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Incredibly delicious Polenta Fries baked to perfection with a crispy and crunchy outside and soft and creamy middle. The easiest side dish or appetizer, serve with a juicy steak or delicious dips for dunking!
I’m a big believer that side dishes should be just as exciting as the main!
Our pan fried gnocchi and cheesy roasted asparagus are some of my absolute favs alongside these polenta fries!
I mean I love potato fries (who doesn’t?) but these are so much more fun and super easy to make.
You can make them with pre-cooked store-bought polenta or make your own using quick-cook or instant polenta and let it set (I’ll guide you through both methods).
Pre-cooked polenta vs instant polenta
Pre-cooked polenta
If you love recipes with practically zero prep work then pre-cooked polenta is for you!
I’ll often buy it pre-cooked, cut it into fries, toss with some herbs then bake! Seriously it’s that easy to make crispy, crunchy fries!
Quick cook or instant polenta
The great thing about quick-cook or instant polenta is well, it takes no time at all to cook.
I personally never use quick cook polenta unless I want to set it for grilling, baking or frying.
By making your own polenta you can add in cheese, butter and delicious herbs for an extra punch of flavour, SO delicious.
If you do use this method then you have to pour the polenta into a rimmed lined baking tray and let it set in the fridge for 1-2 hours so there’s extra prep work involved.
Top Tip: If you love silky soft polenta as a side to stews, roasts and sauces then you’ll want to use traditional polenta, not the instant stuff, check out our creamy polenta recipe with step by step guide (it’s super easy).
How to make polenta fries – step by step
If using pre-cooked polenta
Remove the pre-cooked polenta from its packet and pat dry if it has any excess moisture (see video).
Cut the polenta into fries, try to make them roughly the same size so they cook evenly (photos 1 & 2).
Add the olive oil, herbs and salt to a large bowl and add the polenta fries. Toss to coat them in the oil and herbs (photos 3 & 4).
Place the fries on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy (photos 5 & 6).
If making polenta from scratch
Bring the chicken stock to a boil (photo 1).
Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and slowly add the polenta whilst stirring until all the polenta is fully incorporated (photo 2).
Next, add the butter, parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper and stir until the butter has melted and the polenta has thickened slightly (2-3 minutes) (photos 3 & 4).
Pour the cooked polenta into a lined baking tray and spread it out evenly. Let the polenta cook completely then chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 hours or overnight (photo 5).
Once chilled and completely set, remove the polenta from the tray and cut into fries (photo 6).
Place the fries on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy (photos 7 & 8).
Different seasonings to try
You can play around with the flavours and add in any herbs and spices you like to these fries. If you’re making your own polenta then I recommend adding the seasoning into the mix and for pre-cooked polenta simply toss them in the seasonings and a little olive oil.
Here are some ideas to try;
- Red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a spicy kick
- Dried oregano
- Freshly chopped rosemary, parsley, or thyme (any herb will work)
- Parmesan
- Good melting cheeses such as taleggio, gorgonzola, fontina mixed into the polenta.
Dips and serving suggestions
These crispy baked fries are the perfect side dish to almost anything, I love to serve them with a juicy char-grilled steak and a simple salad or you could serve them with any meat, fish or veggie main you like.
If you’re serving them as an appetizer then you’ll want some dips!
Our Sour Cream Pesto Dip is by far my all-time favourite dip but warning it is highly addictive. Regular homemade basil pesto or garlic mayo would also be perfect!
Top tips for making polenta fries
- If you’re using pre-cooked polenta (store-bought) then pat it dry before cutting into fries.
- Pre-cooked polenta can be heavily seasoned with salt (different brands will vary) so I find it best to only season with salt if they need it (try them first once baked).
- It doesn’t matter if your pre-cooked polenta comes in a tube or box you’ll still be able to cut them into fries.
- Cut the fries roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- If making polenta from scratch then you’ll want to give it 1-hour minimum in the fridge to set but you can prepare it in advance and store it overnight.
- Chicken stock can be replaced with vegetable stock or just water.
- I love baking these fries because it’s so much easier and healthier but you can fry them in vegetable or sunflower oil until crisp and golden!
- Leftover fries can be frozen (both before and after cooking).
More delicious side dishes you might like
- Creamy Polenta (Italian Cornmeal)
- Pan Fried Gnocchi With Rosemary
- Italian Roast Potatoes – Rosemary And Garlic
- Sauteed Broccolini with Pesto, Pine Nuts & Chilli
- White Bean Mash With Rosemary And Lemon
If you’ve tried these Polenta Fries or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Crispy Baked Polenta Fries
Equipment
- 10x8 inch baking dish (if making polenta from scratch)
Ingredients
If using pre-cooked polenta
- 1 package pre-cooked polenta, ( around 500g/17.5oz )
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Pinch of salt and pepper, (if needed, see notes)
If using quick cook polenta
- 1 cup quick-cook polenta, (190g)
- 3 + 1/3 cups chicken stock, (800ml)
- 4 tbsp butter, (60g)
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan, (30g)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sea salt flakes, (kosher salt)
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
If using pre-cooked polenta
- Pre-heat the oven to 430F/220C.
- Remove the pre-cooked polenta from it’s packet and pat dry if it has any excess moisture.
- Cut the polenta into fries, try to make them roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Add the olive oil, herbs and pepper (no salt) to a large bowl and add the polenta fries. Toss to coat them in the oil and herbs.
- Place the fries on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
If making polenta from scratch (quick-cook)
- Add the chicken stock to a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and slowly add the polenta whilst stirring until all the polenta is fully incorporated.
- Next, add the butter, parmesan, herbs and salt and stir until the butter has melted and the polenta has thickened slightly (2-3 minutes).
- Pour the cooked polenta into a lined baking dish (10x8 inch) and spread it out evenly. Let the polenta cool completely then chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Pre-heat the oven to 430F/220C.
- Once chilled and completely set, remove the polenta from the tray and cut into fries.
- Place the fries on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve with as a side or appetizer.
Video
Notes
- If you're using pre-cooked polenta (store-bought) then pat it dry before cutting into fries.
- Pre-cooked polenta can be heavily seasoned with salt (different brands will vary) so I find it best to only season with salt if they need it (try them first once baked).
- It doesn't matter if your pre-cooked polenta comes in a tube or box you'll still be able to cut them into fries.
- Cut the fries roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- If making polenta from scratch then you'll want to give it 1-hour minimum in the fridge to set but you can prepare it in advance and store it overnight.
- Chicken stock can be replaced with vegetable stock or just water.
- I love baking these fries because it's so much easier and healthier but you can fry them in vegetable or sunflower oil until crisp and golden!
- Leftover fries can be frozen (both before and after cooking).
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used pre cooked polenta. Not bad. Im sure from scratch it would taste even better. I dipped them in ketchup but felt like it would’ve tasted better with a creamy dip. Any dip recommendations?
Love this recipe & come back to it time and again.
Thank you.
The recipe is great. I cannot stress enough, though, making sure the polenta really sets before cutting it and baking it. First, I burned mine. Duh, but then it was too wet and I didn’t take the time to fully let it set. It baked up crispy eventually, but it took a really long time.
I made polenta fries with the extra polenta I made. Great Recipe. Made a spicy dipping sauce, that went great with the fries. Now I know what to do with the extra polenta.
Great recipe. i’ve been cooking for 50
+ years, so it isn’t often that I run across a new idea. i was looking for a different but easy side to accompany duck breast in a red wine reduction tonight. This was it! My cooking time seemed to be a little less than yours, so watch closely.
Hi Cheryl, so happy you enjoyed them, sounds like a delicious meal!