Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries Copycat Recipe
Chick-fil-A waffle fries are one of those fast food sides that people genuinely miss when they’re not near a location. This copycat recipe gets you the same crispy, golden, grid-cut fries at home, with a soak that pulls out the starch and a double-fry that builds real crunch.
The whole thing comes together in about 45 minutes, and you probably have everything you need already.
Why I Love This Recipe
The double-fry is what makes these worth the effort. The first fry cooks the potato through, the second one crisps the outside without burning it.
Waffle fries also hold sauce better than thin-cut fries because of all the ridges, so they’re genuinely better for dipping.
This is the version I keep coming back to when I want something salty and satisfying without leaving the house.
Recipe Ingredients
- 3 large russet potatoes – Russets are high-starch, which gives you a fluffy inside and crispy outside. Avoid waxy potatoes here.
- 1 qt (950 ml) vegetable oil – For frying. Peanut oil is the closest to what Chick-fil-A uses and has a high smoke point.
- 1.5 tsp fine kosher salt – Fine salt sticks to the fries better than coarse. Season right after frying.
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder – Adds a faint savory note to the seasoning.
- 0.25 tsp smoked paprika – Just a hint for color and a mild smoky edge.
- Cold water – For the soaking step. Enough to fully cover the cut potatoes.
- Ice cubes – A handful added to the soaking water keeps it cold and helps firm up the potato cells.
Variations / Substitutions
- Peanut oil swap – Use refined avocado oil for a similar high smoke point if you have a nut allergy; the fries come out just as crisp.
- Salt-only seasoning – If you want to match the plain Chick-fil-A flavor exactly, skip the garlic powder and paprika and use only the 1.5 tsp kosher salt.
- Air fryer version – You can air fry at 400°F (200°C) for about 14 to 16 minutes, flipping halfway, but the texture will be drier and less blistered than the deep-fried version.
- Sweet potato swap – Use sweet potatoes for a slightly sweeter, softer fry; the soaking step still helps but the inside stays a bit denser.
- Spicy seasoning – Add 0.25 tsp cayenne to the seasoning mix for a version closer to spicy waffle fries.
If you like this kind of side dish, the Chick-fil-A Sauce Copycat Recipe is worth making alongside these.
How To Make Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries
Step 1: Slice the Potatoes Into Waffle Cuts
Scrub and peel the 3 large russet potatoes. To get the waffle pattern, you need a mandoline with a waffle or crinkle-cut blade. Set the blade to about 0.25 inches thick. Slice the first potato in one straight push through the blade. Then rotate the potato 90 degrees and push through again. Every time you rotate and slice, you get another waffle piece. Work through all 3 potatoes this way, dropping the pieces into a large bowl of cold water with a handful of ice cubes as you go.
The rotation is the whole trick here. If you forget to turn the potato between cuts, you’ll get crinkle fries instead of the grid pattern, which is still fine to eat but misses the point. Aim for pieces that are roughly similar in size so they fry evenly.
Step 2: Soak the Cut Potatoes
Let the sliced potatoes sit in the cold ice water for at least 30 minutes. If you have more time, 1 hour is even better. The soak pulls excess starch out of the cut surfaces, which is what allows the outside to get truly crispy instead of going limp or chewy.
After soaking, drain the potatoes and spread them out on a clean kitchen towel or a layer of paper towels. Pat them as dry as you can get them. Any water left on the surface will spatter violently when it hits the hot oil, and it also steams the fries instead of frying them.
Step 3: First-Fry the Potatoes
Pour the 1 qt (950 ml) vegetable oil into a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven and heat it to 300°F (150°C). Use a thermometer here because the temperature really does matter. Working in 2 to 3 batches so you don’t crowd the pot, lower the fries carefully into the oil and fry for 4 to 5 minutes. You’re not looking for color at this stage. The fries should be pale and just cooked through, a little limp.
Transfer each batch to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let them rest at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before you move to the second fry. Crowding the pot drops the oil temperature sharply and leads to greasy, soggy fries, so resist the urge to rush it.
Step 4: Second-Fry for the Crunch
Raise the oil temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once it holds steady at that temperature, fry the potatoes again in batches, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch, until the outside is deeply golden and the edges look blistered. The second fry is where the crunch actually forms, and 375°F is hot enough to do it fast without burning.
