Recreate Five Guys' Crispy Cajun Fries With This Simple Recipe

Five Guys may be a burger joint, but there's no denying the ever-enduring popularity of its Cajun fries. In particular, these fries are renowned for their fresh ingredients, cooking method, and exceptional smoky-spicy flavor, and are one of the reasons why Five Guys has dominated the burger industry. Offered in regular and Cajun style, Five Guys describes its fries as "firm on the outside, mashed potato on the inside, with just the right amount of seasoning."

Five Guys prides itself on using a unique cooking method to make their fries, which are freshly cut, soaked, power washed, blanched, and then fried not once but twice. Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico follows a similar process in her copycat Five Guys Cajun fries recipe, one that allows you to enjoy this popular product at home without the expense. This recipe is a little more intensive than your average french fry recipe, but Five Guys' Cajun fries aren't your average fries, so the extra effort is well worth the result.

You'll first make a Cajun seasoning blend to season the fries, for which you'll need paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. For the fries, grab some russet potatoes or another kind of starchy potato. Five Guys is particular about its potatoes, specifically sourcing them from Idaho, so you could follow suit and do the same if desired. You'll also need refined peanut oil for frying to achieve the same taste as the original.

Make the Cajun seasoning by placing all of the seasoning ingredients in a bowl and stirring well to combine. Set aside.

Wash the potatoes and cut them into slices about ⅜-inch thick, leaving the skin on.

Place the fries in a bowl, cover them with cold water, and let soak for 30 minutes.

Drain the fries and place them in a colander. Rinse them with the sink hose or faucet on full power, shaking the colander until all of the slices are rinsed well.

Pat the fries dry.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Prepare an ice bath by filling a mixing bowl large enough to hold the fries with water and ice. Set aside.

Blanch the fries in batches by carefully lowering them into the boiling water and letting them cook for 3 minutes.

Drain the fries and place them in ice bath to stop the cooking. Let sit for about 10 minutes to cool before draining the fries and patting them dry again.

Heat about ¾-inch of oil in a large pot until it reaches 350 F.

Carefully lower a small handful of fries into the oil with a spider strainer and fry for 2 ½ minutes.

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

Fry and drain the remaining fries in the same way. Let cool for at least 10-15 minutes.

Heat the oil to 350 F again and fry the fries in batches a second time for 2 ½ to 3 minutes.

Remove the fries with the strainer and shake excess oil off before placing them in a large mixing bowl and tossing them while still hot with Cajun seasoning until evenly coated.

Serve the Cajun fries right away.

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You can still enjoy these fries without deep frying them, should you want to avoid using lots of oil. They won't taste quite the same and won't be quite as crispy, but they'll still taste great with that bold Cajun spice coating. 

Prepare the Cajun seasoning as directed in the recipe, and set it aside. Cut and soak the fries the same way you would do before frying, but you don't have to power wash or blanch them first. Preheat the oven to a high temperature, about 450 F. Drain the fries and pat them dry well.

When you season the fries is different depending on whether you're frying or baking them. The deep-fried fries in this recipe are seasoned after frying, but when baking them, you'll season them first. Place the fries in a mixing bowl with a little oil and the Cajun seasoning you mixed up at the beginning and carefully toss to coat them evenly. Then arrange the seasoned fries in a single layer on a couple of parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Cook them in batches if they don't all fit with room between them, rather then overcrowding them, or they won't crisp up. Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping them carefully halfway, until golden and crispy.

The distinctly crispy exterior and creamy interior of Five Guys' fries is no accident. Five Guys fries are made following a specific process, and it starts with hand-cut Burbank Idaho potatoes (or the occasional Washington potato). The cut fries are then blanched and power washed to remove excess starch, which prevents the outside of the fries from burning before the inside cooks to their standards.

Then comes the frying, which is done in 100% refined peanut oil, another ingredient that Five Guys is particular about using. (You could use vegetable oil to fry the fries in your homemade version of the fries, but do try to use peanut oil if you can). The fries are deep-fried, cooled, and then fried again for another couple of minutes, a process that is paramount in ensuring that perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside fry. The generous 24-ounce serving also makes Five Guys' fries stand out, and if you've ever ordered the fries, you know that they'll surely be spilling out into the bag. 

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