Everyone loves fries...I mean literally everyone (I think). But I am telling you now you haven't lived until you've tried these crispy greek fries. Baked in the oven and topped with fresh herbs, red onion and feta cheese, these are one of the best ways to dress up fries. All the great Mediterranean flavors in a crispy oven baked snack.
Greek fries are a popular tavern dish and appetizer in Greece, where they are known as patates tiganites. They also make an excellent side dish. You can easily make them at home with a few simple ingredients and enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean.
I am always trying to find ways to up my potato game. The mixed or dried herbs, fresh garlic and lemon zest coating the slices of potato to roast, and fresh herbs, lots of briny feta and sharp red onion tossed and topping the crispy fries is literally making my mouth water as I type this. I think this might be my families favorite potato recipe, and the are the perfect addition stuffed into my chicken pitas and served on the side. There is never any left.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Crispy Greek fries with all the great toppings is easy to love and here's why:
- They are easy to make. You really don't need a ton of ingredients, just a few things that you likely have on hand.
- They are healthier than typical french fries. Greek fries are baked at a high temperature with a little olive oil, making them much healthier than deep fried french fries. A simple secret trick (see below) will give you the crispiest outside, and soft and fluffy inside fries.
- They are full of Mediterranean flavors making them the perfect addition to so many things. These are not only an awesome appetizer (as is traditional with patates tiganites), but they make a great side dish for any Mediterranean style grilled meat, chicken or fish.
Ingredients
A few things and you've got amazing Greek fries in no time:
For the fries themselves
- Potatoes. I like to use Yukon gold potatoes for these as I think the texture is creamier on the inside when baked. But you absolutely do not have to, I make these with russet potatoes all the time and they are great.
- The dried herbs. Dried oregano, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Lemon zest.
- Olive oil.
And to toss with the the fries when they come out of the oven:
- Fresh herbs. Chopped fresh parsley, fresh oregano and fresh dill.
- Finely chopped red onion.
- Feta. This is the perfect cheese, it is briny and salty.
Cutting the potatoes for fries
Making baked fries is really simpler than you think. Greek fries are shaped just like regular fries. And if you are like me and don't have a fry cutter, you can easily cut them into fries:
Remove the top and bottom of the potato off.
Slice the ends off lengthwise too (just a little of the sides).
Cut the potato then into long planks that are about ⅜ inch thick.
Finally cut them into equal sized strips, also ⅜ inch.
How to make them
Give the potato slices a 10 minute soak in water to get a crispy outside and fluffy center.
After soaking them for 10 minutes, pat them dry really well with a towel, toss them with the herbs and olive oil.
Place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast at 450 for 25 minutes BEFORE tossing with the chopped garlic.
After 25 minutes toss with the chopped garlic, reposition on the cookie sheet to be spaced apart, and continue toasting for 10 more minutes.
Assembling the baked Greek fries
As soon as the Greek fries come out of the oven and are still hot, put half your toppings (fresh herbs, red onion and feta). Put them in your serving dish and top with the rest of your toppings. Eat this right away as they will be nice and hot and crispy.
Ingredient swaps and variations
These are great as is, but here is a few options to mix it up:
- Use any kind of onion you like or skip the onion all together.
- Use parmesan instead of feta if you don't have any feta.
- Serve them with a dipping sauce. I throw together a quick yogurt, fresh dill, lemon juice and garlic sauce (kind of like tzatziki but without the cucumber), or just use tzatziki if you like it.
Top tips for making crispy Greek fries
Everyone loves crispy on the outside fries, and you can easily get this in an oven baked fry with a few simple things:
- Soak the slices of potato in water for a quick 10 minutes. I promise this is a huge help in getting crispy on the outside and soft on the inside fries.
- Roast them on a super high heat.
- Don't use too much olive oil. Just a little with to toss them with the dried herbs. This will make them soggy.
- Keep space between each fry on the baking sheet. This ensures the heat hit them all and gives you crispy fries.
Side dishes you will love
Try one of my vegetable dishes alongside these crispy Greek fries to complete your meal:
Equipment
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 4-6 potatoes I use 6 yukon gold potatoes or 4 russets
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon zest only
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the end off the top and bottom ends of the washed potatoes. Then slice the uneven side lengthwise of the potato. Cut the potatoes into planks and then each plank into strips that look like a French fry (see images in post). Put the fries into a bowl of cold water and empty and refill once or twice until the water isn’t cloudy anymore. Then leave the fries to soak in the water for 10 minutes.
- Remove the fries from the water and dry well with towels.
- In a separate bowl toss the dry fries with the olive oil, dried oregano, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, zest, salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in a single layer with space between each fry.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with the fresh garlic and spread back out to a single layer on the baking sheet and continue to bake for 10 more minutes.
- Remove the fries from the oven and immediately toss with the fresh parsley, fresh dill, red onion and feta. Place the remaining fresh herbs, red onion and feta on top of the fries and enjoy while still warm!
Angela R says
We made these to go along with lamb burgers this weekend. They were simple and absolutely delicious. thanks
Cooper Wright says
Did these with regular brown potatoes and they turned out great
Laura E says
These were great, will be making again for sure.