Garlic Parmesan Fries
These garlic Parmesan fries are easy, full of flavor, and simply one of the most delicious fry recipes I've made. The fries are cooked in the air fryer in a little cornstarch until perfectly crispy and then tossed in homemade garlic parmesan butter, ready in under 30 minutes.
We're big on fries here - these cajun fries are super popular on the website, as are these epic dirty fries. These are perfect served with a yogurt dip - like this yogurt tahini dip, or even with a creamy avocado sauce.
These garlic Parmesan fries are a super popular type of fry, and for good reason. They're rich, cheesy, and perfectly crispy. I've used a vegetarian Parmesan alternative in this recipe (I often actually use Pecorino cheese - it tastes very similar but is often vegetarian-friendly!), as Parmesan often isn't vegetarian-friendly.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
I've got a few fry recipes on the blog - my Cajun fries and dirty fries are both really popular - but these garlic Parmesan fries are the ones I make most often at home.
The garlic butter is what does it. It sounds like a small thing, but the moment you toss those crispy, hot fries in melted butter with fresh garlic and Parmesan, the whole kitchen smells incredible and you know you're about to eat something really good. They disappear fast.
Ingredient Notes
The exact quantities of the ingredients you need for this recipe are included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Here, I've added a few notes on the ingredients you need, plus a few potential substitutions you could make if you can't eat/find a certain ingredient.
- White Potatoes: These are ideal for fries because they hold their shape well and crisp up nicely. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes also work great in this recipe.
- Cornflour: Helps to give the fries a crispy coating. You can substitute it with all-purpose flour or omit it, though the fries may be slightly less crispy.
- Oil: Used for coating the fries before air frying or roasting. Olive oil, vegetable oil, or any neutral oil will work well.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty, cheesy flavor. Grated Pecorino Romano or a vegetarian hard cheese can be used as substitutes.
- Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is a must, in my opinion. Use garlic powder if that's all you have but I'd strongly recommend the fresh garlic.
- Parsley and Oregano: Feel free to substitute with fresh parsley or basil for a more aromatic finish.
You'll also need some salt and black pepper for seasoning.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Fries
Step 1: Soak the Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin fry shapes. Place them in a large bowl of ice water and leave for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight). This removes excess starch and results in much crispier fries.
Step 2: Coat and Air Fry
Drain the potatoes and pat them very dry. Toss with the cornflour and oil until evenly coated. Air fry at 200°C for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Step 3: Make the Garlic Parmesan Butter
While the fries cook, melt the butter and stir in the minced garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and half the Parmesan cheese.
Step 4: Toss and Finish
Add the garlic Parmesan butter to the fries, shaking to coat evenly. Return to the air fryer for a further 5 minutes until golden and crispy.
Step 5: Serve
Dish up the fries and sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan and a little more parsley. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Top Tips \ Chef's Notes
- Ice Water Soak: Soaking the potatoes in ice water helps to remove excess starch, resulting in crispier fries on the outside.
- Don't Overcrowd: Make sure to spread the fries out in the air fryer or on the baking sheet so they cook evenly and get crispy.
- Use Fresh Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives the best flavor, but if you prefer a more subtle garlic taste, you can substitute it with garlic powder.
- Vegetarian: I'm vegetarian, so I used Pecorino cheese instead of Parmesan. If that's not a dietary concern for you, feel free to use Parmesan.
Serving Suggestions
These fries are the perfect side dish or sharing plate:
- On their own as a snack - they honestly don't need much
- Alongside burgers (try my black bean burger recipe!)
- With a spicy dip - my creamy jalapeño sauce or avocado lime crema
- As part of a loaded fries situation with melted cheese, jalapeños, and sour cream
- With a simple yogurt and garlic dip or tahini yogurt dip
Garlic Parmesan Fries
Ingredients
- 700 g large white potatoes
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and black pepper to taste
Method
- Peel your potatoes and cut them into thin fry shapes. Place them in a large bowl of ice water and leave for 1 hour.700 g large white potatoes
- Drain the potatoes and pat them dry, then coat them in the cornflour. Drizzle over the oil, then air fry the fries for 20 minutes at 200C, shaking them halfway.1 tbsp cornflour, 2 tbsp oil
- Meanwhile, make your garlic butter by melting the butter in a microwavable safe bowl and adding the minced garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and half of the parmesan cheese.3 tbsp butter, 0.17 cup Parmesan cheese, 3 cloves garlic, 1.5 tsp parsley, salt and black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano
- Add the garlic butter to the fries, shaking them to coat evenly, and then return the fries for a further 5 minutes.
- Dish up the garlic parmesan fries and sprinkle over the remaining cheese and a little more parsley to garnish.0.17 cup Parmesan cheese
Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🍟🧄🧀 The combination of crispy fries and garlicky Parmesan butter sounds absolutely irresistible. Can’t wait to try these with a spicy dip! 😍🔥