These crispy Cajun fries are cut straight from the Idaho potato, then rested in a pool of iced water, and fried up into golden perfection! If you want an easy weeknight meal, look no further I have you covered. I paired this meal with some of my buttermilk-fried chicken. I was like a kid in the candy store when these Cajun fries came out of the oil!
If you have ever had Popeyes Cajun fries, then you would have some sort of an idea as to what Cajun fries are. French fries are usually fried in grease or peanut oil, vegetable oil, or even avocado oil. Some people also choose to bake or air fry. Once you have your French fries fried or baked to perfection, sprinkle a generous amount of Cajun seasoning over the fries. That is it. This is where the name Cajun fries came from!
That’s a good question that I know many people will wonder when cooking homemade French fries. There are so many options, but I always go for Idaho potatoes. They absorb less oil which is perfect simply because this will make for a crispier potato. Another reason I use Idaho potatoes is my favorite! They hold their shape a lot better than other potatoes.
You guys are going to love this one. The ingredient in this recipe is kept to a minimum, and there isn’t a lot of clean-up involved, which is always a good thing. The list of ingredients is as follows:
Idaho potatoes
Water
Ice
Cajun seasoning
Vegetable Oil
If you are looking for a simple ingredient. Look no further, my friends, because I got your back.
I want to first start by saying that I personally just use Cajun seasoning, which comes all packed up in a bottle by itself. I save time that way and your money, simply because I use Cajun seasoning often. So me mixing up all of my ingredients may not be the most cost-effective. You can also make this seasoning from scratch. So, you first want to add paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, oregano, cayenne pepper, and thyme to a bowl and mix well. There you have it. Cajun seasoning.
I know that soaking potatoes may seem a little bit strange, huh? Just give me a chance to explain myself, folks. When you soak potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes, you will remove any excess starch from the potatoes. This is super important to do. Soaking them helps them to cook better. The sticky/starchy residue causes potatoes not to cook evenly, making them a sticky texture. I can’t have my folks eating those but don’t worry, I've got your back! I also would like to mention that soaking potatoes isn’t the only method for getting all that starch off. You can boil them in hot water as well. I have never tried that method.
Firstly, we will gather our simple ingredients (Idaho potatoes, vegetable oil, ice, water, and Cajun seasoning. Once you have those together. We are going to begin cutting our potatoes into french fries. In addition, if you are like me, I didn’t know how to cut homemade french fries when I started. So, I used my handy YouTube. Once you have the fries cut, you want to let them soak in a bowl of ice water.
Now, we are on our way to making the perfect five guys Cajun fries!! So, you want to take the fries out of the water and dry any excess water off.
To a pan with oil on medium-high, add in your fries, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Alright, guys, now we are going to take them out of that hot grease and sit them to the side. Allow them to rest for about 5 minutes, then place them back in the hot grease. (Turn the grease to low during the 5-minute resting period).
Once they are done, place them back in the grease until they become golden. Lastly, generously season with Cajun 2 step seasoning or any other seasoning. I’m telling you that these Cajun fries taste just like boardwalk fries!
A video for this recipe is here. I hope this helps.
There you have it, folks. If you enjoyed this french fry recipe, you should try my Cajun lobster tails!
Well, until next time.
August 1, 2022