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Whole russet potatoes with raw cut fries on a cutting board

What Are the Best Potatoes for French Fries

April 02, 2026

Dipped into a tasty sauce, loaded with toppings or simply prepared with a blend of seasonings, fries are enjoyed by people of all ages and around the world! Choosing the best potatoes for french fries can be essential for achieving the crispy, golden potato perfection that this food may immediately bring to mind. Keep reading to find out more about picking potatoes for your homemade fries and how to season them.

 

The Best Potatoes for French Fries

 

Superior french fries require more than just cutting any available potatoes into a preferred shape and heating them until cooked through. So, what potato is often recommended for craveable and crispy fries? The guide to picking the best potato for frying and other preparations from Food & Wine encourages the use of russet potatoes for french fries.

 

Whether you plan on deep-frying, air-frying or baking, choosing Russet potatoes for french fries helps ensure that your fries are crispy and golden on the outside with a light, tender inside. If you want fries that can hold up to dipping sauces and french fry toppings, Russet potatoes are a great choice, though white potatoes like Kennebec potatoes and yellow potatoes such as Yukon Golds are other possible options. If you want to try making your own homemade french fries, then a well-reviewed recipe like this one from Spend with Pennies, which requires only 3 ingredients and uses the oven for cooking, may be of interest.

 

How to Season French Fries

 

Using the best potatoes for french fries is only one key to successful fries. It’s also essential to think about the best seasoning for your fries. Fortunately, due to their relatively mild flavor, potatoes pair well with a variety of different seasonings. Below, find tips for seasonings to use, as well as how to season french fries or otherwise enhance their flavor:

 

1. Try out different seasonings

 

Perhaps the most familiar seasoning for french fries is salt. Trying out a specialty salt like truffle salt is one way to experiment with the flavor of your fries. Using a homemade or prepared seasoning blend is another popular option. Salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder, cayenne and paprika, and assorted herbs are a few of the ingredients that are often included in some of the best seasonings for fries. For example, the shoestring fries at Freddy’s feature Freddy’s Famous Steakburger and Fry Seasoning® – an appetizing blend of salt, garlic, onion, paprika and more! Want to experiment with the seasoning for your french fries? Food Republic provides a collection of more than 10 different recommendations that may be of interest!

 

2. Think about when and how to season.

 

When to season your fries typically depends on your choice of cooking method. For example, if you choose to deep fry your fries, then seasonings are often added immediately after they are cooked and drained. However, with baked fries, seasonings are usually tossed with the raw potato pieces and oil before going into the oven. For either cooking method, tossing the raw or cooked fries in a bowl when seasoning helps ensure more even and consistent coverage of all fries.

 

3. Try dipping sauces or assorted french fry toppings.

 

The seasoning for french fries adds one layer of flavor, but sauces and toppings can provide many more! In addition to the specialty seasoning for our fries, here are 3 more ways that guests can further enhance their fry experience at their local Freddy’s:

 

Explore the selection of dipping sauces. With your regular or large order of Freddy’s Fries, you can choose from more than 10 different sauces. Go for a classic like ketchup or mayo for your fries or dip your fries into one of our specialty fry sauces, such as Freddy’s Famous Jalapeño Fry Sauce®.

 

Choose cheese fries. For some people, the best sauce for fries needs to be served on top of the fries, not simply on the side. While guests can opt for cheese sauce on the side, they can also order Cheese Fries at Freddy’s, which features our shoestring fries smothered in a jalapeño cheese sauce. If you are longing for even more flavor, simply select another sauce to have on the side.

 

Top your cheese fries with chili! When it comes to toppings, you’ll find one of the most popular toppings for fries in our Chili Cheese Fries. You can also load these fries up even more by adding grilled jalapeños and diced onions.

 

While you may have a handle on the best potatoes for french fries and how to season them to perfection, it can also be nice to let someone else make them for you. To have your fries (and any other menu items) prepared and served with your customizations, just head to the Freddy’s near you today!