Lemon Pepper Fries Recipe
Make Lemon Pepper Fries Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Fries
Lemon-Pepper Seasoning
Method
Fries
- 1
Prepare potatoes
Wash and peel the potatoes if desired (leaving skin on is fine). Cut each potato into even 1/4- to 1/3-inch sticks so they cook uniformly.
- 2
Soak
Place cut fries in a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to remove excess starch. This yields crisper fries.
- 3
Dry
Drain the potatoes and spread them on clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Pat thoroughly dry — moisture will prevent crisping.
- 4
Lightly coat with cornstarch and oil
Return dried fries to a large bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon cornstarch over them and toss to coat evenly. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss until each fry is lightly coated.
- 5
Season lightly
Toss the oiled fries with 1 teaspoon fine sea salt so they are seasoned before cooking.
- 6
Bake or air-fry
Option A — Oven: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange fries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving space between pieces. Bake 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and crisp. Option B — Air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Place fries in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and air-fry 12–18 minutes, shaking or turning halfway, until crisp and browned.
Lemon-Pepper Seasoning
- 7
Make seasoning
While fries cook, combine 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 tablespoon parsley, and (if using) 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning in a small bowl. Stir to combine. If using parmesan, add 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan to the mixture and stir; it will help the seasoning cling to fries.
- 8
Finish fries with seasoning
When fries are just out of the oven or air fryer and still hot, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Immediately drizzle the lemon juice from the seasoning mixture over the fries and toss quickly so juice distributes. Sprinkle the lemon zest, black pepper, garlic, parsley and (if using) parmesan over the fries and toss gently to coat each fry. Taste and adjust: sprinkle up to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt evenly if needed.
- 9