Parmesan Garlic French Fries are the perfect cheesy, garlicky snack, lunch, or side dish. Bake homemade or store-bought frozen fries with minced garlic and top them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, sliced green onions, and cracked black pepper. These garlic Parmesan fries are easy to make and perfect for game-day dipping! Try my gochujang aioli on the side.
Okay, let's play a game. Imagine this – a plate of french fries, stacked high, crispy on the outside, hot and fluffy on the inside. Imagine freshly shredded Parmesan cheese melting on top, a nice bite of fresh garlic and sliced green onions, and crunchy cracked salt and pepper on top.
Does it get much better than that? Than hot, crispy, cheesy, garlicky fries? This is a top-tier recipe for all those flavourful reasons but also because sometimes the best recipes have the shortest ingredients list. Simple is good.
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You only need FOUR ingredients for this garlic fries recipe (plus salt and pepper - the usual suspects).
ALSO, you can make these Parmesan garlic fries with frozen fries. Isn't that the best?
If you don't want to use store-bought french fries as a shortcut, you can also make your own from scratch which I'll give instructions for because I love making things from scratch.
PLUS, these fries are baked not fried. Easy peasy, hands-off cooking. But, I like to give options so you can deep fry your fries if you want to or you can go for air fryer french fries if you have an air fryer.
I love this recipe - I love a good loaded french fry dish - maybe it's the Canadian in me... Poutine anyone?
If you want to try more loaded fries, the Greek in me invites you to try my Greek Fries with Tzatziki sauce, the Scottish in me encourages this British Inspired Fries with Curry sauce recipe, and just for fun, I say give this Indian-inspired Butter Chicken poutine a go for something different and delicious!
(Yes I got my 23 and Me done recently, why do you ask?)
What are parmesan garlic fries made of?
Parmesan garlic fries are made by baking either homemade or frozen french fries with garlic and then topping the hot fries with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
About the ingredients for this recipe. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- potatoes: use your favorite frozen fries or use either Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes to make homemade fries (Instructions for both are below).
- garlic: I use fresh garlic and mince it really small with a Microplane - I use this thing to grate everything from garlic to nutmeg to Parmesan cheese! I don't use garlic powder because I like the bite of fresh garlic, but feel fry to try that instead.
- cheese: for this recipe, because there are only a few ingredients I prefer to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese (except when I HAVE to shoot photos for this and ran out of fresh Parmesan and had to use bagged) Use whatever you prefer in your kitchen! But freshly grated Parmesan cheese is nice and fluffy and will melt beautifully onto your fries - the bagged stuff, not so much.
Substitutions
✔ This recipe is vegetarian
> What can I substitute for Parmesan cheese? If you don't have Parmesan cheese you can substitute Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, or Manchego. Use white cheddar or mozzarella for something different!
> What kind of potato can you use for Parmesan Garlic Fries? You can use any type of frozen french fry that you want and either oven-bake them, air fry them, or deep fry them. You can make homemade fries following the instructions in this post - Russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes have the best texture for homemade fries. Try baked sweet potato fries for something different!
> Is fresh garlic too spicy for you? Try garlic powder instead.
Equipment
You don't need special equipment for this recipe, just a baking sheet and a large bowl for tossing the ingredients together. A cheese grater is handy for the cheese and you can finely mince the garlic with a knife.
But! I prefer to use a Microplane for both my garlic and cheese because it minces and grates very finely! It'll help take the sting out of the garlic, and turn a block of Parmesan cheese into a light and fluffy cheese mountain.
(Note: in these photos, I had to use bagged cheese, a last-minute oversight! Fresh is better, but this was fine.)
How to Make Parmesan Garlic French Fries
Prep Tips
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) for homemade fries or according to package instructions for frozen fries.
- Soak homemade fries in cold water for 30 minutes.
I'll show you how to make these garlic parmesan fries with frozen fries and with homemade fries. See below for step-by-step instructions and photos using frozen fries.
Jump to instructions on how to use homemade fries for this recipe and how to make air fryer garlic fries.
Place the frozen fries in a bowl and use a Microplane to grate garlic on top.
Season with fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt.
