat Montana
Finally made these last night, and WOW, delicious! I used 1 T brown rice flour to make them GFand it worked beautifully. Served them with low fat vegan ranch dip and what a treat!
Just Me
Have made these once a week now since I saw this recipie. Making them again tonight! Thought I owed you a WOW and a thank you. We (me and my 2 teenager boys and hubby) love them and it is just majical how they crisp up.
Thanks, Nicole
Zuzanna Sierotnik
This is great! I’m recommending this recipe to everyone around 🙂
Corrine Corky Mickelson Fannin
Thanks, Chuck! I have been baking the fries in the oven but you are absolutely right, they taste like a baked potato. Going to try your recipe tonight. A trick I learned about cutting the spuds – use the apple slicer. BIG time saver.
Rosalind Walter
Just got the recipe, sounds great, I’m going to have them in about an hour
Susan Leshinsky
My absolute FAV potatoes! Make them at least once a week.
Allan Rosen
Great if you want to add fat to your waist and butt. Potatoes should be left in the ground in any form.
Kathleen melville
Why are you even on this site?
Look elsewhere!!
Tina
You are here, why? Go away!
Bret Salyer
Coming from a guy who’s only eaten fried french fries, loaded baked potatoes, potatoes au gratin or some other form loaded with dairy/animal fat or oil. No wonder he got fat since 50% of the calories came from fat. It’s not his fault he doesn’t know any better.
Da St
Yeah, sorry, that’s BS. A really fast way to reduce fat and lose waist size is to switch to a potato-based diet. Works wonders, quickly and deliciously. Potatoes should definitely be brought out of the ground and used as a primary food.
Tina
They are in the oven………
Tina
They are good, but didn’t get very brown. I baked for an additional 10 minutes, but they didn’t get any darker. Hmmmm….maybe the cookie sheet was too crowded?
Chuck Underwood
Possibly…..Make sure you shake them up good too. And I usually use the middle oven rack as well….
Sandy Stadelmann
I made these fries last night with black bean burgers. They were really good! The boiling first took them up a notch from just baking. The seasoning stuck very well. I love your recipes!
JoshandCharity
These are my family’s favorite fries. Thanks so much for a great method that ensures perfect fries every time!
Barbara V
Tried these tonight with russet potatoes. They were very promising for this newly plant strong, potato loving lady! I will for sure try them again with the Yukon golds just like you say.
Joe
Will this recipe work without the flour?
lisa
Hi, Chuck! Thanks for sharing this! I was skeptical about using that much paprika and chili powder, thinking they would make the fries too spicy, but I went ahead and used them, and we really loved the fries! One small change I would make is to actually mix the flour and spices together before adding to the drained potatoes in the pot — makes for more even distribution. I also added one teaspoon salt to the spice mix, because I thought it stuck better than when I salted them during the baking time. I left out the pepper altogether, but it could also be mixed into the spice mixture.
Thanks again for a great recipe and a clever technique! At our house we call these Chuck Fries. 🙂
April Garrett
I was worried about making them too thin, so I probably instead made them a little too thick, but they were so delicious!! They reminded me of potato wedges or “rustic” style fries that you would get at a steakhouse. They are definitely the best no oil fries I’ve tried. So happy to have found this recipe, my whole family loved them! Felt like a sinful treat! 🙂 Can’t wait to play around with the spice mixture and try different varieties. Thank you so much!
jan
can the potatoes be cooled, seasoned and then baked a few hours later?
Chuck Underwood
I’ve never tried it – but I really don’t see why not.
Speedwell
Yes, we do them that way in Ireland without the seasonings and call them “roasties”. Don’t refrigerate.
Jessica
I made these last night and they were delicious! I made the mistake of not checking the done-ness of my potatoes before the timer went off – I had sliced them fairly thin. When I dumped them in the drainer some of them started to crumble. I rolled with it and stirred in the seasoning mixture and spread on the baking sheet. They were more the texture of home fries but my whole family loved them. And they had no idea they were oil free!
PS, I noticed the skins really crisped up so if you like crispy I would say leave them on. Thanks for a great recipe!
Liz Amelia
Can you use corn flour instead of wheat flour?
Michele Tripus Orrson
Do you peel the potatoes? I have been peeling the potatoes when I make this recipe, but I’m thinking I shouldn’t…
Alex
“With Golds, you don’t really have to peel them, or at least I don’t. Just give them a good scrubbing first. If you don’t like peels on your fries, then peel away.” He doesn’t peel them.
Kathryn Grace
Totally looking forward to trying these after someone shared them on Facebook. Later today, I’ll pass it along as my pick for #RecipeOfTheDay on my social media. Thanks so much. Those spices got my taste buds dancing!
Dale Kidd
Nice, made this tonight but used smoked paprika and premixed the spices.
