Crispy adobo fries made with potatoes, either roasted or using an air fryer! Just 3 ingredients and done in 30 minutes!
Why You Will Love This Adobo Potato Fries
Ingredients
- Potatoes: Use starchy, floury potatoes for the best result. Varieties like Russett potatoes (in the US), or Maris Piper (in the UK) are the best for this! Some people also like using Yukon gold so feel free to experiment to find the one you like the most!
- Adobo Seasoning: The flavorful blend that gives the fries a unique and savory kick.
- I’ve included a homemade adobo seasoning all the way down in the recipe card for those who are interested! You only need 3-4 spices (excluding salt and pepper) so this might be worth a try!
- Vegetable Oil: Helps achieve that perfect crrrrrispy texture. You can use the good old olive oil or sunflower oil for a more neutral flavor.
- Salt and Pepper (optional): The cherry on top, to adjust the saltiness and the heat level of the adobo fries!
First Up, All About Adobo
What is Adobo?
Adobo means different things in different parts of the world. In the Caribbean, adobo is both a dry spice mix (like what I use here in this adobo potatoes) and a marinade. In Spain and Mexico, it is also a marinade while in the Philippines, it’s more like a stew. If you’d like to learn more, I recommend checking out this article by Bon Appetit.
Adobo is great for marinating tofu and veggies like potatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers. Potatoes are especially popular for soaking up the delicious adobo flavors, which is why this roasted potatoes recipe!
What is Adobo Seasoning Made Of?
Adobo seasoning is usually a mix of garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. I’ve also included turmeric and onion powder in my recipe for extra depth, while some other versions might add paprika and/or cumin.
Is Adobo Seasoning Healthy?
Since adobo seasoning is basically a spice mix, it is relatively healthy since spices are rich in antioxidants and only contain minimal calories. However, watch out for additional preservatives and additives when using store-bought ones.
With store-bought adobo, brands tend to include a lot of salt so it’s best to make a homemade blend since you can then control the salt level. And just to clear things up, adobo typically does not contain MSG, nor it is a type of MSG. MSG is a flavor enhancer while adobo is just a spice mix.
Step-by-step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). For air fryer instructions, see below.
Wash your potatoes and pat them dry. Cut them into 0.4-inch (1 cm) thick slices without peeling the skin, then cut into fries.
Lay your fries on a kitchen towel/paper towel and wrap them to dry. Do NOT skip this step as potatoes release water after they are cut.
In a large bowl, combine the dried potatoes with oil and adobo seasoning. Toss until evenly coated.
Spread the fries in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Ensure they don’t touch to avoid sogginess. Bake for 20 minutes.
Turn up the heat to 425°F (210°C). Bake for 10-15 more minutes until brown and crispy, watching closely to prevent burning.
Take the oven fries out of the oven, then taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately while they’re hot!
Can I make Air Fryer Adobo Potatoes instead of baking?
Yes, you can! In fact, I find that using an air fryer results in crispier fries although it doesn’t fit as many fries as an oven.
Air fry in a single layer at 380°F (195°C) for 10-12 minutes. Toss them around then cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the adobo fries are golden and crispy. If they are not that crispy yet, air fry them longer in 1-2 minute increments. Repeat with the other batches.
Just before serving, you might want to reheat all of them in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes (no need to place them in a single layer here) to re-crisp the fries from the earlier batches that were getting cold.
The Secret to Crispy Fries
- Remove moisture. You want to dry your potatoes as much as you can, both after washing the whole potato, and after cutting them up into potato fries (before seasoning)
- Double baking. Ever heard of double-fried fries? Ever wondered why they’re so good? Exactly because they’re double-fried!
- The first time we bake our fries at a lower temperature, we’re letting it cook. And then, we bake them at a higher temperature to crisp them up!
These are my top 2 tricks to make crispy fries without too much of a hassle. If you’d like to go all in to make the crispiest fries ever, I recommend checking out this article by The Kitchen and experimenting yourself to see which other tricks are worth doing!
Top Tips
- Leave the potato skin on. The skin is the most nutritious part of potatoes and you’re saving yourself time from having to peel them away!
