Reheat French Fries Like a Pro with These Tips and Tricks - Kitchenous (2024)

In summary: There are three ways to reheat french fries: on the stove, in the oven, or the air fryer.

Isn’t the taste of french fries something best one can wish for? Fresh, crispy, delicious – sometimes, you just want to eat one. Bought ready-made or homemade fries doesn’t matter. But then you have too much of them, and in the matter of half an hour, they’re not the same ever again. Can leftover fries be crispy again?

We usually throw them away. We all know that cold leftover fries just aren’t good enough. But what if we revealed a way to make them crispy again and almost as good as they were the first time? Wouldn’t it be a life-changing discovery? Keep reading then, as this will interest you.

The Microwave Will Not Help

If you are hoping that one way to quickly warm up potato chips is in the microwave, we must disappoint you. Thousands of experiences present online testify that the microwave simply does not work in this case.

The fries heated in it will not be crispy by no means and will get a slightly gooey and soft texture. Besides, the microwave can extract bad tastes and oils, so you really have nothing to enjoy. As much as we want this quick method to work, microwaving fries won’t do the trick.

If you want successfully reheated fries, then cross out the microwave at the beginning. You’ll need a little more effort than that.

Heating Up The Fries On The Stove

This is one of the proper ways to reheat leftover french fries. The result will be crispy and juicy fries that will not lose flavor. Here’s what you need to do to get a great result in just a few minutes.

Step 1: Preheat the skillet

Turn on the stove and place the skillet on it to heat up. The pan must be well-heated when you put the fries on it. Add few tablespoons of oil to heat up as well. In this case, you want to use an oil with a high smoke point⁠—vegetable oil, for example. A wrong choice is olive oil that’s not intended for such high temperatures and will burn quickly.

Step 2: Put the fries in the pan

Add the chips you want to reheat to the pan. If you have more fries, you better divide them into two or three portions, so they don’t crumble in the pan. Because that way, you will get fine crispy fries. Turn them now and then to heat them evenly. Your chips should be done in 3 to 5 minutes, depending on their thickness. Be careful not to burn yourself with hot oil.

Step 3: Use a paper towel to soak up excess oil

When done, take the potatoes out on paper towel-lined plate to soak up the excess oil. Be sure not to skip this part. Your fries have oil in them from the initial frying, and you don’t want to leave an extra dose.

Reheating French Fries In The Oven

This is also a great way to reheat fries, especially if you have more chips to heat at once. And the plus is that you don’t add extra oil to your fries, so it’s a bit of a healthier decision. This also works well for sweet potato fries.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450 °F

First, preheat the oven to about 400 to 450 °F. At the same time, prepare a baking tray on which you will put baking paper or aluminum foil. You can also set the pan in the oven while heating so that it is hot as well.

Step 2: Add the potatoes to the pan

When the oven is thoroughly heated, arrange the fries on the baking tray so that they do not stick to each other and are not cluttered. If the chips have enough space in the pan, they can become nicely crispy on all sides. Put everything in the hot oven.

Step 3: Bake them for about 5 to 6 minutes

Bake the fries for about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on how thick they are. You can take one out and cut it in half to see if it is warm and crunchy enough. If not, feel free to leave for a few more minutes. When done, serve the chips immediately to eat.

Warming Up French Fries In The Air Fryer

You lucky people with this magical appliance in your kitchen probably possess the best method for reheating french fries. An air fryer is a great way to warm up leftover french fries without making them rubbery. Although the procedure is fast, it still requires more time if you have a significant amount of fries. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Prepare the fryer

Turn on the fryer to heat up to 350 °F. Then put the potatoes in the air fryer basket but in small quantities, about one layer. If you have more leftovers, you will have to separate them into several processes. Otherwise, you will end up with soggy fries.

Step 2: Heat for about 4 to 5 minutes

The average heating will probably last between four and five minutes. The time may vary depending on how thick the potatoes are. If you have more giant fries, they will take a little longer than very thin ones. When the heating is finished, take the fries out on a plate and put the next round.

FAQs

Conclusion

Reheating french fries doesn’t have to be a problem. However, we suggest that you only heat up better quality fries, prepared at home, or in a slow food restaurant. The use of a microwave oven is not recommended too, as the potatoes will be soft and gooey.

Whichever way you choose between the oven and the stove, you will get nicely crispy and delicious fries even if they are a day old.

Up next: How To Reheat Baked Potatoes

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