You'll Never Eat Fries The Same Again After You Beer Batter Them

You've probably had beer-battered fish before, but have you had beer-battered fries? If not, you're sorely missing out. We've talked about the 12 best foods to beer batter and fry, and French fries are among them. To make beer-battered fries, first, start by making your own,  and starting with cold oil is a simple technique that gives you the best results. 

From there, you want to partially cook your potatoes, raising the oil's temperature to about 350 degrees. The next step is to batter them and go for a second fry. The batter can be made of a combo of starches, liquid, and seasonings, and you're going to want to grab some beer for the liquid component. We suggest rice flour and cornstarch (one part cornstarch for every three parts flour) for an extra crispy exterior, along with a half teaspoon of baking powder and whatever seasonings you prefer.

The second fry can be done in a pot or pan of oil on the stove, but an air fryer can be used if you have one. To get a double-battered fry, you would dunk them in the batter again after the first dunk and fry, and then cook them for another two to three minutes. The beer contributes to an even crispier crust thanks to carbonation, and it helps develop a desirable golden-brown color. It also adds a delectable and subtle beer taste to your fries that can be enhanced further by adding things like Cajun seasoning for an even bigger flavor bomb.

Chowhound's list of the best beer styles for flavorful beer-battered fish can be applied to your beer-battered fries, too. Light lagers and pale ales are a good bet due to their malty flavor that isn't overpowering. You want to avoid anything too bitter, like IPAs or acidic sours. Stouts can be a bit too heavy and may overwhelm the flavor profile of your fries, since potatoes are a bit of a flavor sponge.

When battering your fries, there are a couple of things you want to avoid. First, always make sure your potatoes are as dry as possible before dunking them into the batter. Potatoes that are too wet will have the batter sliding right back off. Be sure to dab off extra grease between fries if you're double frying, too, or you could get a greasy buildup instead of light and crispy deliciousness. You also don't want to overcrowd your pan, as this could cause your fries to clump together and not cook evenly. With these tips in your back pocket, your beer-battered fries will redefine what you thought was possible for fries to be.