There’s just something about steak fries. When you get them in a restaurant, they’re typically deep fried which makes them crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and all around delicious. It’s difficult to recreate that experience at home without breaking out the cooking oil and stock pot. But, I think I’ve found a solution. A very tasty, crispy solution right in your own oven!
I don’t make French fries from scratch much because, well, for the reasons I stated above, but I do buy frozen fries that we bake pretty regularly. They’re okay. Not great, but, they’re easy. We all make concessions like that, right?
I’m thinking of par-baking and freezing these for those nights when I don’t want to spend the time cutting up all the potatoes and mixing up spices. Pretty sure they could easily take the place of frozen, store-bought fries. If you try that, let me know. And, if I end up making a big batch and freezing them, I’ll update here on this post.
Parmesan Steak Fries aren’t a huge time commitment but they do take a little bit of time to both prepare and bake. You absolutely need to bake them until they’re super crispy on the outside to have them be spectacular. If you’re in a pinch for time, I suggest you make something else because removing them from he oven before they crisp factor reaches “10” just isn’t right.
A couple notes:
• I used russet potatoes for this because I love the mealy texture inside. Yukon Golds would work too but they will be smoother and less grainy. It’s a texture thing. I get it if someone else prefers a different kind of potato.
• I’ll admit it. I still use the grated parmesan cheese in the green container. I’ve tried more natural ones and after a recall scare, I decided I’m okay with a little cellulose in my life. You can also grate fresh parmesan if you’d like to keep it au naturel. We go through way too much cheese to constantly grate our own but I do often have a fresh block in the fridge.
• I called out the spices I used for this recipe pictures. If you’d like to add to it or take away, try it! If you’re into spicy things, a little cayenne night be a nice addition. If you like Ranch flavor, you might try some chives instead of parsley and omit the paprika. Switch it up!
• I bake my fries on a dark pan. I’m convinced it browns them so much better than a silver pan. You can use a silver pan but you might have to bake them up to 10 minutes longer to achieve the same level of crisp.
• Serve these immediately. They are best hot and crispy with a delicious sauce.
- 5 russet potatoes
- 3 Tbls. avocado oil (olive oil, refined coconut oil or ghee would work too)
- 3 Tbls. Grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. parsley
- Bake at 400˚ for 45 mins, turning each steak fry over half way through.