Reheating French Fries: 3 Ways to Add Crunch and Flavor Again

French fries only taste good as long as they taste fresh and crunchy. Any leftovers soon get soggy and lose out on their flavor, which often means that they have to be discarded. In this Tastessence article, we will discuss various methods on reheating fries to bring back the crunch and flavor easily.

Anuj Mudaliar

Last Updated: Feb 22, 2018

Did You Know?

Americans consume the most French fries around the world. In fact, surveys indicate that the average American eats around 30 lbs. of fries each year. You are probably going to need a lot of ketchup!

All different styles of French fries, be it curly or waffle, are best eaten when they have a crunchy texture and salty flavor, which goes well with almost any kind of meal. However, when prepared in large amounts, most of the leftovers are discarded. However, there are many methods to reheat fries to regain their original taste and feel in varying degrees. So, don't throw away any of your leftover fries. With the following methods, you can use them as an accompaniment with your next meal, or just as a snack the next time you are feeling hungry.

How to Reheat French Fries

In the Microwave

Microwaves, are not really ideal for heating fries, as the variable temperatures can easily turn them into mush. However, with the following steps, you can reheat French fries in the microwave, and give them a little crunch.

Pour a little vegetable oil on the fries.
Place the fries lightly on some dry paper tissues. This reduces the amount of moisture and oil from the fries when they are heating up.
Place the fries on a microwave-safe plate.
Heat the fries in the microwave for 10 minutes.
Take the fries out and remove the paper.
Spread the fries and let them cool for 2-3 minutes before consuming.

You will need to experiment with the heating time to get best results, as each microwave heats food differently.

In the Oven

A much better alternative to a microwave, let us see how one can heat up fries in an oven.

To reheat fries in the oven, one needs to preheat the oven. The ideal oven temperature is 400-425ºF. Higher temperatures give crisper fries.
Take a baking tray and cover it with some foil.
Evenly spread out the fries on the tray, and place it in the oven once the preheating is done.
Pour a little oil on the fries and heat them for 5-10 minutes. You can also add some garlic, salt, and pepper to increase the flavor.
Shake the tray once in a while to stop it from burning.
One your fries are heated and crisp, get them out and serve.

You can also reheat French fries in a toaster oven, as this gives more crunch than a regular oven. This gets the fries hot, without making them soggy, although the flavors you get will be slightly muted in this method.

In a Skillet

This is arguably the best way to reheat fries and keep them crisp like a fresh batch. Let us see how this is done:

Find a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, that will be able to cook the fries at the same time, heating them evenly from all sides.
Spray the skillet with a little oil with a high smoking point, heat it on the stove till the oil is hot.
Reheat the French fries on the stove with an occasional toss or stir to heat the fries evenly, on a medium flame.
Do not add any extra oil during the heating process, as this can cause them to get soggy and oily. Once the fries gain a crunchy texture, you can take them off the heat and serve.

It is important to remember that when you are reheating French fries in a skillet, you should always be in control off the flame. Excess heat will burn the fries, while less heat will make them go limp. Also avoid adding salt during the heating process, this can also make the fries limp and soft.

Another great way to reuse French fries is to add bacon and cheese to the skillet, or mix the fries in pies and quiches, for a totally new but delicious dish. Use the above tips to enjoy fries in the best ways possible.