- Cut your fries to a similar size to ensure even cooking.
- Spread the fries in a single layer so they have ample room to crisp up instead of getting soggy!
- Do NOT stack two baking sheets in the oven. The potatoes in the bottom baking sheet will get soggy this way since the hot air doesn’t have ample room to circulate.
Serving Suggestions
As always, any great fries have to be accompanied by great dipping sauce! Try my Ancho Mayo, Black Pepper Aioli, BBQ Mayo Sauce, or my Smoked Paprika Aioli for more Spanish flavor. If you like things spicy, this also goes well with my Calabrian Chili Aioli, Tandoori Mayonnaise, or my Sambal Aioli! Or try my Spicy Chimichurri Sauce for a lighter version!
And if you want to jazz this up and make loaded fries, I bet you would like my Korean Loaded Fries recipe! As always, fries also go great with veggie burgers!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage: French fries taste best when they’re fresh and hot, so I recommend making a new batch each time. However, if you do have leftovers, refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, see below.
You can reheat your adobo fries in two ways:
- Oven Reheating: Place in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Stovetop: Reheat on medium to high heat for 3-5 minutes until crispy.
FAQs
Want More Recipes Like This?
Fore more potato recipes, try my Korean gochujang fries, Indian masala French fries, Indian masala chips, or Argentinian chimichurri fries.
For more side dishes, then check out either my Caramelized Mushroom and Onions, my Pita Garlic Bread Chips, or my Garlic Bread (using Regular Sliced Bread) recipe!
Adobo Potato Fries (Roasted or Air Fryer)
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 large potatoes (about 2 pounds, 900 grams)
- 2 Tablespoon adobo seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to serve (optional)
If Making Homemade Adobo (Optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder (or sub with garlic powder)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Wash your potatoes and pat them dry. Then without peeling the skin, first cut into potato slice of 0.4 inch (1 cm) thick. Then cut each potato slice into fries.
- Lay your fries on a kitchen towel, then wrap the towel around your fries to dry your fries. Do NOT skip this step since the potatoes release a bit of water when you cut them open.
- In a large bowl, combine the dried potatoes with oil and adobo seasoning. Toss until everything is evenly coated.You can either shake them around or use your hands to mix everything. I find that mixing them using a spoon doesn't work that well so refrain from doing this.
Method 1: Oven Baked Fries
- To a lined baking sheet, spread the fries in a single layer. You do NOT want the fries to be touching so they have ample room to crisp up instead of getting soggy. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Then turn up the heat to 425°F (210°C). Bake further for 10-15 minutes until brown and crispy, keeping an eye so they don't burn. The exact time varies depending on the size of the fries and the potato variety.
- Once you get the desired crispiness, taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Then serve immediately when they're hot!
Method 2: Air Fryer Fries
- Air fry in a single layer at 380°F (195°C) for 10-12 minutes. Toss them around then cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until the adobo fries are golden and crispy. If they are not that crispy yet, air fry them longer in 1-2 minute increments. Repeat with the other batches.
- Just before serving, you might want to reheat all of them in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes (no need to place them in a single layer here) to re-crisp the fries from the earlier batches that were getting cold.
- Once you get the desired crispiness, taste and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Then serve immediately when they're hot!
Notes
- You definitely want to dry your potatoes as much as you can, both after washing the whole potato, and after cutting them up into potato fries (before seasoning). Removing moisture is the secret to getting crispy potatoes!
- Spread the fries in a single layer so they have ample room to crisp up instead of getting soggy!
- Do NOT stack two baking sheets in the oven. The potates in the bottom baking sheet will get soggy this way since the hot air doesn’t have ample room to circulate.
- Fries are best served while fresh and still hot, so I recommend making a fresh batch every time. However, in the unlikely event that you have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, you have 2 options:
- Oven Reheating: In a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Stovetop: Reheat on medium to high heat for 3-5 minutes until they crisp up again.
Why have I never thought of using adobo in my fries like this?? Also, this recipe turned out super crisp. Will definitely remake!