Make the Best Chips (Fries) by Cooking Them Twice (2024)

British Sides
Vegetable Sides
Potato Recipes

Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 02/21/24

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 40 mins

Servings: 4 serving

editor badge

346 ratings

Write a Review

Add a comment

In countries like the U.K., Ireland, Scotland, Australia, and South Africa, French fries are known as chips. Not to be confused with potato chips, British chips are thick slices of potato that are fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The trick to getting the chips to taste like they are straight from the chip shop is to fry them twice in the hot oil. The first fry is at a lower temperature and softens the potato; the second turn in the hot oil is at a higher temp and achieves that signature crispy exterior.

This recipe requires only potatoes and vegetable oil or other deep-frying oil. The potatoes are sliced, rinsed, and boiled, and then drained and dried. Parboiling ensures the chips are cooked through with a fluffy interior. The chips are fried in batches, drained, and fried again until golden, ensuring they are crisp. Sprinkled with salt, they are addictive and taste great with burgers and fried fish.

Make the Best Chips (Fries) by Cooking Them Twice (3)

What You'll Need to Make This Twice-Cooked Chips Recipe

A Handy Dandy Potato Peeler

A Great Colander

A Deep-Frying Thermometer

"I made these fries in a deep saucepan with a deep-fry thermometer following the instructions, and they cooked perfectly. The results are well worth the few extra steps to making twice-cooked fried. I used russet potatoes, and the second fry took about 5 minutes. Regulate the heat as necessary to keep the oil temperature constant." —Diana Rattray

Make the Best Chips (Fries) by Cooking Them Twice (7)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

250 grams (1/2 pound) russet potatoes, peeled
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, for seasoning

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Cut the potatoes into about 1/2-inch (1-cm) slices, then slice these into 1/2-inch (1-cm) wide chips.
Place the chips in a colander and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
Place the washed chips in a pan of cold water, bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Drain the potatoes in a colander.
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and then pat dry with paper towels. Remove as much moisture off of the potatoes to avoid splatter when putting them in the oil.
Add about 2 to 3 inches of oil to a heavy pot or Dutch oven and attach a deep-fry thermometer. Heat the oil to 320 F/160 C. Carefully lower some chips—about 2 handfuls—into the hot oil using a slotted metal utensil or deep-fry basket.
Fry for about 3 minutes. Do not brown them. Let the oil come back to temperature between batches.
Turn the chips out onto paper towels to drain. Keep them at room temperature until needed.
Reheat the oil to 375 F/190 C and fry the chips once more until golden and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.
Drain and season with salt. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Tips

To keep fried chips warm while frying subsequent batches, preheat the oven to 200 F. Place the cooked chips on a cooling rack set on a baking sheet and place it in the warm oven. Hold them in the warm oven for up to 20 minutes.
Choosing the right type of potato is important to get a good chip. A starchy potato is best as it has a soft, dry texture, making it good for chips. Look forKing Edward,Maris Piper, Romano, Désirée, or russet potatoes.
You can use beef fat or good vegetable oil for frying chips. If you prefer a traditional flavor, you can use lard. Beef fat or lard produces a full-flavored chip and, if cooked properly, the chip will be crisp and brown on the outside and soft within. Chips cooked with vegetable oils do create a similar chip (and have less cholesterol) but have less flavor.
Cooking in batches keeps the oil temperature from dropping. Make sure you don't add too many fries at once or they may turn out soggy. Check the temperature each time before adding more fries to make sure the oil is hot enough.

What Vegetable Oils Are Best Choice for Chips (French Fries)?

Choose a neutral-flavor, high smoke point oil, such as peanut oil, canola, or refined safflower oil.

Helpful Links

How to Choose the Right Equipment for Deep-Frying
Tips for Deep-Frying: How to Get the Crispiest Food
The Best Oil for Deep-Frying
How to Dispose of Used Cooking Oil
How to Reheat Fries

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
381	Calories
37g	Fat
13g	Carbs
2g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	381
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g	47%
Saturated Fat 3g	14%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 152mg	7%
Total Carbohydrate 13g	5%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 6mg	30%
Calcium 9mg	1%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 334mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Potato
perfect chips
side dish
british

Rate This Recipe

I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!