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Del Taco Crinkle Cut Fries
Del Taco's perfectly seasoned crinkle cut fries are crispy on the outside and fluffy inside — and shockingly easy to make better at home.
del-taco · fast-food · side · mexican
🕑Prep10 min
🍳Cook20 min
⏱Total30 min
🍽Serves4
⭐DifficultyEasy
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen crinkle cut fries
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Ketchup and Del Taco-style hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- 1.Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top if you have one — this helps air circulate for maximum crispiness.
- 2.Season the fries. In a large bowl, toss the frozen crinkle cut fries with vegetable oil. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle the seasoning over the oiled fries and toss to coat.
- 3.Spread in a single layer. Arrange the fries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Don't overcrowd — if needed, use two baking sheets. Overcrowding steams the fries instead of crisping them.
- 4.Bake until crispy. Bake for 18-20 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on the edges.
- 5.Season and serve. Remove from the oven and hit them with an extra pinch of salt while hot. Serve immediately with ketchup and hot sauce.
Del Taco Crinkle Cut Fries
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Del Taco is one of the few fast food spots that serves crinkle cut fries instead of straight-cut, and honestly, it’s a power move. The ridges hold more seasoning, they get crispier edges, and they’re just more fun to eat. The seasoning is a simple blend of garlic powder, paprika, and a hint of cayenne.
The oven method here gets them remarkably close to the real thing. The trick is high heat, a single layer, and tossing them in oil before the seasoning so everything sticks.
Crinkle Cut Fry Secrets
- Frozen is fine — actually, it’s better. Del Taco uses frozen fries too. The ice crystals on frozen fries create steam pockets that help the interior stay fluffy while the outside crisps up.
- The wire rack trick. Elevating the fries on a wire rack over the baking sheet lets hot air hit all sides. It’s the difference between crispy fries and soggy fries.
- Don’t thaw them first. Straight from the freezer to the oven. Thawing makes them waterlogged and limp.
Budget Breakdown
A medium fry at Del Taco costs around $2.50. A two-pound bag of frozen crinkle cut fries costs $3-4 and makes about four servings. That’s $0.75-1.00 per serving with the seasoning included. You’ll also have leftovers.