Keep a close eye on the color. At this temperature things move quickly, and there’s about a 30-second window between golden and overdone. Pull each batch when the fries are a warm amber color with slightly darker edges around the grid pattern.
Step 5: Season and Plate the Fries
The moment each batch comes out of the oil, transfer to a clean wire rack or a bowl lined with paper towels. While they’re still hot and glistening, sprinkle the 1.5 tsp kosher salt, 0.5 tsp garlic powder, and 0.25 tsp smoked paprika evenly over the fries and toss gently to coat. Salt sticks best in the first 30 seconds out of the oil, so don’t wait.
Pile the seasoned fries onto a serving plate or into a wide bowl. Serve immediately while the grid ridges are still crisp and you can see the steam rising off them.
Recipe Tips
- Choose the right mandoline blade. A waffle or lattice blade is the only way to get the grid pattern. If your mandoline only has a straight or crinkle blade, you can make great crinkle-cut fries with this same method.
- Dry the potatoes thoroughly after soaking. Leftover water is the main reason home fries go soggy. Spend a full minute patting them down before they go into the oil.
- Don’t skip the resting period between the two fries. The 10-minute rest lets steam escape from the inside of the potato, which makes the second fry crisper and more even.
- Season in layers if you’re cooking in batches. Sprinkle a little seasoning on each batch as it comes out rather than waiting to season them all at once at the end. The first batch will be cold and the seasoning won’t stick.
Cook times by batch size (using a 5 to 6 qt Dutch oven):
| Batch | Potatoes per batch | First fry (300°F) | Second fry (375°F) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | About 1 potato worth | 4 minutes | 3 minutes |
| Medium | About 1.5 potatoes worth | 5 minutes | 3 to 4 minutes |
| Large | More than 2 potatoes | Not recommended | Not recommended |
How To Store
- Refrigerate – Store leftover fries in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They will soften in the fridge; that’s expected.
- Reheating – The best way to bring them back is a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or an air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 5 to 6 minutes. The microwave works but the fries come out soft rather than crisp.
What To Serve With Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries
A Chick-fil-A Sauce Copycat gives you the sweet, tangy, smoky dip that most people associate with these fries. The sauce has enough acidity to cut through the fat, which is why the pairing works so well.
A simple coleslaw alongside keeps the meal feeling balanced. The cool, lightly sweet crunch of the slaw plays off the hot, salty fries in a way that plain bread or a plain salad wouldn’t.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these without a mandoline?
You can try a sharp knife, but getting a true waffle pattern by hand is nearly impossible. A crinkle-cut knife or even straight-cut fries work with this exact same method if you don’t have the right mandoline blade.
Can I use Yukon Gold potatoes instead of russets?
You can, but Yukon Golds have less starch and more moisture, so the fries will be softer inside and less likely to get a real crunch on the outside. Russets give you the contrast the original fries have.
Can I prep these ahead of time?
Yes. Do the first fry, let the fries cool completely, and freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Pull them out and go straight to the second fry from frozen, adding about 1 to 2 extra minutes.
What if my oil isn’t holding a steady temperature?
A heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven holds heat much better than a thin saucepan. Also, adding too many fries at once drops the temperature fast. Keep batches small and give the oil a minute to recover between batches.
Ingredients
Method
- Peel the potatoes and slice them into waffle cuts using a mandoline with a waffle blade set to 0.25 inches, rotating the potato 90 degrees between each slice. Drop the pieces into a large bowl of cold ice water as you go.
- Soak the sliced potatoes in the cold water for at least 30 minutes, then drain and pat completely dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Heat the 1 qt vegetable oil in a large heavy pot to 300°F (150°C). Fry the potatoes in 2 to 3 batches for 4 to 5 minutes per batch until pale and just cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 10 minutes.
- Raise the oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry the potatoes again in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per batch until deeply golden and blistered at the edges.
- Transfer each batch immediately to a wire rack or paper-towel-lined bowl. Sprinkle the 1.5 tsp kosher salt, 0.5 tsp garlic powder, and 0.25 tsp smoked paprika over the hot fries, toss to coat, then pile onto a serving plate and serve right away.
