Favorite Baked Lemon Pepper Fries

These lemon pepper russet potato fries are amazingly delicious! Soft on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside, this recipe is a favorite. Plus, they're quick and easy to make, making them the perfect side dish for any meal.

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I'm a huge fan of easy vegetarian recipes so this side dish/appetizer was a no brainer for me to replicate.

If you try this lemon pepper fries recipe and love it, you should definitely try some of my other side dish recipes, especially these easy air fryer home fries!

Lemon pepper inspiration

I cannot take full credit for the idea behind these wonderfully flavorful lemon pepper fries.

My cousin Rita lives in a neighborhood called Gastown in Vancouver B.C. that is full of fun bars and restaurants. It was at one of her favorite bars where I discovered this fun spin on russet potato fries.

The last time I went to visit her she took me to the spot she'd been raving about (all weekend) solely because of their lemon pepper fries.

So we went, and the fries were... worth the hype.

They had this incredible combination of spicy and sour that complimented the crunchy fries so well.

So Rita and I were equally obsessed. The problem?

It proved to be a little difficult to replicate the lemon flavor they created.

It's definitely not the flavor you would get if you simply squeezed a lemon over fries. It was baked into them. But I can finally say after years of recipe testing... I bring to you (and my cousin Rita)... my recipe for lemon pepper fries!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make the fries:

• russet potatoes
• lemon pepper
• salt
• olive oil or ghee 
• minced parsley for garnish
• lemon (or lemon zest) for garnish 

See recipe card below for exact quantities needed.

Let's take a minute to talk about this lemon pepper seasoning. I really hate to be the food blogger who tells you to buy a specific product for any given recipe. That said, I tried all kinds of alternatives to not have to use this, and nothing beats it.

So if you've got a Trader Joe's nearby, definitely skip the wasteful online purchase and go grab it there.

Ghee isn't exactly a pantry staple for everyone either so I totally get if you opt for olive oil on this one. However, with ghee's high smoke point and magical vegetable cooking abilities, it's definitely a great option if you can find it.

How to make them

Making russet potato fries in the oven is pretty fun because unlike a deep fryer, you can throw them in, set a timer, and chill for a bit.

You'll want to start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Next, slice your potatoes into thin, evenly cut strips. It's totally up to you whether you choose to peel your potatoes or not.

Next, season your fries generously with lemon pepper seasoning, salt and ⅔ of your olive oil. Really take the time here to give your fries a rub down as this will help evenly distribute the lemon pepper seasoning and coat everything with oil.

From there, it's time to arrange everything directly on your sheet pan. Bake them for 20 minutes (this is your time to chill or make other components of your meal).

Once the time is up, pull your pan out of the oven and toss with a spatula, making sure every fry flips. If the fries are not moving without breaking, they aren't ready yet. If this is the case for you, throw them back in the oven and check again every 2 minutes until they are ready to flip.

Once they've been flipped, drizzle with remaining oil and bake for another 10 minutes. Garnish with minced parsley and lemon zest and serve with ketchup! 

Best potatoes for French fries

While I've definitely made my fair share of oven baked fries using Yukon gold potatoes, I'm here to tell you that russet potatoes are the way to go.

Pretty much any fry will turn out delicious when it's made in a deep fryer. But when it comes to baking them in the oven, the length and overall durability of a russet potato is unbeatable.

Happy baking!

Salima

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