Smoked French Fries

Smoked french fries! While it requires a little time and effort before actually frying them, smoking fries takes them to a whole new level !

Originally Posted September 30, 2015. Updated 1/13/2021

Smoked French Fries: Because sometimes, laziness is the mother of invention.

A couple weeks ago, I was deep frying something for Hedonistic Hops - wings, if I recall correctly.

The recipe shoot was doubling as supper, and we hadn't really planned on a side, outside of a couple artistically placed celery sticks.

We did have some leftover smoked potatoes in the fridge, however. I didn't feel like pan frying them as hashbrowns - how I normally serve smoked potatoes - so I sliced them up into makeshift fries and deep fried them.

Deep Fried Version

Holy. Mother. Of. God.

I'm not even as much into smoked foods as my husband is, and these were AMAZING. Definitely some of the best fries I've ever had!

The smoke flavour was retained even after deep frying - without being overpowering - and they had an amazing texture. Tons of character!

So, we HAD to actually do up a recipe for them.

Update: Since first posting this recipe, air fryers have become *a thing*, so we’ve updated with directions for frying them that way, also!

Air Fryer Version

Smoking French Fries

The finer details of how you smoke these are going to depend on your make/model of smoker, so definitely look to you smoker’s handbook if anything here doesn’t look right to you.

In general, get your smoker going and the smoke... stabilized? Is there a better term for that?

You don’t want to put the fries in during the initial strong white smoke, you want the lower intensity, almost wispy smoke for this. Heavy white smoke tends to cause a lot of soot, in our experience.

Sooty fries are no fun. Definitely recommend avoiding that!

The smoking process cooks the fries to some degree, but most of that will actually come during the frying. The main purpose of the smoking is to infuse it with a ton of flavour!

Deep fried version

Deep fried vs Air Fried Smoked Fries

While an air fryer can produce incredibly similar results to deep frying, in a lot of cases... These smoked French fries come out *wildly* different between the two techniques.

I wouldn’t even say one is better than the other, they’re just very different.

Deep frying your smoked fries will produce French fries like you’re used to, but smoky in flavour.

Air frying your smoked french fries ends up with a sort of leathery exterior. It can be blistery and separated from the bulk of the fry, inside.

Super tasty and a lot of fun, just definitely a bit of a different texture. It feels more like a *smoked food* when done in the air fryer, if that makes sense.

Think about the difference between pan fried and smoked, when it comes to things like ... Kielbasa or chicken breasts. Same sort of deal here, when using the air fryer.

Air fried version

Air Fryer Smoked Fries

As I mentioned in my Honey Jeow Glazed Wings post, we bought an air fryer back when the shelter-at-home thing started up. It seemed like a fun way to make some of the frozen foods that we bought - just in case - more palatable.

AND WE LOVED IT.

The Instant Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer, 6 Quart by Instant Pot is the Air Fryer we purchased, and we love it. If I had my time back, I may have ordered this one - a size bigger - but we had no idea how much we'd use it, so we weren't really willing to pay more or sacrifice more counter space for it!

Air Fryer Version

How to make Smoked French Fries

Wash potatoes, slice into your choice of shape – regular fries, steak cut, wedges, disks … whatever.

Soak fries in cold water for 1 hour, to remove some of the starch.

Once the hour is up, arrange wet fries on smoker racks, allowing a little bit of space between each fry.

Smoke – following your smoker’s directions – for 1 hour at 225F **. Allow to cool to room temperature, before frying.

Deep Fried Version

Heat fryer oil to 360 degrees F

In small batches, cook fries for 10 minutes. This will NOT brown them, merely cook them. As each batch comes out, put aside.

Once all fries are par-cooked / blanched, turn the heat up to 375, and allow oil to reach temperature. In small batches, re-fry the potatoes until browned and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per batch.

Yes, it seems a little involved – but this is how to get fries that are cooked all the way through, and crispy on the outside!

Remove to paper towels to drain a little, season with salt, and serve immediately.

Deep Fried Version

Air Fryer Version

Heat air fryer to 375 degrees F, toss fries with a bit of oil - about 1 tablespoon per large potato used - and season with a bit of salt.

In small batches and in single layers, air fry your fries for about 8 minutes or so (will depend on the thickness of your fries), giving them a good shake about ⅔ of the way through the cooking time.

Also, be sure to leave a little space around each fry, so they can crisp up all around.

Once fries are done to your liking, season with salt and serve immediately.

Air Fried Version

Air fried version

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4.88 from 8 votes

Smoked French Fries

Smoked french fries! While it requires a little time and effort before actually frying them, smoking fries takes them to a whole new level - worth the effort!

While we call for 4 lbs of potatoes - for the sake of nutritional info - just make as much or as little as you want. Nothing changes except the amount of potatoes.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Soaking and Smoking Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 358kcal

Author: Marie Porter

Cost: $15

Equipment

• Smoker or Grill
• Deep Fryer
• or
• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 4 lbs Russet Potatoes*
• Wood Chips of Choice
• Salt
• Frying Oil

Instructions

• Wash potatoes, slice into your choice of shape – regular fries, steak cut, wedges, disks … whatever.
• Soak fries in cold water for 1 hour, to remove some of the starch.
• Once the hour is up, arrange wet fries on smoker racks, allowing a little bit of space between each fry.
• Smoke – following your smoker’s directions – for 1 hour at 225F **. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Deep Fried Version

• Heat fryer oil to 360 degrees F
• In small batches, cook fries for 10 minutes. This will NOT brown them, merely cook them. As each batch comes out, put aside.
• Once all fries are par-cooked / blanched, turn the heat up to 375, and allow oil to reach temperature. In small batches, re-fry the potatoes until browned and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per batch.
• Yes, it seems a little involved – but this is how to get fries that are cooked all the way through, and crispy on the outside!
• Remove to paper towels to drain a little, season with salt, and serve immediately.

Air Fryer Version

• Heat air fryer to 375 degrees F, toss fries with a bit of oil - about 1 tablespoon per large potato used - and season with a bit of salt.
• In small batches and in single layers, air fry your fries for about 8 minutes or so (will depend on the thickness of your fries). Be sure to leave a little space around each fry, so they can crisp up all around.
• Once fries are done to your liking, season with salt and serve immediately.

Notes

* Make more than you think you’ll need. You can use any type of potato for this – even sweet potatoes. Russets are most popular for traditional fries.

** This can also be done on a charcoal grill. Use indirect heat, watch the temperature carefully.

Note: Nutritional information doesn't include the fat from frying, as that will vary wildly based on the potatoes and which fry method you use.

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 1891mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 4mg

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