The Best Way to Reheat Leftover French Fries (2024)

FAQs

The Best Way to Reheat Leftover French Fries? ›

Reheating Method: Pan-Fried

Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

In much the same way, putting fried food on a cooling rack means the excess oil will drip off, but there's enough air circulating underneath the food that the bottoms don't get soggy.

In short, you can reheat your leftovers more than once, but they might not taste as good or have the original texture.

The best way to reheat French fries is to line a baking sheet/pan with aluminum foil, spray the foil lightly with cooking oil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, then pop the pan into the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes — or just enough to heat the fries through and crisp them up a bit.

Reheating Instructions

Fries / Tots / Brussels: Heat oven to 350F. Spray or lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Remove your side from its container and spread evenly across a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes and remove.

bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40°F - 140°F. In general, cooked fries should be discarded after two hours if left at room temperature. A sealed container with fries will certainly accelerate the temperature and humidity that fuels bacteria growth, so figure even less time for safe consumption.

The idea is simple and doesn't require a deep-fry, or really even that much oil: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat; pour in a few tablespoons of oil; add your sad fries; cook, flipping once; and have happy fries again!

Blanching. Another restaurant trick is to blanch the fries in water, then freeze them, which allows more of the potato's moisture to escape, thus producing a crispier fry.

Instead, the best way to reheat French fries is in the oven at a high temperature. This will ensure that the outside gets as crispy as can be while the inside stays light and fluffy. But if you do happen to own an air fryer, you can use that, too! It works just as well.

Do McDonald's fries reheat well? ›

Heating McDonald's fries on the stovetop is quick and easy, resulting in crisp, beautifully golden fries that taste like they're fresh from the fryer. This is because, well, you're frying them all over again.

Theory #1: "The first fry gets the outside to create a water tight barrier. That way, when you fry them the second time, they stay moist." Or, Theory #2: "The first fry cooks them through to the center—if you skipped that step, your fries would brown on the outside, but still be raw in the middle."

A convection oven or a regular oven with a convection oven are your best choices, since they let you spread out your fries in a single layer. Set your oven to around 400 F, with the convection fan on, and heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until hot and crispy. You might need to flip the fries once during heating.

Day-old fries get new life. Whisked eggs get poured over the fries. Simply throw them into a non-stick pan with some oil to warm them again, adding some scallions along the way. Pour in six eggs that have been whisked with salt, pepper, and a splash of oil, then turn the heat to low, and be patient.

The issue lies specifically in the potato itself, explains Live Science. Potatoes are full of starch, and when the starch is hydrated, it fluffs up. When it's dehydrated, they get grainy and soggy. The problem with reheating french fries, then, isn't about heat — it's about moisture.

While most fried foods don't taste nearly as good reheated as fresh, they still don't taste nearly as bad as fries. The issue lies specifically in the potato itself, explains Live Science. Potatoes are full of starch, and when the starch is hydrated, it fluffs up. When it's dehydrated, they get grainy and soggy.

Preventing steam-induced sogginess: For parties or picnics, let your fried foods cool in a single layer to prevent steam from compromising their crispness. Reheating without sacrificing texture: When reheating already crispy food, avoid the microwave. Instead, set your oven to 400 degrees and heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Wrap in Paper: Line the bottom of the container or bag with parchment paper or unbleached paper towels. This helps absorb excess moisture and prevents the fries from sticking to the container, maintaining their crispness.