It’s an all too familiar story- a delicious pile of leftover fries from your favorite restaurant turns into a soggy mess the next day when you try to pop them in the microwave for a quick reheat. Instead of a satisfying snack, you end up with a sad pile of potatoes that are not crispy, not evenly heated, and all-around totally disappointing.
Storing your leftover fries in an airtight container will help them maintain their crispiness when you reheat them. When microwaving the fries, place them in an even layer on top of a parchment paper or paper towel and add a dash of oil along with frequently turning the fries. This will help absorb the excess moisture, which keeps the fries from becoming soggy.
Finding the method that works best for you may take a bit of experimentation using a combination of techniques as well as adjusting your methods depending on the model of microwave you employ.
However, the end results can yield you a pile of fries so crispy on the outside and soft on the inside that you’ll swear they just came from the fryer.
How To Prevent Fries From Turning Soggy In the Microwave
Let’s face it, keeping things crisp using a microwave can be a losing battle. Luckily, there are a few tricks and tips you can use to make sure your leftover fries don’t suffer from too much moisture, leading to a soggy mess.
The first step is to store them properly. This means transferring them to an airtight container instead of the takeaway box or bag they came home in. Keeping air as well moisture out of the environment ensures the fries will be at their best when you go to reheat them.
If possible, pull the fries out of the fridge 15 minutes to 1 hour prior to reheating. While this step isn’t totally crucial, taking the chill off of the fries leads to less time in the microwave and therefore less potential to get steamy and soggy.
Line a plate or microwave-safe container with a paper towel or parchment paper, then place fries in a single, uncrowded layer. Keeping the fries from piling on or touching each other ensures that even heat will be distributed and all sides will have an opportunity to release steam.
This next step is key.
Sprinkle or spray fries lightly with oil (olive or similar preferred). Avoid dousing the fries as that will make them not only soggy but also oily. A few drops of water can be used in a pinch, but be careful to add just a small amount.
Finally, place the fries in your oven and cook in short 20 second bursts. Rotate the fries occasionally and heat until a golden and crispy exterior is achieved.
Make Fries Crispy Using a Microwave Crisper Tray
Crisper trays are designed to take your food from soft and cold to golden and crisp faster and more efficiently than a microwave can on its own. If you are lucky, your microwave has a “crisp” function button and may have even come with a crisper tray when it was new.
However, even without a specialized crisping function, you can still use a crisping tray to help your leftover fries turn out golden brown.
The key to making a crisping tray work its best is to preheat it for 3-4 minutes in the microwave before adding your food to it.
This allows the pan to heat up and gives the outside of your fries a nice hot surface to start their reheating process. Be sure to use oven gloves after heating, the tray will be hot!
Once preheated, spray the tray down with a light coating of oil before placing your fries in a single, uncrowded layer and giving them a spritz of oil on top.
Then pop them back in the microwave and run them in 45-second intervals, turning the fries occasionally until they reach your desired heat and crispiness.
You can also use your microwave on a lesser power mode while engaging the crisping tray. While your preheat time and prep stay the same, simply reduce the power to 50-70% and span out your intervals to between 1 and 1 ½ minutes.
This gives the food more time to release moisture and form a crisp crust, though sometimes a last 20 second run at full power helps to give them a good crunch.
Why Do Fries Turn Soggy In the Microwave?
Microwaves cook food from the inside out, so when a food like a french fry that is soft in the center and crisp on the outside starts to heat up, steam is forced from the center of the fry outward.
This means that the nice crust that was formed by the hot oil the fries were first cooked in essentially gets broken down by the water coming out from the soft center.
Because potatoes are mostly water (around 80% when raw), they work differently in a microwave setting than many foods. The ideal fry is soft on the inside, which is where that high water content comes in handy and prevents fries from drying out during reheat.
Unfortunately, this means a soggy mess is what you are left with unless you take steps to prevent it.
Fortunately, there are plenty of tips and tricks out there to prevent many different foods from the fate of becoming an inedible mess. For more information on the science behind microwaves and how to prevent soggy foods, check out this article.
Other Ways To Make Fries Crispy Again
If you only have a microwave to cook with, some of the aforementioned tips may be your best option. However, if you have access to a stove, either a toaster or conventional oven, or an air fryer, you have a myriad of ways to reinvigorate yesterday’s lunch.
Double frying, or re-frying the french fries, is the preferred method of most chefs. However, deep fryers don’t come in every kitchen and are messy and dangerous– especially if used by novices to the device. There are however several ways to mimic this method that end up with some seriously tasty leftovers.
Heating a pan on the stove and adding in a couple of tablespoons of oil gives you a simple way to crisp up the fries. Add the fries to the pan and stay attentive, turning them often as they brown.
This method does mean that the fries can easily turn into a burnt mess in a matter of moments, so stay vigilant and don’t leave the stove while cooking.
A little more foolproof is using a conventional oven or toaster oven. Preheat your preferred device to 425℉, then line a baking sheet with foil that has been slightly crinkled- this gives the fries the chance to crisp on both sides.
Spray the sheet with a bit of oil, place the uncrowded fries, and pop in the oven when it comes to temp.
Depending on the type of fry, temperature at time of cooking, thickness, and desired consistency, timing will vary. Keep an eye on them and toss every few minutes until hot through the center and crispy on the outside.
Air fryers are quick and simple to use, producing reheated fries that taste and feel like they were freshly made.
Simply let your air fryer get up to 350℉ for a couple of minutes on Air Fry mode, add fries to the basket and cook for 3-5 minutes, tossing every 1- 1 ½ minutes to ensure even cooking and distribution.
This method lands as close to the double fry method as possible and is most recommended for at-home cooking when possible.