Chuck Underwood
Good idea
Claire Alicia Anne Collins
They are delicious, but I put them in a ziploc bag to shake them in the seasonings. The pot is just too heavy for me. I ended up making a mess the first time and most of the spices clumped up and stuck to the pot.
simka johnson
I used sweet potatoes. Perhaps thats is why they didn’t crunch?
Chuck Underwood
Most definitely – I’ve found that no matter what I do it’s hard to get sweet potatoes crispy.
Chuck Underwood
Sweet potatoes NEVER crunch…..unless you deep fry them I guess.
Jo
Making them tonight…..do you turn them halfway to ensure even crispness?
Thanks.
Chuck Underwood
You can
Rebecca
Eating these as I write this.. they came out sooooo good the whole family loved them. I used tapioca starch instead of flour and it worked great!!
Lacey
Did Kalel copy this recipe on her channel? 😮
Darcelle Rancourt
Yes, she did.
someone
425 degrees? Daymn that’s hot. My oven doesn’t even go that far. And I also feel like they are just gonna burn in such temperature. Anyways, did these & was pretty good.
Breanna
Its 425 Farenheight, which is a pretty typical temp.
Elizabeth
These fries are delicious! You don’t even miss the oil! They are Pure French Fry Heaven! Thank you for posting this recipe. Making them again tonight! YUM!!!!!!
laura nestell
I have been making these at least once a week and using the Yukon gold type potatoes does make the best fries. So good and satisfying. My husband loves them. Thanks for the great recipe.
Mark Covello
Can these be prepped so you just have to do the bake part when you need them? Has anybody tried that?
betsey1009
You could cut them and freeze them. I’ve made a glass jar of spices so that’s ready to go. But I don’t know about boiling and then waiting. But try it with one potato and see! What have you go to lose?
Anne Marie B
Hmmm. I am guessing that the reason there is starch on frozen fries is similar. They are usually much smaller though. Perhaps they only blanche them before adding the starch to avoid the mush problem you mentioned happened with smaller fries.
Ilkin Engin
jusrt tried the fries, they were awsome!!!!!!!!!! spices and herbs i used was garlic salt paprika powder and dried parsley. will most certainly be making chips like that from now on!!!!!
Linda
Just wanted to say I was looking for a way to make oil-free “fries” that taste decent; I tried your method and they were great! I used russets, peeled some and left some with the peels, the latter which held their shape better. Although, the bits that fell apart in the shaking process got nice and crispy in the oven 🙂 Also, I subbed cornstarch for the flour and added dried parsley to the spices
Dominique Kalpakidou
I’ve never commented on a blog in my life and I made an account thing just to tell you how AMAZING these fries are!!! No oil?! And the best that I’ve ever made?! You are great, thank you!!! Excited to check out the rest of your blog 🙂
ALICE
Has anyone tried these using an air fryer??
betsey1009
No, but we used our Pizza Pizzazz to cook them last night and they were incredible.
Todd
These were a big hit with my kids. They liked it better than how I used to bake these with olive oil. To make them celiac friendly I used sweet rice flour I had on hand. They have asked for me to make them again soon. Thank you for the great and healthier idea!
betsey1009
My husband put the boiled potatoes in an extra large bowl, sprinkled some seasoning on top, tossed them, added more seasoning and tossed until they looked good. We cooked them on our Pizza Pizzazz for about a half hour. They were some of the best fries I’ve had in my life! Thank you! I’m having them for lunch again today. PS I quadrupled the seasoning recipe and put it in an empty glass jar to have it ready to go.
Noelle Pion
Hey Chuck… can I parboil ahead of time? I cut way too many fries and so I’m thinking of only baking half tonight and saving the other half…
Noelle Pion
Note to self: when Chuck says to slice these suckers thick, don’t cut them thin. Do what Chuck says.
Donnella
I made these as home fries for our weekend breakfast, had to cook 40 minutes (used red potatoes) however turned out amazing!! This is a keeper.
AliceDub
These were good! My hubby & teen gave them 2 thumbs up and there were no leftovers! I may have left the spuds in too big of chunks because I thought they’d be crispier, but I will definitely make them again to perfect my technique.
Terri Moses
Will oat flour work on the crispy oven fries recipe?
Chuck Underwood
Yes, other people have used GF flours with success.
Kristi Ison
I used oat flour, and they turned out great!
Terri Moses
Thanks very much. Made these tonight. Some with peel and some without. Next time will be without. Not a Vegan but sure do enjoy the recipes from Brand New Vegan!
Monique van Dongen
Sure!
John Oxley
I just ate these with Tesco frozen Asparagus (👍) and fish fingers. I used 1 large 353 gram potatoe, cut into 8 wedges. I often cook wedges, but this was the first time without oil. They were crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I also added a shake of Rosemary. Delish!
Marion
Hi, as so many have already stated these are amazing!! Thanks for the great recipe!
