The Best Copycat Ruth's Chris Shoestring Fries Recipe

The shoestring fries served at Ruth's Chris Steak House are extra thin and crispy, and they're fried until golden and seasoned with salt and a hint of parsley. They are a popular accompaniment to the steakhouse menu that has some patrons coming back just for them. The steakhouse has locations all over the U.S. and in 21 countries, so it may not be hard to find a location to sample these famous fries. However, if you'd rather not shell out for a restaurant meal or you're just looking for a tasty dish to make in the comfort of your own home, you can easily make a copycat version of these steakhouse fries yourself without too much effort.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a copycat Ruth's Chris shoestring fries recipe that can be ready to serve in just over 30 minutes. You'll only need three ingredients — russet potatoes, salt, and fresh parsley, plus a high-heat oil for frying (Bottalico uses canola oil). Note that a mandoline slicer is an important tool for achieving the extra-thin, uniform shoestring fry shape. The potatoes are cut into slabs just ⅛ inch wide with the mandoline and then cut into ⅛-inch sticks with a knife. After deep frying, the fries are tossed with salt and fresh parsley, which gives these rich, crispy fries the perfect final touch of freshness and a nice bit of color. Once you try this recipe at home, you'll see how easy it is to create restaurant-quality shoestring fries without leaving your kitchen.

You won't need a long list of ingredients to make this recipe. All you'll need are russet potatoes, salt, fresh parsley, and canola oil. The canola oil can be substituted if desired. Just make sure to choose one of the high-smoke-point oils suitable for frying.

Cut the potatoes in half and slice them into thin (⅛-inch) slabs with a mandoline slicer.

Pat the slabs dry and cut them into thin (⅛-inch) slices with a sharp knife to form the shoestring fries.

Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large pot until it reaches 350 F.

Carefully lower a handful of fries into the hot oil with a spider strainer and fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Remove the fries with the strainer and place them on a wire rack lined with paper towels to drain.

Fry the remaining fries in batches in the same way.

Place the fries in a mixing bowl, add the parsley and salt, and toss well to coat.

Serve hot.

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This recipe calls for russet potatoes, and that's no accident. Russet potatoes, which fall in the category of starchy potatoes, are consistently considered the best potatoes for making homemade fries. Starchy potatoes have a high starch content along with low moisture. Because of these two characteristics, they dry out quickly during frying and take less time overall to cook, so they absorb less oil and become less greasy. This is important for the exterior crunch that makes the best fries so great. The extra starch causes more even browning, so they look as delicious as they taste. All this results in irresistible fries that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. What's not to love?

Russet potatoes are easy to find in the U.S., but if they are not available and you need to substitute another kind, you can do so — but be careful. Make sure to use another kind of starchy potato, like Idaho potatoes or King Edward potatoes, and avoid waxy potatoes like red potatoes, new potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or Yukon Gold potatoes. The difference between starchy and waxy potatoes is important when making fries. While the starch in starchy varieties breaks down easily when frying, creating that fluffy texture, waxy potatoes have high moisture and low starch and stay firm and hold their shape when cooked. Save those for potato salads and casseroles, where they shine.

You don't need to deep-fry shoestring fries to create a satisfying dish. The recipe won't be a Ruth's Chris copycat dish anymore without deep-frying, but the fries will still be delicious, and you won't have to worry about the hassle of deep-frying.

You can bake the fries by tossing them with a high-heat oil, salt, and any other spices you plan to use and spreading them out in a single layer on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the fries in an oven preheated to 425 F for 15-20 minutes, flipping them halfway. The high oven temperature is just one of the secrets for the crispiest oven-baked fries. Another tip is to soak the fries first in cold water for 30 minutes, being sure to pat them dry very well before tossing them with seasonings. While some people recommend parboiling fries for 3-4 minutes before baking them, which can help make fries softer inside while maintaining a crispy exterior, shoestring fries are so thin that you can skip this step.

You can also air fry shoestring fries for a lighter result. Preheat the air fryer to 400 F and prepare the fries as you would for baking. Spread them in a single layer on the air fryer basket or rack. You'll need to work in batches. Air fry for 10-15 minutes, shaking or flipping the fries every 5 minutes, until crispy and golden.

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