Perfect for game day snacking or serving alongside steak or burgers, these baked fries are seasoned with chile peppers and cilantro.
Another Christmas has come and gone, but we have a treasure trove of memories packed away. We shared some good laughs over some memorable family stories and had a couple of minor kitchen mishaps. As I was making my Green Beans with Balsamic Roasted Shallots, I plucked a bright green bean out of the water to taste-test it. Ten seconds later, my brother-in-law looked at me in disbelief as he asked, "Did you just eat half of that green bean and throw the other half back into the water?" A look of realization and horror spread over my face before we both burst into laughter. For the rest of the meal, we joked about who would be lucky enough to find the nibbled remnants of a green bean on their plate. Thank goodness for family forgiveness.
The afternoon was spent cooking and watching my boys discover their new toys, such as their pogo sticks, Nerf bow and arrow, and toolboxes.
They became honorary Canucks as they proudly wore the Vancouver hockey jerseys and hats my parents gave them. Oh, how that makes my heart fill with Canadian pride.
Even with all of the generous presents received and the fantastic food consumed, the best part was letting ourselves become entwined in the magic of the day. With two young boys around, it is impossible not to feel the excitement and wonder of Christmas. As my husband said, "It is a very good day to be a kid." We look forward to several days of relative quiet and lighter eating.
After consuming pounds of Nutella Chocolate Fudge with Sea Salt and Chocolate & Peppermint Wedding Cookies over the past several weeks, it is time to think about lightening things up a little. At the beginning of the year, I made Baked French Fries with Garlic, Parsley and Parmesan. Now, almost a year later, I decided to make another version of this easy, healthy snack, this time seasoning the fries with chile peppers and cilantro. The aroma - ethereal. The taste and texture - well, I will let you decide for yourself, but let me warn you...you will not be able to eat just one.
The recipe:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into slices that are â…“-inch thick and then cut each slice into â…“-inch thick strips. Dry the potatoes between two kitchen towels.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Divide the potatoes between two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spread into a single layer.
Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, about 40 minutes, turning the potatoes every 10 minutes, and rotating the racks halfway through baking.
Heat 1 teaspoon olive in a small nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapenos and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Take care not to burn the garlic.
Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and toss with garlic, peppers, and cilantro. Taste (careful – they’ll be hot!) and season with additional salt, if necessary. Serve.
Other baked French fries recipes:
Baked French with Garlic, Parsley & Parmesan Cheese
Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Za'atar
Printable Recipe
Baked French Fries Recipe with Chile Peppers & Cilantro
Ingredients
- 4 medium russet potatoes about 1 ¾ pounds, unpeeled
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ large red jalapeno chile seeded & membranes removed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut potatoes lengthwise into slices that are â…“-inch thick and then cut each slice into â…“-inch thick strips. Dry the potatoes between two kitchen towels.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Divide the potatoes between two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spread into a single layer.
- Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, about 40 minutes, turning the potatoes every 10 minutes, and rotating the racks halfway through baking.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive in a small nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapenos and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes. Take care not to burn the garlic.
- Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and toss with garlic, peppers, and cilantro. Taste (careful – they’ll be hot!) and season with additional salt, if necessary. Serve.
Nutrition
Ang
OH My. I looooove French fries. These look and sound so yummy. The flavors are so simple too.
Maria
I could and will, eat a BIG plate of these fries!
Roxan
Baked french fries sound so good! Especially with the addition of cilantro, I looove cilantro. I'm glad you had a wonderful christmas!
Evan @swEEts
I've tried to make fries before and they definitely don't look as crispy as yours do! These looks delicious. Glad to hear you had a nice holiday.. it is indeed a good day to be a kid 🙂 And by the way, I made your nutella fudge and it's been a huge hit!
briarrose
Wonderful topping choices. Chilies and cilantro....heaven!
doggybloggy
man o man those fries look good - I would love a big pile with a couple of poached eggs...
bunkycooks
Christmas is always so much fun with kids. I miss those days now that ours are older (not that I would want to go thru it all over again!). We will all be looking for lighter ways to prepare foods after the first of the year (without giving up flavor, of course). These fries look like a great way to do that. Have a great New Year's!
Belinda @zomppa
Looks like someone had a great holiday! These are so festive, too!
Petra (Zoom Yummy)
Mmm! This is what I call perfection! Yum! 🙂 Petra
Heather (Heather's Dish)
these look amazing! just like the real deal...i'll take 'em 😉
kamran siddiqi
Happy Holidays! These fries are something that I could go for right now. And it's almost midnight here. Wonderful post!
marla
Awesome to see that you guys had such a fun & magical Christmas. I can only imagine the show you - or pardon me Santa-puts on for your boys. They look so happy.
Those fries - my kind of thing. Since I don't eat fried foods this is a recipe I would put right on the top of my must try list! XO
Charlotte
Yum - I would run to my kitchen and make these but have eaten too much to run anywhere and I already have leftover turkey casserole baking in the oven. Tomorrow perhaps. Love the boys in their Canucks shirts (go Canucks!). I too usually gift my English nephews with Canadian stuff.
Liz the Chef
So happy I found your site - lovely family, wonderful recipe and terrific photos!Not a huge cilantro fan, I might do flat-leaved parsley...
Mark
Great flavors. These must have been great. I bet the kids loved them too.
JodieMo
This sounds a great change from all of the sweets and heavy dishes I have been eating lately. I love the spicy chilis!
Monet
What a lovely Christmas day. The boys are just adorable...they seem very content! These fries look delicious. I wish I had a plate beside me right now. I hope you have a blessed Sunday. Thank you for sharing this deliciousness with me!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
Those look fabulous!
danasfoodforthought
These sound like a great Christmas treat! I hope you and your family had a wonderful day!
alison
happy holidays!the french fries looks amazing,mouth watering(and here is the morning ...)!