The Right Way To Make Frozen Fries Taste Restaurant-Worthy

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Sometimes, all you're craving are fresh, salty french fries — the kind you get in a restaurant, with the crispy, golden exterior, and light and airy interior. Think twice before ordering fast food delivery, and make them at home, straight from the freezer. Just because they're frozen doesn't mean they have to be underwhelming. With a few slight tweaks, you can make your frozen fries taste like they just came out of a professional kitchen.

The biggest mistake people make with frozen fries is not hitting them with high heat immediately (between 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Without the high heat, they are unable to form a crispy crust. If they go into an oven or air fryer that isn't properly preheated, the moisture from the freezer ends up steaming them instead of frying them properly. Make sure your spuds hit the ground running, and they'll be much more delicious. When making them in the oven, preheat the tray itself at 500 degrees. By doing this, the fries' outer layer will sear almost immediately, making for crispy exteriors you'll want to bite into.

To ensure more surface area getting heat, spread your fries out evenly and make sure none of them are stuck together from the freezer bag. It's important to leave space between them. Stacking them all on top of each other reduces their exposed surface area even more, and they have a much harder time getting crisp. The final tip is to flip them halfway through, and then again at the end. Frozen fries have a hard time browning evenly, especially with home appliances. Flipping or shaking them will help tremendously.

Fries are great on their own, but their flavor can be easily elevated with condiments. Mustard, ketchup, or malt vinegar are all classic picks in their own right, but why not try making a homemade aioli or tartar sauce? You could also try something new — the Dutch swear by fritessaus (seasoned mayo). Homemade condiments are great, but if all else fails, break into your stash of saved fast food sauce packets in the random drawer in your kitchen, and dig in.

Restaurant french fries often feature a seasoning that enhances the potatoes' natural flavors. You can find a great fry seasoning blend from Tone's at Walmart, or you can always make your own. Paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder are all solid contenders for a blend — these are likely to be in your spice cabinet and pair well with potatoes in any form. If you're feeling really fancy, you can also use truffle salt. Truffle is the ultimate elevating ingredient, and it happens to go wonderfully with french fries. The savory flavor is perfectly complementary to the fatty, rich potatoes.

Whether you eat them straight off the tray or add all the bells and whistles, frozen french fries don't have to be a letdown, despite their iffy reputation. With a few small changes to the cooking process, you can take your fries from okay to great without paying for delivery fees or leaving the house at all.