The Best Ever Tasty Homemade Cajun Fries (Fried, Baked or Air Fryer) (2024)

These tasty homemade Cajun fries are wonderfully crispy and perfectly seasoned for flavorful fries that everyone will enjoy! They're easy to make at home and are the perfect side for burgers, barbecue, pulled pork, and more!!

Spicy Cajun Fries

My tasty homemade Cajun fries are so much better than any diner or takeout fries! With options to make these crispy delights in a fryer, baked, or air fried you can easily pick your favorite method and delight your family!

The amazing flavor of these hot and perfectly crisped fries is seriously addictive and sure to make them a regular side at BBQs! Serve them up as a satisfying snack any time of the day too!

A copycat version for 5 guys or Popeye's Cajun Fries!

🥘 Ingredients

Making your Cajun fries is a snap and only requires 3 ingredients! If you don't have Cajun seasoning on hand, it's a simple homemade seasoning blend to make!

• Potatoes - I personally use Russet potatoes of all types and varieties (Russet Burbank, Umatilla Russet, and Ranger Russet). Coming from the Northwest, I still love to get hold of Idaho potatoes! Avoid waxy potatoes if possible.
• Cooking Oil - I use peanut oil but you can use almost any vegetable oil that is suitable for frying.
• Cajun Seasoning - Store-bought brands like Tony Chachere's, Zatarain, or Slap Ya Mama. Or you can use my blend, which of course I highly recommend!

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 Instructions

Use the double fry method for getting super crispy fries with a perfect soft-baked potato inside. No matter whether you're deep-frying, oven-baking, or air frying these tasty fries they are worth the effort and every minute of the wait!

Deep Frying or Pan Frying

1. Clean the potatoes. I typically scrub mine with a vegetable brush under cold running water. (***read my notes on soaking fries first***)
2. Cut the potatoes into fries. Start with cutting the potatoes lengthwise in half. Next, lay the halves flat side down and cut lengthwise into ¼ inch strips. Turn and cut each slice into roughly equal size strips about ¼ inch wide.
3. Preheat your cooking oil. In a deep fryer, Dutch oven, or deep, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the frying oil up to 275°F (135°C).
4. First fry. Fry for about 5 minutes, then remove the fries with a slotted spoon and place them onto paper towels. Allow fries to cool for a few minutes.
5. Increase the frying oil heat. Bring up the temperature of the oil to 350°F (175°C).
6. Second fry (double fry). Once the oil is fully heated, add the fries back in and continue to fry for another 5 minutes or until the fries are a nice golden brown. Remove the cooked fries from your fryer oil and place them onto a paper towel-lined baking sheet (or use brown paper bags) to soak up the excess oil.
7. Toss with seasoning. Transfer the cooked fries into a large bowl and add the Cajun seasoning. Gently toss the fries until well-coated.
8. Taste and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning and salt, then serve immediately.

Oven Instructions

1. Prepare the potatoes. Follow the directions above for the preparation of the potatoes.
2. Toss with oil and seasoning. In a mixing bowl combine the cut raw potatoes, drizzle peanut oil over, and toss. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning over the potatoes and toss again to coat thoroughly.
3. Preheat the oven and transfer the fries. Spread the seasoned potatoes evenly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
4. Bake until golden. Bake for 18-20 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip the fries. Increase the temperature to 425°F (220°C). Bake for 20-25 minutes more until golden brown and tender on the inside.
5. Taste and serve. Taste and adjust the seasoning and salt, then serve immediately.

Air Fryer Instructions

1. Prepare the potatoes. Follow the directions above for preparing the potatoes.
2. Coat with oil and seasoning. Drizzle the cut raw fries with peanut oil in a large mixing bowl. Add the Cajun seasoning and toss to coat evenly.
3. Air fry the potatoes. Place the potatoes in your air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 400°F (205°C) for 14-15 minutes, flipping the fries at the halfway point in cooking (7-8 minutes).
4. Check doneness and serve. When your desired level of crispiness is achieved, taste and adjust the seasoning and salt, then serve immediately.

Serve these spicy Cajun fries with my amazing easy cajun seafood boil recipe!

💭 Tips & Notes

• (Optional but recommended) For extra crispy fries soak the potatoes to remove some of the starch and help avoid oxidation. Place the washed and cut potatoes (cut fries) in a bowl and cover with water. Soak them for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator (up to 24 hours overnight). When you're ready to cook the fries, you will need to drain all the water and put the fries on a baking sheet or flat surface lined with paper towels. ***Pat dry and remove all excess water before frying!
• Try and cut your potatoes very close to even sizes. This is super important when frying so the fries will cook at about the same rate.
• If you have any brown paper bags, they work really well for soaking up the excess oil.
• For this double-fry method, the best way to tell if you have gotten the first fry right is to check the texture of your fries. Once the first few fries have been removed from the oil, allow them to cool enough that you can test the texture. They should be tender and soft on the inside - like a baked potato.
• Work in batches if your fryer or air fryer is not big enough to fry all of your Cajun fries at once.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Fries tend to get soggy during refrigeration, so hopefully, you don't have any leftovers! If you do need to store your fries, wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.

Your Cajun fries are best used within the first 1-2 days of refrigerating.

Reheating Cajun Fries

If you have an air fryer, that is the best way to reheat your Cajun fries. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (205°C) and cook the fries for 2-3 minutes, toss and return to the air fryer for another 1-2 minutes.

To reheat your fries in the oven, preheat the oven to 450°F (235°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the fries in a single layer on your baking sheet then cook for about 10-13 minutes, or until warmed to your satisfaction.

🍔 Burgers & Sandwiches To Serve With

• Venison Burgers
• Pinwheel Sandwiches
• Mushroom Swiss Burger
• Tuna Melt Sandwich
• Frozen Hamburgers In The Oven
• Air Fryer Frozen Burgers

📖 Recipe Card

More Side Dishes