Shoestring French Fries

by Sabrina Snyder

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9 Comments

5 from 1 vote
6 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
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Shoestring French Fries deliver an irresistible crave worthy texture. You will love the thin cut fries with a bit of crunch. Try them tonight!

If you love this classic Side Dish, you’ll also crave my Steak Fries and Crispy Sweet Potato Fries! Two popular, easy homemade sides perfect for anyone searching for bold, restaurant style flavor at home.

French fries in basket
Close up of french fries
Recipe Snapshot

Why You’ll Love These Fries?

  • Skip the drive thru and make delicious, crispy fries right at home!
  • Minimal, easy to find, and affordable ingredients.

Sabrina’s Shoestring French Fries Recipe

Shoestring French Fries are the best kind of fries when your looking for a giant pile of crispy crunchy french fries that won’t go soggy. The other great thing about these fries is they don’t fill you up with all that warm fluffy starchy goodness of thicker french fries. In my recipe, they are twice cooked which gives them the crispiness so necessary in a good fry. 

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Shoestring French Fries Recipe

Shoestring French Fries deliver an irresistible crave worthy texture. You will love the thin cut fries with a bit of crunch. Try them tonight!
Yield 6 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
French fries in basket
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes , about 6 medium potatoes
  • 2 cups vegetable oil , divided
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt , or to taste

Instructions

  • Wash and peel your potatoes. Cut into ⅛ – ¼ inch thick fries. The easiest way to do this is using a French Fry Cutter or a small mandoline.
  • In a large colander, rinse the potatoes for about 10-15 seconds under cold water.
  • Dry with paper towels or a clean dish cloth.
  • Heat your oil in your pot to 325 degrees using an oil thermometer.
  • Add the fries but make sure you don’t overcrowd your pan.
  • Fry for 1-2 minutes (no browning yet) and drain on a brown paper bag.
  • Once all the fries are done with their first dip in the oil, start the second round of frying.
  • Fry them the second time for an additional 1-2 minutes, until they're browned and crispy.
  • Season while hot with kosher salt and any other flavorings you want. Old bay seasoning is popular or even a cajun blend.

Notes

If you’re making ahead for a crowd, you can heat them in the oven at 325 degrees for 5-7 minutes to crisp them back up.

Nutrition

Calories: 762kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 42g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 1170mg | Potassium: 631mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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Note from Sabrina

I highly recommended that you get an oil thermometer so that you never have to guess your temps and accidentally end up with greasy or burned fries. Keeping the oil temperature consistent helps the fries develop that perfect crisp exterior while staying light and tender inside.

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About this Recipe

Shoestring French Fries are a great appetizer for a meal and a perfect side dish to accompany any summertime meal! After a long day, sometimes you crave a good plate of fries. These easy fries will satisfy any appetite and are incredibly easy to make. Your family will want you to make these again and again. 

Ingredients 

  • Potatoes: For this recipe I’m using the Idaho Russet potato which are dark brown and perfect for frying. Medium russet potatoes are great, but the large ones are easier to prepare. 
  • Oil: I’m using regular canola oil for frying the potatoes in this recipe. You can also use safflower or peanut oil with great success. 

How to Store

  • Serve: Serve your fries nice and hot (but not too hot!) as soon as they’re done! Keep them covered when not being served.
  • Store: Store your fries in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can reheat them easily on the stovetop or in your air fryer. 
  • Freeze: To store extra fries in the freezer for up to 6 months, wrap in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the air fryer or on the stove.

Ideas to Serve

  • Animal Style: Cover the fries with caramelized onions, secret sauce, and cheese. You’ll have your own In-N-Out Animal Style Fries.
  • Loaded Fries: Loaded Garlic French Fries are so good you’ll be eating them every week.
  • MexiFries: Sprinkle taco seasoning packet with a dipping sauce of sour cream and a bit of hot sauce mixed in. Bonus points if you make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning. 

Alternative Cooking Techniques

Oven Method

  • Preheat the oven to bake at 400 dregrees.
  • Coat the fries to in a few tablespoons of your preferred oil.
  • Bake iin a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet for 10 minutes.
  • Take them out and turn the fries, then put them back in the oven for an additional 7 minutes or until done.

Air Fryer Method

  • Mix the cut potatoes with your seasonings and 2 tablespoons of the oil of your choice.
  • Air fry them for 18 minutes at 400 degrees.
  • Give the batch a good stir every 5 minutes or so to ensure everything get thoroughly cooked.

Frequent Questions 

Why are they called Shoestring French Fries? 

This cut of fries get the name “Shoestring” because of the way they are cut. They are super thin and stringy just like your shoestring. But I don’t recommend tying your shoe with them!

What’s the difference between regular fries and Shoestring Fries? 

Shoestring Fries are so much lower maintenance than normal fries.The soft center of regular thicker cut fries maintains a level of moisture inside. As they cool or sit, that moisture escapes from the fries and makes them soft. With the Shoestring Fries, the opposite is true since they are so thinly cut the whole bite is crispy and crunchy. The middles are minimal, if at all present, meaning it is all crunch!

What is the best vegetable oil to use for frying? 

Canola oil, safflower oil, or peanut oil are really great to cook your fries in. They have a high smoke point helping you get a nice crispiness. If you prefer avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or coconut oil, those work fine as well.

What is the best way to drain the oil?

The go-to for fried foods is the Spider Strainer because it removes/drains almost the whole batch at once.

What is the best way to cut my fries?

I use a dedicated French Fry Cutter. They have different plates for different size fries and save a TON of prep time. In fact, you can prep several bags of fries to keep in the freezer until ready to cook! Just be sure to use them within 6 months for best taste! SeIf you have a mandolin, use the julienne setting.

Variations

  • Sweet Potato Fries: Try making this recipe using sweet potatoes and cook in coconut oil for a healthier version. They taste just as good!
  • Sour Cream & Cheddar Fries: Sprinkle some Cheddar powder and powdered milk with a bit of salt for Cheddar and Sour Cream Fries. 
  • Blue Cheese Powder and chopped bacon are an amazing combination you’ll just love. 
  • Creole Fries: The Bold Creole Seasoning is an incredibly delicious way to add the flavor and kick to fries that will make your mouth water. 
  • Teriyaki Fries: Add ground or fresh (super finely minced) ginger, a touch of sesame oil mixed with vegetable oil, minced garlic, and salt dipped in teriyaki sauce for an unforgettable fry experience!

More Delicious Potato Side Recipes

fries pin image

Photos used in a previous version of this post:

Shoestring Fries made with russet and sweet potatoes
Shoestring French Fries are the perfect French Fries to when you're craving a pile of crispy-crunchy fries and they're crispy longer than thicker fries.
basket of Shoestring French Fries PIN 1
Shoestring French Fries are the perfect French Fries to when you're craving a pile of crispy-crunchy fries and they're crispy longer than thicker fries.
Shoestring French Fries are the perfect French Fries to when you're craving a pile of crispy-crunchy fries and they're crispy longer than thicker fries.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  2. Great recipe!
    I don’t use oil now, instead I use a convection oven/air oven. It’s a table top, so I can put it outside in our Florida hot weather.

    Reply

  3. I love sweet potato fries. I can never pass them up when they’re an option! And when they have that perfect crunch, they’re just addictive. These look like they fit that bill!

    Reply

  4. We love shoestring fries. Can’t get enough of them. I wish I had yours in front of me right now. I’d devour them, rapidly.

    Reply

  5. These look delicious! I should pick a few more kitchen staples and make these! I’m craving them right now!!

    Reply