These Mashed Potato French Fries are a delectable treat. Everything you love about mashed potatoes paired with an ultra-crispy French fried coating! You will not be able to stop at one!
If you love French fries as much as I do then you have to also try my Parmesan Truffle Fries and my Nacho Fries! My Truffle Aioli or Taco Bell Cheese would also be excellent dippers for these fries.
I love making these Mashed Potato French Fries when I really want some indulgent comfort food! Honestly, this recipe is worth the extra effort it takes compared to other french fries. My boys love the incredible crunch they have and then the dreamy mashed potato interior!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These mashed potato fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making them the perfect comfort food.
- The mashed potatoes in this recipe give the fries a unique texture and flavor that will make them stand out from regular fries.
- This recipe is easy to make and requires only a few simple ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
- Russet Potatoes: These potatoes are the best type to use for this recipe because they have a high starch content, which makes them perfect for frying. They also have a mild flavor that won't overpower the other ingredients.
- Salt: it's important to season the mashed potatoes really well to give the fries flavor.
- Black Pepper: adds a bit of spice to the fries.
- Garlic Powder: a little garlic flavor really takes these fries to the next level.
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese: adds cheesy flavor to the fries and richness to the mashed potato filling.
- Cornstarch: is the key ingredient to make these fries ultra crispy on the outside.
- Vegetable Oil (for frying): perfect for frying the french fries.
How to Make Mashed Potato French Fries
1: Boil cubed raw potatoes until tender.
2: Mash potatoes.
3: Add spices, cheese, and cornstarch and mix until combined.
4: Transfer mixture to a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
5: Shape and spread into a rectangle and freeze.
6: Once frozen cut into potato strips.
7: Heat up a Dutch oven with at least an inch of oil.
8: Fry mashed potato sticks until golden brown. Transfer cooked fries to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, mashed potatoes can be fried. They can be made into pancakes, patties, balls, or french fries, like this recipe!
To fry mashed potatoes you can simply spread them in a preheated pan with melted butter and cook until browned, flip and cook the other side until browned and warmed through. Alternately you can, shape them into small patties, balls or potato croquettes, then coat them in flour, egg, and either regular or panko bread crumbs. Finally, deep fry them in hot oil until they are golden brown and crispy.
Leftover instant mashed potatoes may be more suitable for pan frying versus french fries or balls. The texture is softer and smoother than real mashed potatoes and may not hold up in hot oil. I don't recommend using them in this recipe.
Expert Tips
- You can try using leftover mashed potatoes that you have on hand but you have to make sure the consistency is not too soft and you have to add the cornstarch to ensure a crispy exterior.
- Make sure to cut the fries evenly so that they cook evenly.
- DO NOT cut fries too thin they will be too delicate and break when frying! Alternately, you could place the mashed potatoes in a piping bag, pipe the fries on parchment paper, and freeze them until ready to fry.
- Keep unfried fries in the freezer between batches.
- Always be careful when frying and working with hot oil. Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature to ensure that the fries cook properly.
- Don't overcrowd the Dutch oven when cooking the fries, as this will cause them to cook unevenly.
Recipe Variations
- Add different spices like chili powder, curry powder or herbs to the potato mixture to give the fries a unique flavor.
- Use different types of cheese, such as Parmesan cheese or Gouda, to change up the cheesy flavor of the fries.
- Serve the fries with different dipping sauces, such as ranch, sour cream, or barbecue sauce.
Recipe Substitutions
- Use a different type of potato if you don't have russet potatoes on hand. Yukon Gold or red potatoes will also work well.
- If you don't have cornstarch, you can use arrowroot starch.
- Use different types of cheese, such as mozzarella or pepper jack, if you don't have cheddar cheese.
Storage Tips
- The best way to serve these fries is immediately after frying, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To reheat the fries, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe
Mashed Potato French Fries
Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- dutch oven
- Strainer
- Potato Masher
- large bowl
- spoon
- Offset spatula
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 3 medium russet potatoes washed peeled, cut, and boiled until fork tender
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Begin by peeling potatoes and cutting them into uniform pieces.
- Boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender, which should take about 15 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and transfer them to a large bowl.
- Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until they are smooth.
- Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cheddar cheese, and cornstarch to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is well incorporated.
- Spread a large sheet of waxed paper on a work surface and place the potato mixture on top.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the mixture into a rectangle that is 8 x 10 inches and about ¾ to 1 inch thick.
- Transfer the potato rectangle to the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Once the potatoes have chilled, heat a Dutch oven with 1 inch of vegetable oil.