Drizzle with oil to help the garlic, salt, and pepper stick and for crispy fries. Fat delivers flavor!
Spread the fries on a baking sheet and bake according to your package instructions.
Toss the baked fries into a large bowl.
Add the cheese on top.
Add the fresh parsley, cilantro, or sliced green onions and toss them together.
Plate the fries with your favorite dip or sides!
Using homemade fries
- Cut potatoes into french fry shapes or wedges*.
- Soak potatoes in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Place the fries in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle oil over and shake. Place in a single layer on a sheet pan.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25 minutes.
- Grate garlic onto the fries and toss.
- Bake another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Move fries to a bowl and add cheese and green onions. Toss.
- Crack over more salt and pepper if needed and serve.
RECIPE TIP: Wedges and thicker cut fries take longer to cook. Thinner fries are the quickest! Make sure to keep an eye on your fries while they cook.
Making air fryer garlic fries
A lot of packages now include air fryer times on them, so you can cook the fries according to the package instructions.
I have a Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer and it cooks frozen fries really fast, like in 10 minutes!
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes.
- Toss fries with salt and pepper.
- Add fries to the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes.
- Add fresh minced garlic and toss fries in a bowl.
- Cook for another 2-4 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add fries to a bowl and toss with cheese and green onions.
- Season and serve.
RECIPE TIP: All ovens and air fryers cook differently. It seems like no two are alike! I try to give you times that will help guide your cooking process but for this recipe, you really need to know your appliance and keep an eye on the fries while they are cooking.
How to serve garlic fries
I like to serve these fries as a side or for lunch and I usually pair them with a dip, because I'm a dip lover. For these fries ketchup is fine but my Ranch Dressing is perfection. This combo is the best!
What to serve with garlic fries
You can serve these fries for lunch or as an appetizer with small dipping bowls of Gochujang Aioli or Ranch Dressing or as a side dish with dinner.
For a vegetarian dinner, I'd serve these garlic fries with my Green Goddess Halloumi Burgers or Oyster Mushrooms Po'boys, but they'd be just as good beside my Diner Style Veggie Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
These fries would also pair perfectly with my Crispy Chicken Wraps or my Crispy Chicken Burger recipe or with a Pizza Quesadilla!
For a snacky spread of sides, I'd serve Garlic Fries with Cauliflower Bites, Baked Parmesan Portobello Fries, and a Southwest Corn Salad.
Visit my dinner category for more recipes!
Storage
Make these fries as needed, leftover french fries don't reheat well.
Tips + FAQs
Try another cheese like Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, or Manchego.
Try using garlic powder instead.
More loaded fries recipes
Nothing beats french fries loaded up with delicious toppings. Except for maybe pizza. Or pasta. Or loaded toast.
- Pizza Fries - quick + easy, customizable
- Loaded Taco Fries - like a taco, but on fries
- Fries with Curry Sauce - inspired by British chips + curry
- Palak Paneer Loaded Fries - a palak paneer-inspired sauce on top of fries
- Greek Fries with Tzatziki Sauce - fries with a fresh Greek-style salsa and Tzatziki sauce for dipping
- Loaded Chili Fries - chili. on fries. with cheese. yum.
Recipe
Parmesan Garlic French Fries
Equipment
- Microplane optional
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen fries (or 3 russet potatoes)
- 3 cloves garlic (grated with a Microplane)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 3 green onions (sliced)
- salt and pepper (freshly cracked black pepper)
Instructions
For Frozen Fries
- Place frozen fries in a bowl and grate garlic in. Season with salt and pepper, and add olive oil. Toss to mix.
- Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake according to package instructions.
- Add fries back to a bowl and add cheese and green onions. Toss to mix.
- Serve fries while hot.
For Homemade Fries
- Cut the potatoes into french fries shapes. Soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
- Place the fries in a bowl and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix.
- Place fries on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 400°F (200°F) for 25 minutes.
- Move fries to a bowl and add fresh minced garlic. Toss to mix.
- Bake for 15-20 more minutes.
- Place fries back in a bowl and add cheese and green onions. Toss to mix.
- Serve fries while hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
Originally published Published May 15, 2019, re-published on December 31, 2022, with new photos, a video, and nutrition information.
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