Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries

Easy Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries with a crispy exterior and creamy buttery interior and seasoned to perfection, make the perfect appetizer, snack or side you won’t be able to stop munching!

Thank you McCormick®  for sponsoring this Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato post.  All opinions are my own.

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BAKED FRIES RECIPE VIDEO

Crispy Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries.


 

Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries, oh how I love thee, let  me count the ways:

  • easy, mindless prep
  • crispy outside
  • buttery, tender inside
  • salty
  • seasoned to perfection
  • roasted to golden perfection
  • minimal slicing
  • no painstakingly trying to cut potatoes to uniform size
  • healthier than fried
  • inexpensive
  • available year-round
  • perfect appetizer, snack or side
  • everyone loves them!

And I could go on and on and on!  I have a mad crush on potatoes from my Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, to my Twice Bake Potatoes to my Baked Pesto Bacon Potatoes to these favorite Crispy Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries!  These fries are the perfect accompaniment to almost every meal from sandwiches and burgers to marinated chicken and baked chicken and especially my Nashville Hot Fried Chicken, and make a show stopping, can’t-stop-eating appetizer or potluck side as well.

Dish them up with Million Dollar Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Beans with Brown Sugar and Bacon, Award Winning Sweet Moist Cornbread and/or Perfect Fruit Salad with Honey Citrus Viniagrette and you have a Million Dollar Meal!

Easy baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries with a crispy exterior and creamy buttery interior make the perfect appetizer, snack or side you won't be able to stop munching!

Thankfully, you don’t have to stop eating because these Crispy Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries aren’t submerged in a huge bath of simmering oil, but are baked instead so not only are they healthier, but with a few tips, they are just as crispy!

Traditional fries are parboiled and fried and even fried again to create the crispy exterior.  Some baked fry recipes call for parboiling the potatoes first as well, but fingerling potatoes are particularly prone to become mushy when overcooked, so we definitely want to avoid that.  Instead, we are going to soak our potatoes in cold water with a little salt in order to break down some of the starch, because less starch = more crispy potatoes.  You will want to soak your potatoes for at least 30 minutes but feel free to soak them overnight in the fridge – I love doing this because not only does it create crispier potatoes, but when it comes time to make my fries, they are all ready to go.  That being said, I have also made these potatoes without soaking them first – they are still delicious just not as crispy – so if don’t have to have crispy potatoes, then feel free to skip the water bath.

Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries stacked high in a cup.

Next, we delishify the potatoes by adding them to a large bowl along with olive oil and butter to help them crisp up without drying up, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and introducing McCormick® Italian Blend Herb Grinder!  If you haven’t tried McCormick’s® Spice Grinder’s yet, I am officially obsessed, specifically with their new Herb Grinders!

Showing how to make Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries adding spices.

The larger herb pieces are gently dried to lock in essential oils so you can unlock the deliciously fragrant, fresh herb flavor with just a few twists of the wrist AKA they make everything better with the taste of fresh herbs without having to stock or chop!  I can’t tell you how many times before these Grinders I was wishing I had fresh basil or fresh parsley – but now I always have McCormick® Italian Blend Herb Grinders!  I chose McCormick® Italian Blend Herb Grinder for these Crispy Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries because they are stuffed with large-cut basil, oregano and rosemary that add dynamic fresh seasoning to these delectable morsels.

Easy baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries with a crispy exterior and creamy buttery interior make the perfect appetizer, snack or side you won't be able to stop munching!

Once you toss your potatoes with your spices, olive oil and butter, you bake them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  You’ll want to make sure your potatoes are spaced evenly apart so they have enough surface area to dehydrate and crisp instead of being too close together where they will steam instead of bake.  Then all that’s left is to add them back to your bowl and toss with Parmesan and finish crisping at a higher temp of 425 while the Parmesan bakes to golden deliciousness.   For extra crispy potatoes, turn your oven to broil so they can get nice and as crispy as your liking.  This can take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes but is so worth it for the extra crunch on the outside.

Toss with some freshly grated Parmesan once out of the oven and there you have it!  Crispy Parmesan Potato Fries that are oozing with flavor instead of grease and are fantastically crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside – all in one bite!

Easy baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries with a crispy exterior and creamy buttery interior make the perfect appetizer, snack or side you won't be able to stop munching!

LOOKING FOR MORE POTATO RECIPES?

Dipping a Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries in ketchup.

Want to try these Roasted Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries?

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Easy baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries with a crispy exterior and creamy buttery interior make the perfect appetizer, snack or side you won't be able to stop munching!

Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries

Easy Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries with a crispy exterior and creamy buttery interior and seasoned to perfection, make the perfect appetizer, snack or side you won't be able to stop munching!
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, washed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 10 turns McCormick® Italian Blend Herb Grinder
  • 3/4 cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Add potatoes to a large bowl or pot and cover with cold water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Let soak 30 minutes up to overnight (refrigerate if soaking longer than an hour). Drain potatoes and pat dry (optional for crispy potatoes).*
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with greased foil. Set aside.
  • Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and add to a large bowl. Toss dry potatoes with olive oil, butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, pepper and McCormick Italian Herb Grinder until evenly coated.
  • Line potatoes in a single layer on greased foil skin side up (leave any remaining oil in bowl for later).
  • Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Remove potatoes back to large bowl with leftover oil. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Toss potatoes with ½ cup Parmesan cheese and remaining oil and return to baking sheet in a single layer, skin side down, and bake 10 minutes or until tender.
  • Broil potatoes until they have crisped to your liking, stirring every few minutes so they don’t burn. Once done, toss fries with an additional ¼ cup Parmesan and ¼ fresh parsley. Serve with ketchup, ranch or other dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

Don’t miss the “how to make” recipe video at the top of the post!
*I have made these Fries without soaking them first and they are still delicious just not very crispy – so if you have to have crispy potatoes, then definitely soak them first, otherwise, feel free to skip this step.

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16 Comments

    • Jen says

      Thanks Malinda! They are so good and so easy and get so crispy! Hope you can try them soon! Have a great week!

  1. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Jen! I love oven baking potato wedges and fries! I started doing them in the oven when my kids were little because I felt they didn’t need all the grease associated with frying. We are getting fresh fingerlings out of our garden and they are so creamy good! These sound very addictive! Another way I like them is steamed just until they are tender and then smash them with a fork and pan fry them in a little oil and butter until they are crispy.

    • Jen says

      Hi Dorothy, it sounds like you have the most amazing garden ever – even growing fingerlings – you never cease to amaze me! Fingerlings smashed with a fork and pan fried with a little butter sounds completely addicting too – can’t wait to try it – drooling already 🙂 Thank you! Have a great holiday weekend!

  2. Michal says

    I am so in love with your recipes! These potatoes were incredible! My husband hates it when I try new recipes, because he is afraid I will serve him quinoa and kale or some such nonsense (I only did it once, I promise)! But I was up late one night pinning all your delicious recipes to my Pinterest board, so I have already warned him that I am going to be trying some delicious new meals. 🙂 After trying your carne asada (out of this world good) and these potatoes, he has no complaints! Thank you for new inspiration in the kitchen! I will be making these again and again. I served them with burgers, which are pretty much my favorite in the whole world, but after tasting the potatoes, my poor burger just sat there until I had stuffed my face with too much potato goodness. SO yummy.

    • Jen says

      Hi Michal, I LOVE your comment, thank you so much! I am thrilled you AND your husband not only loved these potatoes but my carne asada as well! I definitely am not a quinoa/kale site so hopefully your husband will continue to be happy with your new recipes 🙂 I look forward to hearing what you make next!

  3. Cal Abriola says

    These potatoes were so good, I almost couldn’t stand myself. I have found a fantastic new side dish. Thanks.

    • Jen says

      Awesome Cal, I’m thrilled you found a new favorite side dish! And yes, fries can be soooo addicting, especially these ones!

  4. Cal Abriola says

    This recipe is excellent, as are all your recipes. I am going to make a dinner for a neighbor who just had surgery and am including the Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries. Thank you so much. You Go Girl!

    • Jen says

      Thank you so much! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this recipe and some of my others as well! You are SO thoughtful to take your neighbor dinner, she’s blessed to have you as a friend!

  5. Katie says

    I made these last night to celebrate Father’s Day. It was paired with grilled skirt steak and roasted cauliflower. My husband’s mother grew up in Idaho, so they were raised eating lots of potato dishes. He said this reminded him of one of his favorites! My four kids all said it is definitely a repeat! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!

    • Jen says

      You’re so welcome Katie, thank YOU for your kind comment! Your whole meal sounds fantastic, and I’m happy these fries were a welcome addition!

  6. Danette says

    Where can I buy the fingerling potatoes? Is there another type of potato I could use with the same results?

    • Jen says

      Hi Danette, if you can’t locate fingerling potatoes you can use Yukon potatoes or Russet potatoes, sliced. Yukon potatoes are creamier like fingerling fries and Russets will give you more of a French Fry verses roasted potato texture.

  7. Alicia says

    Wow! I cant believe how yummy these turned out. I cant get fingerlings so used baby golds. I believe I overcooked just a bit. So Ill have to try and adjust my timing some. This will be something often cooked here.

    • Jen says

      Thank you, Alicia! I am so happy it’s a new repeat! Thanks for taking the time to comment!