- Using a pizza cutter or chef's knife, cut the potato rectangle into even French fries that are ¾ to 1 inch wide.
- Once the oil has reached 325 degrees Fahrenheit, add 3-5 fries to the Dutch oven carefully. Cook the fries and rotate them with tongs if necessary until they are golden brown, which should take about 5-7 minutes per batch.
- Transfer the cooked fries to a paper towel-lined plate and continue until all fries are cooked.
- Enjoy the fries immediately with ketchup or aioli.
Notes
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- You can try using leftover mashed potatoes that you have on hand but you have to make sure the consistency is not too soft and you have to add the cornstarch to ensure a crispy exterior.
- Make sure to cut the fries evenly so that they cook evenly.
- DO NOT cut fries too thin they will be too delicate and break when frying! Alternately, you could place the mashed potatoes in a piping bag, pipe the fries on parchment paper, and freeze them until ready to fry.
- Keep unfried fries in the freezer between batches.
- Always be careful when frying and working with hot oil. Use a thermometer to check the oil temperature to ensure that the fries cook properly.
- Don't overcrowd the Dutch oven when cooking the fries, as this will cause them to cook unevenly.
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Tressa says
I had some leftover mashed potatoes, and making mashed potato french fries was the perfect way to use them. Absolutely genius. Thank you for sharing!
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thanks Tressa! I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe and could use up some leftovers!
Joanne says
Ooooh, I've just started getting comfortable with deep frying. Do you think this would work with sweet potatoes? I loooooooooove sweet potatoes.
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Hey Joanne! I haven't tested sweet potatoes but I don't see why they wouldn't work, just watch the heat and let us know how they turn out!
Karina says
These look so delicious. I can't wait to try them. Might make them with different cheese in the mix.
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thanks Karina! Please let us know about your experiments with different cheeses!
Tiffany says
This is a genius idea. The crispy outside and soft insides are my favorite thing about fries 🤩
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thanks so much Tiffany! Yes me too! The best combination!
Milena says
This is a great way to use mashed potatoes! I can't wait to try them!
Thank you for this recipe.
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thanks so Much Milena! I hope you enjoy!
HD says
These have noooo business being so good! Seriously I'm addicted!
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Yay! Thank you so much HD! We get addicted too. Thank goodness I have 5 guys to share with lol! Happy you enjoyed!
Julie says
So crispy!!! Love the idea this recipe is a first for me and I love it!
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thanks so much Julie! Yes that crunch is irresistible! So happy you enjoyed!
Tina says
Hi. Can you make these in the oven or air fryer instead of deep frying?
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Hi Tina, I haven't tried either of these methods but if you do please let us know how it goes! I hope you enjoy them!
Dannette Woodruff says
I absolutely love them I am hooked for sure. I wish there were more stars then 5. Thanks for sharing
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thank you so much Danette for the great feedback! So happy you enjoyed them!
Kimberly says
Oh my goodness!! The idea of mashed potato French fries has NEVER occurred to me and it is utterly genius - GENIUS!! I'm seriously gawking at the light and airy, crispy texture and still haven't quite wrapped my brain around the fact that I've only just now discovered these!!
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Yay! I'm so glad you found them!!!! They are so good!!! Enjoy!
Deepti Singhal says
These fries look perfectly crispy. My daughter loves potatoes in any form. This recipe is going to be on repeat for us now.
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Thanks Deepti! They are so crispy. I hope you and you daughter enjoy!
Taylor says
My kids LOVED these! We served them with burgers on the grill.
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
So happy to hear Taylor! So happy you all enjoyed!
Grace says
When I tried this recipe, the strips just disintegrated in the simmering oil, leaving a bunch of fried potato fluff. I see that most of the comments say that they will try it, but none saying definitively that they DID try it and it worked well. I was careful to use the proportions you listed. Any ideas where I may have gone wrong? I plan to try two things with the rest of the dough - baking at 400 degrees on a baking sheet and frying in a pan - but deep frying was a no-go.
Charlotte Singh-Dhanraj says
Hi Grace, I'm so sorry that you had trouble with the recipe. Did you follow the tips in the recipe card? Did you keep the fries in the freezer between frying batches and are you sure they weren't too thin. In my recipe testing I found strips that were cut too thin would break apart in the oil. I hope you try the recipe again with those tips and you have a better result. Let us know how they turn out in the oven. I will record a video of my technique soon and hopefully that helps as well. I know it can be frustrating when a recipe doesn't work but I assure you these fries are delicious and worth the labor of love!