One question though: After draining the potatoes, I put them back into the pot I cooked them in, added the flour and spices and shook them up. A lot of the mix then stuck to the bottom of the pot rather than spreading nicely over the fries. Was I supposed to dry the pot before putting the potatoes back in? Has anyone else had that problem and can advise?
Best regards
Marion
Jeffrey Diehl
Mine does the same thing but i double the spices so i still get plenty on the fries.
Stephen Jernigan
Made this recipe at least 50 times. Delicious!!!
Ellen T
Tried this recipe and when I went to shake the mixture, my potatoes crumbled and became a mess. Still baked and they were delicious, but how can I avoid this next time?
Jeffrey Diehl
Cut your fries thicker, cut down the boil time, or both. I was having the same problem. I cut my fries about 3/4″ thick and boil for 3 min.
Pam
Can I use wholewheat flour? Is it important what type of flour you add? Thanks
Kate
I tried these tonight but wondered if I should’ve broiled them instead because mine turned out not very brown but hard and floury on the outside. I used Russet potatoes and took the skins off too. Maybe I shouldn’t use very much flour either next time? I really wanted to enjoy them but couldn’t. Tis time to go back to the drawing board again.
Someone mentioned about how potatoes cause a weight gain but that’s only cause they’re made of starch. But I don’t mind gaining weight cause I need to, but everything in balance is the key. I’ve always enjoyed spuds done all kinds of ways and they’re easy on the digestive system too.
Richard Landis
Just plain great. I follow Dr. John McDougall, and any recipe that matches his requirements is for me, and this certainly does. Good job…this will be a staple for me from now on…..by the way, I bought an air fryer, but your recipe is so easy with just a knife, a pot, and a baking sheet w/parchment, there’s no need for the fryer. I’m returning it.
Vaneta
Made these fat free french fries today, they were awesome! Liked the crispy outside and the creaminess of the inside. They actually crunch when you bite into them. Whipped up an avocado hummus to dip them in. Great lunch. Great recipe!
Susan Marsh
I made these but used my air fryer – they turned out great! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 10 – 15 minutes on 400.
Barbara V
Yum!!! Sprinkled them with malt vinegar when they were done and we loved them!
Pamela
No more complaining about having to give up fries. These were great!!! Thank you for this recipe.
Ella
Can I just say this is the best chip recipe I have ever used and I’ve used A LOT. I make these all the time sometimes changing the seasoning to mix it up a bit and I made these for friends before and they were insanely impressed ha! Thanks so much great recipe x
Deborah
50 / 50 i was so excited to make this recipe that i shook the pot a lot more than 5-10 seconds so i have half fab fries and half potato gob!! i am sure they will both be great, I love the recipe and will definitely be doing this again – with more control over the pot shaking!
your photo really sealed the deal – i want mine to look like that – thanks Chuck!
Megan
Perfection! I’m a brand new vegan and I can’t believe it can be this delicious without oil even!!! These are crispy and delicious. Best potatoes I’ve probably ever had and for sure the best I’ve ever made.
Patricia Alexander
I trued this recipe, followed the recipe exactly and my potatoes did not look like yours and did not get crispy.
Serena
When I dipped them in your Vegan Ranch dressing, I died and went to heaven. All other recipes should be deleted from cyberspace. Period. End of story.
Mike R
The spice rub did not adhere very well to the potatoes. I need to find a better way for the spice rub to adhere without using oil.
Susan
Hey Chuck,
I make these all the time. As a shortcut I cook a pot full of whole potatoes in the Instant Pot for 4 min. I let them cool completely then slice wedges and put in a bowl; add the other ingredients to coat and stir.. Then into the oven they go. They are a family favorite to be sure! You can spice them according to your meal or your hearts desire. Thanks for the recipe!
Susan
These are excellent. Exactly as advertised. Fabulous!
Teresa
Tried these tonight and put them in black bean tacos for some added crunch. Delicious!! Wound up eating them by themselves, they were so good!
Myra S
Pretty sure I didn5 do these correctly b3cause they were soft and not crispy a5 all. I used a pampered chef baking pan and maybe m8n3 were too thick. 8 would omi5 th3 chili powder but keep smoked paprika and maybe add some rosemary a5 the end. I will try them again, but fo4 me 5his was a fail.
Dani
You know, I’m not one for repeating recipes. I usually choose to try a new thing rather than make the same recipe again. That is not the case with these fries. I find myself coming back to this recipe over and over again, telling my friends about it, generally evangelizing the joy these fat free (!!!) fries bring me. Thank you for this recipe! And anyone who’s on the fence: try these immediately!
Manos
Tried them tonight for the first time – GOD, what an experience! The best potatoes I’ve ever tasted – and oil-free! I added a teaspoon of ground breadcrumbs to help with the crispiness, They were amazing, thank you so much!
Kristen
My entire family gobbled these up! Absolutely amazing flavor and texture- especially for a zero oil recipe! Thank you so much for making veggie burger night so much tastier!