You Should Think Twice Before Reheating Restaurant Fries In Oil

Salty, crisp French fries are the best. They're delicious — whether you are a fan of homemade fries or those from McDonald's, Five Guys, In-N-Out, or Chick-fil-a. According to National Geographic, Thomas Jefferson introduced the United States to this delicacy after his 1784-1789 stint as the American Minister to France. However, his slave, James Heming, deserves the credit for learning how to recreate this fried potato experience for Americans. If there's one thing we know for sure, French fries have stood the test of time. Per the South Florida Reporter, Americans eat 30 pounds of French fries annually, so it's fair to say we are pretty smitten with this favorite, albeit greasy, side dish.

But if you are anything like us, you probably wind up with leftover fries after enjoying a burger or chicken sandwich, so you pop those fried spuds in the refrigerator to eat them later. But before you try to reheat or re-fry your French fries in oil to achieve the same taste of perfection your fries had when they were freshly pulled from the fryer, you may want to think twice. The results may not be to your liking, and here's why.

Kitchn reveals that most fast-food restaurants already fry their French fries twice before they ever enter your mouth. These quick-service restaurants have already done the cooking and taste-testing to know that twice-fried fries are the nirvana your mouth is looking for. But as Southern Living explains, frying them a third time to reheat your fries is madness. Why? Because you could very well wind up with French fries dripping with oil rather than the crispy fries you love so much. You would be better off eating them cold, but we know you do not want to do that. Cold fries are just not the same.

So, how can you reheat your fries if you want them for a later meal? The Spruce Eats suggests placing your leftover fries in a single layer on a baking sheet, then sticking them in an oven set to a convection bake of up to 400 degrees. If you don't want to use your oven, you can just as easily use an air fryer. But depending on how many fries you are reheating, you may have to work in batches.