How Long Do Curly Fries Take To Cook

Photo by James Ransom

Author Notes

Use a spiralizer to make not zucchini noodles but curly fries; these are seasoned to taste like the paprika-flecked ones at Arby's. —Ali Slagle

Test Kitchen Notes

A whole bunch of pantry ingredients and spices come together to make the perfect crispy curly fries. You'll be surprised by how easy they are to make at home, and you'll find yourself going to this recipe any time you want an impressive appetizer or you're hosting some folks for a big game or movie night. It's also great to have another use for your spiralizer—you can use it for more than just zoodles! And it's a lot easier than having to cut the potatoes into similar sized pieces so they all cook evenly. Seriously, a batch of these fries right out of the pot is something you and your guests will never forget.

Russet potatoes are the best, in the developer's opinion, for this type of frying technique—softer varieties won't hold up to the hot oil as well. This recipe calls for a classic spice combination of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and paprika. Of course, you can use whatever mix of spices you'd like, adjusting the heat level and working with what you've got in your spice drawer, as well as incorporating your favorites. There will be endless possibilities when it comes to experimenting with the spice mixture here, and you'll soon find your number one blend, because who couldn't eat more curly fries? Just be sure to drain the potatoes as much as you can after soaking and before frying to get the best texture. And immediately season the fries after coming out of the oil before they're fully dried. —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 5 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

5 russet potatoes
3 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying

Directions

Peel the potatoes, then spiralize on the large noodle blade of the spiralizer machine.
Break up any really long noodles into more of a fry length (or don't), then transfer to a large bowl of boiling water. Let soak for 15 minutes.
In a plastic bag, combine the paprika, 4 teaspoons of the salt, the garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Transfer half of the spice mixture to a small bowl. Add the flour to the bag (you'll coat the potatoes with the spice-flour mixture before and the spice mixture after they're fried).
Drain the potatoes (drain them well!). A handful at a time, gently transfer to the bag and shake gently until coated.
In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 3 inches of the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, fry the potatoes (you don't want to crowd the pan) for about 3 minutes, until the fries are crusty and browned.
Transfer the fries to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of the excess oil. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and more salt. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.

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