Baked Greek Fries are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and an absolute explosion of flavor from salty feta cheese, bright lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. Perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or even as a meal on their own!
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These Greek style fries are phenomenal. Not only do they remind me of our trip to Greece, they’re also a copycat version of the fries we used to get at Opa!, one of our favorite restaurants in the Bay Area.
It took a little tweaking at home, and I baked them instead of frying because, well, I can at least pretend to try to make healthier choices every now and then, but these are super close to those wonderful Opa! fries.
The feta melts just a little bit, the lemon juice brightens things up, and the fresh garlic and herbs bring the whole thing home for a fantastic side dish with marinated chicken or Greek meatballs.
Serve them as is or with a creamy tzatziki sauce or mustard sauce for dipping.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Potatoes – We typically use Russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes for our Greek fries because we like the flavor and texture best.
- Oil – Olive oil or vegetable oil are both good choices for crispy homemade Greek fries.
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Lemon
- Garlic cloves – While I like the extra punch of the raw garlic on these, you could totally use some roasted garlic instead if you want a more mellow garlic flavor.
- Dried oregano – You can use fresh if you happen to have it in your garden or on your windowsill, but there’s no need to go out and buy it!
- Fresh parsley
- Feta cheese crumbles
How Do You Get Crispy Fries in the Oven?
You are totally welcome to make homemade French fries by frying them in oil if that works for you. But if you haven’t tried doing fries in the oven before, here are some pointers for oven-baked fries that are crispy on the outside and soft inside:
1. Use a Hot Pan
A common problem when roasting potatoes in the oven is that they have a tendency to stick to the pan and fall apart when you flip or serve them. Preheating the pan with a few tablespoons of the oil helps make it so the potatoes don’t stick and they develop a nice, crispy crust on the cut side that is laying directly against the pan.
2. Don’t Crowd the Pan
Leave a little space between the potatoes or use 2 separate pans if possible. Definitely only cook the fries in a single layer. This will help them cook evenly and get a little more crispy.
3. Cut Your Fries to Be the Same Size
If some of your fries are thicker than others, they are going to take longer to cook through and you will end up either overcooking the smaller fries or undercooking the larger fries. Using a mandoline or a fry cutter can really help with this, but if you have the knife skills, then by all means, go ahead and slice your fries with a large knife. And you can leave the skin on if you like, which I definitely do, or peel them if that’s what you prefer.
4. Soak Your Fries
After cutting your fries, let them soak in a large bowl full of cold water for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour, so some of the starch can leech out of the potatoes. I try to do this whether I am baking fries or frying them in oil. After they have soaked, be sure to dry them well on a paper towel so they don’t steam in the oven. This process of soaking and drying your cut fries will help the potatoes get crispier.
5. Leave Them Alone
Handle the fries as little as possible. No need to flip them over and over. Just once, halfway through the cooking time, will do the trick. More than that and the potatoes will start to fall apart and won’t be able to develop the nice, crispy, crusty brown exterior that makes them so, so delectable.
How to Make Baked Greek Feta Fries
Get ready for the most flavorful fries you’ve ever had! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Cut and soak the potatoes. Wash the potatoes and slice them in half lengthwise, then slice again, and again, as needed to create even sizes. Place the potatoes in a large bowl of ice water for 30 to 60 minutes, then drain and pat dry the cut potatoes with paper towels.
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven to get hot. Drizzle the potato slices with the remaining olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Bake. Remove the hot pan from the oven just before the oil starts smoking. Arrange the fries in a single layer, then return the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning the fries at the 20 minute mark so they get crispy on both sides.
Finish. When the fries are soft on the inside and brown and crispy on the outside, remove them from the oven and place them on a serving plate. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon over them, then sprinkle oregano, garlic, parsley, and feta over the top.
Serve. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for serving. Taste and add more salt if needed, then serve immediately, family-style.
Tips for Success
Greek Feta Fries are easy to make, but these simple tips will help make sure they turn out perfect!
- Don’t skip the soaking. Russets are a starchy potato, so they really benefit from that time in the ice water to get some of the excess starch out.
- Take the time to dry the potatoes, too. If there’s water dripping off of them, it will create oil spatters when you put them onto the hot sheet pan.
