Amazing Homemade Greek Fries - Patates Tiganites

Impossible to resist crispy Greek fries, patates tiganites are oven-baked and finished in a hot cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Served with oregano, paprika, and feta they will be your most requested dish.

It is true that there are few foods that give such pleasure as crispy delicious fries that have just come out of the fryer.

What are greek fries

Greeks eat a lot of fries. We call them patates tiganites. There is no taverna order without a couple of plates of crispy fries. At home they are mostly homemade, very rarely they will be coming out of a freezer bag. Greeks usually fry potatoes in olive oil. It is a myth that olive oil can not handle high heat. We actually fry almost everything in olive oil and it gives a unique flavor to fries, fritters, fish and fishcakes, etc. Sure, vegetable oils such as sunflower oil might be used occasionally but olive oil is the main cooking oil in Greece.

This Greek fries recipe is simple yet produces very flavorful and crispy results. They are not deep-fried but oven-baked for an hour and a half in a 350°F oven. They are cut in thin wedges and get crispy in a hot skillet with olive oil. Served with a mix of sea salt, freshly ground pepper, dry oregano, and smoked paprika they are delicious and literally disappear from the table in record time.

Here is what you need to make these fries

Potatoes. I use Yukon gold or russet potatoes. I never peel them (totally optional). Yukon golds have thin skin that crisps up nicely. Russets have thicker skin that develops crunchy lovely edges. 

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I rub the potatoes with coarse sea salt. You can use whatever you have handy.

Olive oil. I always use extra virgin olive oil (or light olive oil for deep frying). Avoid blends, they are of dubious quality and not worth the money.

Dry oregano. You can substitute with Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence.

Smoked paprika. It will add a delicious, subtle smoky sweet pepper flavor, without any heat. You can also use Chipotle pepper powder, as a good substitute.

Fresh oregano leaves. Other herbs like chopped rosemary leaves, thyme leaves or chopped sage will work just as well. If no fresh herbs are available, don't sweat it, the dry oregano is enough.

Feta cheese for serving (not shown above). Get a block of feta and crumbled it yourself. Avoid the pre-crumbled feta available in supermarkets, it is too dry. Goat cheese will also work great.

How to make these fries

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Scrub the potatoes clean. Dry them well and rub them with olive oil and sea salt. Place them in an oven-proof pan and bake in for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Let the potatoes cool for 20 minutes so they are easy to handle and then cut them into thin wedges.

I never take the skin off, I love how it gets crispy and delicious. By all means, you can peel the potatoes if you prefer.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and fry the potato wedges in batches for 5-6 minutes total. Turn each fry 2-3 times tops to get crispy all over. Don't handle them too much, just make sure they don't stick to each other and let them develop nice crisp edges.

This Greek fries seasoning is very simple. You will season freshly ground pepper to taste. Add some more sea salt if you need to. Sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese, a tablespoon of dry oregano and one teaspoon of smoked paprika. You can also sprinkle some fresh herb leaves on top, like fresh oregano, chopped rosemary leaves, or thyme.

What to eat with Greek fries

It goes without saying that you can eat these right off the pan-careful it's hot!

Nevertheless, I call these my feta fries. I LOVE "patates tiganites" with feta, it is a match made in heaven. In the same awesome category is pairing with a whipped spicy feta dip called tirokafteri. Another great sauce to serve them with is tzatziki dip.

Greek fries go hand in hand with souvlaki. Sometimes they are included in the rolled-up pita with the other ingredients. In the summer after the beach, a plate of fresh crispy potato fries next to a cool greek tomato salad is often the best lunch one can have.

Have you tried fries in with a stew? Smothering these greek fries in a decadent red wine beef stew sauce is a must. This beef stew with eggplant is also ideal for wild fry dipping.

If you love this Greek fries recipe, you will also love these lemon potatoes with garlic and oregano.

Check out my Greek pantry staples 

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