These Skinny Fries are skinny in every sense of the word — thin and crispy, baked in healthy olive oil with lots of flavor and no salt — there’s no doubt about it, fries are back on the table!
Just like you, I have a crispy problem. It all started with tortilla and potato chips, then morphed into an obsession with all kinds of fried foods, (topping the list right now is tempura) but every once in a while I summon the will power to say enough’s enough. These Skinny Fries feed my obsession without the guilt. And in case you forgot, potatoes are very healthy — they’re in the same family as tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers — and I’m sure nobody ever called them junk food. Potatoes are low calorie, high in fiber, and full of vitamins, go potatoes!
To make Skinny Fries I took a clean dry russet potato and sliced it lengthwise on a mandoline slicer to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Don’t peel the potato, the skin is full of fiber, flavor, and texture. Then I take my knife and cut each slice into 1/4 inch matchsticks. I toss them in a bit of olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Single file only, please, you want them to crisp, not steam.
They bake at a high heat (400F) for about 20 minutes, then flip and rearrange, and bake for another 5-10 minutes. When they come out I toss them with fresh lemon zest and fresh minced rosemary. Go ahead and add salt if you like, I’m not looking…
Skinny Fries
Ingredients
- 1 russet potato, scrubbed and dried
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, more if desired
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 sprig finely minced rosemary
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Set oven to 400°F
- Slice the potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. The easiest way to do this is on a mandoline slicer. Cut each of those slices into 1/4 inch strips.
- Put the potato strips in a bowl and toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil, making sure get them all coated. You can add a little more oil if you like.
- Spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer, they shouldn't be touching each other. I lined my sheet with a piece of parchment.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then toss rearrange/flip the fries and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crisp.
- Scatter the hot fries with the lemon zest and rosemary and eat!
Nutrition
notes:
- You can make these more or less skinny by how much oil you toss them in. Use a little more oil than I specified, and then hit them with salt when they come out of the oven and you’ll have a more traditional fry experience.
- There are so many seasonings to try — chili powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, curry … dig around in your spice cabinet, you’ll come up with all kinds of ideas.
don’t lose it, pin it!
This is just how I make my fries but I love your addition of the lemon and rosemary! Going to try that next time now that I have rosemary growing in the garden for the summer 😉 I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love crispy fries!
I have been doing fries in my oven for a while and I totally agree with you. The differences between my recipes are small, but telling.
I prepare the potato the day before, and place the thin slices in cold water and refrigerate overnight. This allows the starch to combine with the water. I drain the water and top them off with more water. I want the second soak to be at least an hour before baking. I drain them and dry them. I salt them once dry and then I bake them at 500 degrees for a shorter time. They are great.
Thanks for all the hard work you do in sharing your work with us.
I’ll have to try that next time David, the higher heat sounds interesting, and since we like our fries extra crispy, that might work great!
These fries are my dream, I’m all about thin and crispy! And that touch of lemon and rosemary is perfection!
Great idea to use a mandolin to make them thin enough to up the crispy factor!!
Wow, these are so easy to do! Love this, Sue, and the lemon zest is such a wonderful addition. Can’t wait to eat these!!