- Coat them evenly. It’s fun to have a pile of seasonings on top, but you also want to make sure the bottom layer of fries is just as flavorful! You can add half of the seasonings, gently toss the fries on the serving plate to coat them, then add the rest.
Serving Suggestions
Round out your Greek-inspired feast by trying our Baked Greek Feta Meatballs, Greek Marinade, Greek Tzatziki Sauce, and Greek Baklava. You can go wrong with pairing your Baked Greek Feta Fries with a Juicy Grilled Turkey Burgers and a Greek salad either!
Variations and Substitutions
- Add lemon zest. If you want even more bright lemon flavor, consider zesting the lemon before juicing it and sprinkling the lemon zest over the fries as well.
- Sprinkle with Greek seasoning or use fresh Greek herbs for even more flavor.
- Add some chopped red onion. If the red onions are too strong, try soaking the chopped onion in cold water for 10 minutes before draining and sprinkling over the fries for some extra kick.
- Sweet potatoes. You can make these Greek fries using sweet potatoes, even if it’s not traditional. We love sweet potato fries though and they taste fantastic with all the same herbs, garlic, and cheese.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
These Baked Greek Feta Fries are best enjoyed fresh and hot out of the oven. However, if you happen to have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two.
To reheat, simply place them on a baking sheet and heat in a 400ºF oven or air fryer for 5-10 minutes until they’re warmed through. They will not be as crispy as they were when they were first made, but they will still be delicious.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
No, this isn’t a recipe that freezes well. If you’re looking for a freezer-friendly side dish that can be made in advance, try my Corn Fritters.
FAQ’S
A block of feta is a solid piece, while crumbled feta is, well, crumbled. So, basically, it’s the same thing, in different forms. You can crumble your own feta by breaking it up with a fork or you can buy it already crumbled, which is what I do because that’s how we usually use it.
More Appetizer Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Baked Greek Feta Meatballs
- Patacones or Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
- Oven Roasted Barbecue Potato Wedges
Side Dish
Greek Pasta Salad
Marinades & Rubs
Traditional Greek Marinade
Appetizers
Easy Greek 7 Layer Dip
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Baked Greek Feta Fries
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet potatoes
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- Kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lemon
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Wash potatoes well and slice in half lengthwise leaving the skin on, then slice again, and again as needed to create evenly-sized fries. It is important that the fries be similar to each other in size and thickness so that they cook evenly.4 large Russet potatoes
- Place sliced potatoes in a large bowl of ice water and allow to soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour, which will help some of the excess starch to leech out of the fries. Drain well and pat completely dry on paper towels. This process of soaking and drying will help the potatoes crisp better in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil onto a baking sheet and place in the oven to get hot. While the pan and oil are heating, drizzle the dried potato slices with the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.6 Tablespoons olive oil, Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Remove hot pan from the oven just before the oil starts smoking and carefully arrange the fries in a single layer. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, turning the fries with a metal spatula once at the 20 minute mark.
- Once the fries are soft on the inside and crispy and browned on the outside, remove from oven and pile onto a serving plate. Drizzle with the juice of ½ of the lemon, then sprinkle with the oregano, garlic, parsley (if desired) and feta cheese. Slice the remaining ½ of the lemon into wedges and use them to garnish the serving plate. Adjust salt if necessary, but remember that the feta itself is quite salty so in all likelihood you won't need to add any salt.1 lemon, 5 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, ½ cup feta cheese
- Serve immediately, family style.
Notes
- If you happen to have fresh oregano, you can use 1 tablespoon of fresh in place of the teaspoon of the dried oregano that the recipe calls for.
- Storage: These Baked Greek Feta Fries are best enjoyed fresh and hot out of the oven. However, if you happen to have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two. To reheat, simply place them on a baking sheet and heat in a 400ºF oven until they’re warmed through. They will not be as crispy as they were when they were first made, but they will still be delicious.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in October, 2016. The photos and content were updated in July, 2022.
These were delicious! The whole family devoured them, kids included.
Beware… make sure the hot oil does not leak in your oven! If it does be prepared to have a baked in oil fried mess in your oven. I’m not my mother in law’s favorite person right now, because it was her over that I’ve now caused a huge mess in. I’m not a novice cook but I should have known better. The fries weren’t crispy. They were good. The meatballs and tatziki sauce were excellent. I wish the happiness felt while eating wasn’t ruined by the baked on olive oil explosion in the oven.