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    Home » Recipes » Sides & Snacks

    Lemon Pepper Fries

    Published: Nov 12, 2021 · Modified: Mar 31, 2023 by Kelsey Smith

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    Lemon Pepper Fries

    These lemon pepper fries with ground black pepper, fresh lemon zest, and fresh parsley are oven-baked until golden and crispy.

    The fresh lemon zest and parsley make these lemon pepper fries restaurant quality. These french fries are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan, making them a great side dish for a variety of burgers, wings, sandwiches.

    This recipe pairs well with avocado lime ranch dressing, bacon aioli, and buffalo chicken thighs.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    A plate filled with lemon pepper fries with a side dish filled with ketchup.

    Recipe Highlights

    • Friendly for many diets: gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan
    • Zesty lemon flavor: Fresh lemon zest adds a punch of flavor.
    • Baked: These oven-baked fries have less fat than deep fried french fries.
    Jump to:
    • Recipe Highlights
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • How to zest a lemon
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • FAQ
    • Pairings
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    It takes just a few ingredients to bring these french fries to life.

    Lemon pepper fries ingredients: russet potatoes, olive oil, ground black pepper, salt, garlic powder, fresh parsley, and lemon zest.
    • russet potatoes
    • olive oil
    • coarse ground black pepper
    • salt
    • garlic powder
    • fresh parsley
    • lemon zest

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

    Scrub and rinse the potatoes. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into ½-inch slices. Then cut each slice lengthwise into ½-inch fries using a chef's knife.

    A thin horizontal potato slice cut into half-inch potato sticks to make French fries.

    In a large bowl, soak the potatoes in cold water for 1 hour. Remove them from the bowl, rinse them in fresh water, and dry them thoroughly.

    Important Note: After soaking the potatoes, dry them very thoroughly with a kitchen towel or paper towels before baking to ensure they will become crispy and golden. Wet fries will not crisp up as well.

    A bowl of potato sticks submerged in water.

    Toss potatoes with olive oil, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder.

    A bowl of uncooked french fries tossed with black pepper.

    Spread evenly in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

    Tip: The parchment paper helps keep the fries from sticking, which makes it easier to flip them.

    A sheet pan lined with parchment paper and covered with uncooked french fries coated in oil and black pepper.

    Bake for 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F, flip the fries, and then return to the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden.

    Lemon pepper fries topped with fresh parsley on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

    Toss with fresh parsley and lemon zest. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.

    Substitutions

    Potatoes - This recipe has only been tested with russet potatoes.

    Oil - This recipe calls for olive oil, but you can also use canola oil or vegetable oil for a more neutral flavor.

    Pepper - This recipe calls for coarse ground black pepper. Pure ground black pepper can also work (same quantity).

    Parsley - I only recommend the use of fresh parsley in this recipe. If regular parsley is not available, look for Italian or curly parsley.

    Lemon zest - If you would like to use lemon pepper seasoning instead of coarse ground black pepper and fresh lemon zest, replace both the pepper and lemon ingredients with 1 tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning before baking. Add more after baking if needed.

    Close up of lemon pepper fries topped with fresh parsley on a plate.

    Variations

    Make these crunchy french fries your own with a few customizations.

    • Seasonings: Play around with the seasonings. Try onion powder or garlic powder.
    • Potatoes: Try sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes. Sweet potatoes can cook faster than russet, so keep an eye on the bake time.

    How to zest a lemon

    Zesting a lemon is easy. I use a citrus zester/cheese grater (also called a microplane). If you have a box grater, that will work as well.

    1. Hold the citrus zester in one hand by the handle. Place the other tip of the microplane on the counter, holding it at an angle.
    2. Hold the lemon in your other hand and push it lengthwise down the zester from the handle to the other tip.
    3. Rotate the lemon as needed to get more of the bright yellow peel.

    Tip: Use the outermost layer of the lemon peel. The white layer underneath can be bitter.

    A small pinch bowl filled with fresh lemon zest next to a whole lemon and a microplane zester.

    Equipment

    • Chef's knife
    • Citrus zester
    • Baking sheet
    • Parchment paper

    Storage

    Store leftover French fries in an airtight container for two days. Reheat the fries in a small amount of olive oil in a skillet on the stove or in the oven at 400°F for 5–10 minutes.

    FAQ

    What is lemon pepper flavor?

    Lemon pepper seasoning blends generally contain black pepper, salt, citric acid, lemon peel, sugar, dehydrated garlic, and dehydrated onion. Using fresh ground black pepper and fresh lemon zest gives a brighter flavor.

    Pairings

    Try one of these recipes to serve with your lemon pepper fries.

    • French fry being dipped into a bowl of bacon aioli.
      Bacon Aioli
    • Meatloaf on a cutting board garnished with fresh parsley. Two one-inch slices are cut off the loaf.
      Meatloaf with Ritz Crackers
    • Pesto turkey sandwich cross section with pesto, fresh mozzarella slices, tomato, and thick turkey slices. The sandwich has been grilled and is golden on top.
      Pesto Turkey Sandwich
    • Avocado lime ranch dressing in a small mason jar.
      Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of lemon pepper fries topped with fresh parsley on a plate with a side of ketchup.
    Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Email Print

    Lemon Pepper Fries

    These lemon pepper fries with ground black pepper, fresh lemon zest, and fresh parsley are oven-baked until golden and crispy.
    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by: Kelsey Smith
    Prep time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook time: 40 minutes minutes
    Soak Time : 1 hour hour
    Total time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 people

    Equipment

    • Chef's knife
    • Citrus zester
    • Baking sheet
    • Parchment paper

    Ingredients
      

    • 1-½ pound russet potatoes about 2-3 potatoes
    • 1-½ tablespoon olive oil
    • 1-½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
    • 3 teaspoon lemon zest about 1 lemon

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
    • Scrub and rinse the potatoes. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into ½-inch slices. Then cut each slice lengthwise into ½-inch fries.
    • In a large bowl, soak the potatoes in cold water for 1 hour. Remove them from the bowl, rinse them in fresh water, and dry them thoroughly.
    • Toss potatoes with olive oil, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder.
    • Spread evenly in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F, flip the fries, and then return to the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden.
    • Toss with fresh parsley and lemon zest.

    Notes

    Tip: After soaking, dry the potatoes thoroughly with a kitchen towel or paper towels before baking to ensure they will become crispy and golden.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 369kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 8gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 1182mgPotassium: 1459mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 182IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 3mg
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: lemon, potatoes
    Tried this recipe?Rate it to let me know how it was!

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    About Kelsey Smith

    I am a freelance content writer by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing comfort food recipes.

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    1. Supriya Kutty says

      April 04, 2022 at 2:23 am

      The lemon pepper fries have a strong tangy taste which I feel is far more better than the plane salted ones.Thank you so much for sharing this recipe steps and guide.I and y family liked thre lemon pepper fries.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        April 04, 2022 at 9:51 am

        Happy to hear that! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing easy comfort food recipes.

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