Polenta Fries

I don’t discriminate when it comes to fries. I will eat them in all forms, whether it’s crispy air fryer French fries, thick-cut steak fries, or sweet potato fries. But if you’re in the mood for something a little out of the ordinary, it’s time to try polenta fries.

Crispy Polenta Fries

A new way to enjoy polenta! These fries are made with polenta that’s sliced and baked in the oven. It’s nothing like creamy Instant Pot polenta! The baking makes them fantastically crispy on the outside while the insides retain that polenta texture you know and love—creamy and fluffy.

Tested and perfected. I tested this recipe several times, with homemade and store-bought tubes of polenta. I really wanted the tubes to work because it would obviously streamline the process, but I found that the texture and flavor weren’t quite where I wanted them to be. (I do include it as an alternate option in the recipe card if you don’t want to fuss with making your own polenta.) After all those tries, I can promise you these are the PERFECT polenta fries.

Cook once, eat twice potential. I love when I can give my leftovers a new spin on life! You can easily double the polenta in this recipe, and serve half of it in a creamy format for dinner with chicken cacciatore or slow cooker Italian pot roast, and refrigerate the other half to firm up for making polenta fries the next day.

Customizable. You can give this recipe for polenta fries a different spin by changing up the cheese and seasonings. I share some ideas later in this post!

Ingredient Notes

• Polenta: I like to use quick-cooking or instant polenta which only has to cook about 5 minutes because it’s more finely ground. Traditional polenta takes about 40 minutes to simmer.
• Parmesan cheese: Cheese adds a rich flavor and a nuttiness that works well with the corn flavor of the polenta. I usually use the shelf-stable grated Parmesan for this recipe.
• Butter: What’s polenta without butter? It adds richness and flavor.
• Garlic powder and black pepper: Along with a generous amount of salt, the polenta is seasoned with garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper.
• Olive oil: Oil is essential for that crispy exterior of the polenta fries whether you bake them or air fry them. You don’t need much, just a light coating. I prefer olive oil because I love the flavor it adds.
• Seasonings: The fries don’t need a lot of seasoning because the polenta is seasoned already. A bit of garlic powder, dried oregano, and black pepper add oomph to the crispy exterior.
• Dipping sauce(s): Although polenta fries are pretty amazing without any sauce, marinara, pizza sauce, garlic aioli, or healthy ranch dressing are great choices for dipping, especially if you’re serving the fries as an appetizer.

How to Make Polenta Fries

Prepare. Line an 8 x 8 pan or baking dish with parchment paper. I spray a spritz of olive oil or cooking spray on the pan to help the parchment stay in place, then evenly coat the top of the parchment paper as well. 

Make the polenta. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the salt, then slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook for just a few minutes, until it’s thick. Stir in the cheese, butter, and garlic powder, and black pepper.

Chill. Immediately spread the hot polenta into the pan and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or even overnight. The polenta needs to be quite firm and sliceable.

Cut the fries. Use the parchment paper to lift the polenta out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. Slice it into half-inch thick fries and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (We tested thinner fries (¼ -inch) but they turned out more chewy and we decided that the thicker fries tasted better.)

Season. Whisk the oil and seasonings in a small bowl. Drizzle this over the fries on the baking sheet and gently toss to coat.

Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake at 425ºF for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until the outsides feel crisp and look golden brown. Try not to overcook the fries because they tend to harden if they’re too done.

Serve. Transfer the polenta fries to plates or a platter and serve with your desired dipping sauce.

Recipe Variations

• Cook the fries in the air fryer. This method will result in a crispier texture and quicker cooking. They may have to be cooked in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. You’ll find the instructions in the recipe card below.
• Add different seasonings. Experiment with different herbs and spices to find your favorite flavor profile; you can either add them to the polenta itself or on the outside of the fries. Fresh herbs, for example, are tasty folded into the polenta mixture.
• Try other cheeses. You can use another hard cheese like pecorino Romano, or try something different like asiago, BellaVitano, fontina, or even a sharp cheddar. 
• Make it a sheet pan dinner. Try my Italian sausage, polenta, and broccoli sheet pan dinner.

How to Serve Polenta Fries

As an appetizer: Polenta fries are a popular appetizer idea and go well with a variety of sauces in addition to the ones listed above in the ingredient notes. Try them with arrabbiata sauce for a kick! If you’d like to dress them up a bit, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the hot fries (like bread sticks!) or drizzle on truffle oil.

As a side: Serve polenta fries alongside main dishes like garlic butter steak bites or this marinated flank steak. I like to serve them with broiled salmon for an easy dinner or balsamic marinated grilled chicken.

With sandwiches and burgers: Caprese turkey burgers would be perfect!

I love cutting the leftover polenta fries into small pieces, air frying them, and adding the crispy polenta bits to salads, instead of croutons.

Refrigerator: Place leftover polenta fries in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezer: If you want to save your leftover polenta fries even longer, you can freeze them for up to 2 months. Place the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them into a freezer bag or container.

Reheating: Warm up your polenta fries in a 375ºF oven or air fryer until they’re heated and crisp; the microwave works too, but it doesn’t do a very good job re-crisping them.

• Line a 8 x 8 -inch pan with parchment paper, letting excess paper hang over edges, and spray with olive oil. (It helps to spray the pan lightly before putting the parchment paper in, to hold it in place.)

• In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and gradually add polenta while stirring. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes (be careful, it splatters!) or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, butter, garlic powder, and pepper.

  3 ½ cups water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup quick-cooking (or instant) polenta, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• Spread polenta into an even layer in prepared pan. Refrigerate for at least two hours or until cold and firm. You can also refrigerate it overnight.

• Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Lift the chilled polenta from the pan using parchment paper “handles”, placing it on a cutting board or flat surface. Cut the polenta into fries about ½-inch thick. You should get approximately 24 to 28 fries.

• In a small bowl, combine oil, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper.

  2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• Place the fries on a prepared baking sheet and lightly toss with oil mixture, being careful not to break the fries. If you prefer, you can brush the oil onto the fries.

• Bake for 20 minutes, flip, and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

• Serve the polenta fries immediately, as is, or with a dipping sauce such as marinara, garlic aioli, or another sauce.

• Shortcut: If desired, you can use pre-made polenta for this recipe. It typically comes in a 17 to 18 ounce tube. Pat dry with paper towels, cut polenta in half (lengthwise) and then into fries about half-inch thick. Continue with recipe as written. The fries won’t be quite as tasty or crispy since you won’t be able to mix the cheese, butter, and seasonings into the polenta.
• To air fry: Cook at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes or until crispy on the outside. There’s no need to flip the fries halfway through the cooking time.

Serving: 5fries, Calories: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 667mg, Potassium: 79mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.2g, Vitamin A: 229IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 100mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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