In the vast majority of homes around the world, french fries constitute a staple food. They are wonderful, salty, and crunchy, and you can eat them as a main meal or a side dish. When they are cold, though, you might not appreciate them as much. Typically, this occurs when you order leftovers or when the delivery takes too long.
You’ll need to reheat them to resolve this, but it’s not as simple as it seems. When you reheat your fries in this manner, they become soggy, unlike other items that you can just throw in the microwave. Additionally, they lose a significant amount of their original allure, making it challenging for you to finish your meal.
How Exploring Methods for Reheating Fries Started?
The origin of french fries can be traced back to as early as mid 17th century. That means that the issue of how to properly reheat them has boggled the minds of those who love them, for centuries now. Along the way, people have come up with many methods on how to achieve that. However, most of them are not satisfactory as they leave the fries soggy, not crisp enough, cold on the inside, or tasteless.
Luckily, there are some which have proved to be useful in delivering the much-desired results. They include:
Best Methods to Reheat Fries
1. Under the Broiler
If you want your fries crispier and do not mind them getting browned in the process, re-heating using a broiler will work just fine. To use it, you need to:
- Turn the broiler to its lowest setting and preheat it for 5 minutes.
- Place the fries as close to the broiler as possible, using a foil to line the pan and prop them up.
- You should then broil the fries on one side then flip them over to the other side. This should take a total of 4 minutes – 2 minutes for each side.
- Serve your fries
The result is crispy browned, hot French fries. However, if the heat used was too much or you broiled them for too long you may find some fries burned or their ends neared burning. Also, if you took your fries straight out of the fridge to the broiler, the inside parts may still be cold, while the outside parts are well done. It is, therefore, recommended that you first allow your fries to attain room temperature before using the broiler.
2. In the Oven
This is considered among the most effective methods to revitalize your fries. It leaves your fries, hot and crispy – just as good as when fresh. Here’s how to go about it:
- Bring your fries to room temperature
- Turn up the heat in your oven up to 4250F and preheat it for 5 minutes.
- Spread your left-over French fries on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. Alternatively, put them on a layer of crinkled foil and spread them out in a single layer before placing them in the oven. The crinkled foil enables them to become extra crisp.
- Allow the fries to bake for around 10 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and serve
This heating method produces evenly heated fries that are super crisp and crunchy outside and nicely fluffy on the inside. Though this method takes quite some time, the results are so worth it.
3. In the Fryer
When it comes to perfectly reheated fries within a short time, using the air fryer is your go-to method. The kitchen implements fries with a little additional oil. The result? Fries that taste as good as fresh. Here’s how to make use of this gadget:
- Bring your fries to room temperature
- Set the air fryer’s temperature at 3500F and pre-heat it for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the fries in an even layer and let them cook for about 5 minutes
- Remove them and serve
This is our favorite method, given the fact that it takes a short time and produces excellent results. However, the quantity of fries that you reheat at a time is determined by the size of your air fryer. A small one may mean that you have to repeat the process several times which lengthens the overall time taken.
4. Pan-Fried
This is a simple method that will have your French fries ready within 15 minutes. It will, especially, come in handy if you do not have any of the appliances mentioned above. To pan-fry your French fries you need to:
- Bring the fries to room temperature
- Get a medium or large heavy-bottomed pan and heat it over medium heat.
- Pour in 2-3 tablespoons of oils or even more depending on the size of your pan and quantity of leftover French fries.
- Let the oil heat for around 20 seconds then add your fries. Make sure not to crowd your pan. If you have too many fries, you can separate them into batches and heat them in turns.
- Keep flipping them over to ensure they are all evenly heated.
- Serve your fries.
The result is evenly heated crispy fries. However, you may find them to be a little greasy which can be a turn-off. To reduce the grease, drain the fries on a paper-towel-lined plate. Also, compared to the other methods, pan-frying takes quite some time and effort from your end as you have to continuously flip the fries to prevent them from burning.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I reheat my fries more than once?
No! You risk food poisoning. This is because when food is cooled and reheated severally, bacteria have a higher chance of multiplying. Cooling too slowly or reheating insufficiently creates a suitable environment for bacteria to thrive.
For any stored fries that you intend to reheat please note that they should not sit for more than two days in the refrigerator and should be stored in an airtight storage container. Also, any leftovers after reheating the fries should be discarded. In case the stored fries are too many such that you cannot eat them all in one sitting, it is advisable that you only take out and reheat the portion that you can finish and leave the rest refrigerated.
What seasonings can I add when reheating French fries?
Depending on your preference you can add ketchup, mayonnaise, salt, oregano, cracked black pepper, truffle oil, or freshly grated Parmesan cheese. However, you first need to taste your fries to know what to add and the amounts to top up, especially if you had used seasonings when they were still fresh.
Final Thoughts
You can enjoy leftover French fries as much as you would when they are fresh. All you need to do is adopt the correct reheating method that will ensure they are evenly heated and attain the desired crispiness. As mentioned above, our favorite method is using an air fryer. However, if you cannot lay your hands on this gadget, the other methods will also work just fine as long as you follow the recommended reheating procedures.