Super crispy oven baked Cajun fries to kick off Fat Tuesday!
POTATO.FRIES.
That’s what I woke up thinking today and since all over instagram it’s Mardi Gras and I see people eating and drinking their hearts out as if that’s their business, I don’t want to be left behind!!
Yes that’s the kind of love affair I share with food, I want to be part of every darn food thing happening around me if that’s possible. So since this weekend was all about indulgence, trying out new restaurants, breakfast in bed, skinny taste’s baked chicken parmesan (BEST EVER!), chocolate pudding pie (By the pioneer woman – my best chocolate pudding ever!) and yes among all this good food we ate in 2 days I had a major recipe fail with my diablo chicken pasta (though Jerry’s sauce fixing skills saved our dinner!). So after all this eating you might think I would like to slow down but that’s just not me!
I had to make some sort of delicious Mardi Gras inspired food and what better than baked cajun flavored potato fries? Hey baking totally passes for being healthy. So you can without any guilt eat them for your breakfast, lunch or dinner. No judging!
Super crispy oven baked fries with delicious cajun flavors. Once my fries are fully cooked I like to coat them in little bit of olive oil and some more seasoning to give that final touch. These are so delicious that we enjoyed the leftovers by heating them on a hot skillet with little oil. Tasted just like fresh!
I know some of you have been asking about the right technique to bake as earlier even I used to end up with soggy fries almost all the time. But after making them quite a few times, I have learnt few things and here I would like to share those so you can have really crispy fries that are baked.
1. Always always try to cut your potatoes in same thickness to ensure even cooking.
2. Soak them in hot hot water for 15-30 minutes as it helps in getting rid of starch which in turn ensures they turn out super crispy.
3. Bake for good 20-30 minutes on one side and then using tongs or fork, slowly flip them and bake again for another 15-30 minutes depending on how crispy you want.
Just some really simple yet effective tips which will make a big difference!
- 6 medium size russet potatoes
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp turmeric
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4-5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Wash the potatoes, peel and cut them in almost equal size thickness.You can see the steps by step pictures underneath to give you an idea. I usually cut the potato in half lengthwise.Then I again cut the two halves in half lenthwise, thus ending with 4 pieces. Then I cut each piece in 3-4 long sticks.
- Keep a hot water bowl nearby and keep adding the potatoes in there as it will help to remove starch thus ensuring crispy exterior of potatoes.
- Let them sit in hot water for good 15-30 minutes. Rinse and wipe potatoes with clean paper towel. Now take a plastic bag or zip lock and add potatoes in there.
- In another mix all the spices together.
- Add half of the spice mix to the potatoes and add 3 tbsp oil. Seal the bag and toss them around so they get properly coated with the oil and spice mix.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Lay the potatoes in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for good 20-25 minutes and then flip them around using tongs or spoon whatever is easy. Bake for another 15-25 minutes until you get the desired crispiness.
- Transfer them to a bowl and add the remaining spice mix along with oil. Toss them around and serve immediately!
Here I have taken some step by step shots .
Here are some more Recipes:
https://www.naivecookcooks.com/nacho-fries/
These fries look seriously perfect!! Best way possible to kick off Fat Tuesday 🙂
Agreed girl!!
Yum! These look awesome. Great tip about soaking them in hot water to remove the starch. 🙂
Try them Linda!! They taste amazing
These fries look delicious!
Thanks Amanda!!
Mmm those fries look so yummy and flavorful! I love all the flavors going on with these fries!! 🙂
Thanks girl!!
I love oven fries! I never even thought to add cajun flavors and I bet they’re amazing! Ever since I started soaking the potatoes, oven fries are my go to at home because they get so crispy with just a little planning ahead 🙂
I know isn’t it easy better than fried and then no guilt too?!! Thanks for stopping by!!
They look super yum Ami but I can’t see the recipe! :/
Ohh something went wrong!! Just fixed it!! Thanks a ton girl!! :))
These fries look super yummy, Ami! Also, I love the idea of fat-free Tuesday. Awesome! 🙂
Thanks Savita!!
Baked Cajun Fries looks and sounds so DAMN indulging Amy! 🙂
Hehe thanks!!
I am a sucker for fries and love the cajun spices you added to these! They look amazing!
Thanks!
Homemade fries are the best!! I love all the seasonings on these. So yummy!
Wow great pictures. I enjoyed reading the post.
Thanks girl!! 🙂
Okay so I’m in the middle of making these right now (my own spices, but the same hot water soaking method and use of parchment paper)…
Is there any particular reason you advised the use of parchment paper? I actually had to remove the paper halfway through the cooking time because my oven was smoking A LOT. I mean the air in my kitchen looks like that of a seedy English pub from the 70’s.
Does the paper help them to crisp up or is the hot water method alone enough to do that? Either way, thanks for the tips and ideas! I can’t wait to eat way too many french fries.
Haha !! I had the same problem once when instead of parchment paper i was using butter paper!! And did you used a paper towel or something to make sure your potatoes are completely dry??
Let me know!
Woah! They look pretty awesome. Trying it out this weekend.
Thanks 🙂
Hope you like them!!
Hey!! A very basic question. Once the oven os pre heated do i switch it off and then spread it for 15 to 25 mins or keep the oven on while the fries are inside..i am actually a Novice!!
No worries Nancy. You can ask all sort of questions here. You need to keep the oven on while fries are inside. Keep an eye as timing might vary according to the oven type you are using.