Baked Polenta Fries

Name: Baked Polenta Fries
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 500 g polenta; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper

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If you are looking for a side dish that takes minimal effort, then Baked Polenta Fries are for you. You just put them in the oven and wait for them to get all crispy and golden brown on the outside and creamy and delicious in the middle. A great alternative to potato fries and lot of different options for seasoning too.

A plate of Baked Polenta Fries next to a red towel.

These Polenta Chips (or Fries if you like) can be eaten as a side dish, appetiser or just eaten as a snack. We would happily eat chips every day of the week, and sometimes do. But when they start to get a bit boring, we change things up a bit and use something other than white potato to make them.

Sometimes we make Sweet Potato Fries, Baked Carrot Fries or our Baked Garlic Potato Wedges, but recently we have been making these polenta fries a lot.

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What is polenta?
Why should you try it?
What you will need
Step by step
Seasoning
What to serve these with
FAQ
Extra tips
More side dishes
Recipe

What is polenta?

Polenta is a fairly new ingredient to our house, but where has it been all our lives? It's amazing! Polenta is boiled cornmeal and then it can be set in blocks (which you can buy in supermarkets where the pasta is) and then cut that in to chips.

It's a Northern Italian store cupboard staple that is made by grinding corn into flour. It has a rich yellow colour, and has a slightly sweet flavour.

Although you can eat it thick and creamy like a porridge, if you allow it to set then you can cut it up and fry or bake it. You serve it instead of potatoes, pasta or rice or use it in place of breadcrumbs to coat chicken or fish when frying - it has a really nice texture.

We buy the blocks ready made to make our chips, but you can cook the cornmeal up yourself to save money.

Why should you try it?

A delicious alternative to potato fries
Crispy on the outside fluffy in the centre
Lots of seasoning options
Just 107 calories a serving

What you will need

Polenta - we used a pre-cooked block of polenta to make these, as it saves so much time. However, you could make it yourself from scratch by boiling and simmering polenta in stock and them pouring it in to a lined baking tray and cooling and then putting in the fridge to chill overnight. You can then cut it like you would a pre-cooked block.
Olive oil - you can swap this for sunflower or vegetable oil.
Garlic granules - garlic is a simple flavour to add, but you can add any flavours you like. Add a Cajun or Mexican seasoning or even some curry powder for an Indian twist.
Salt and pepper - these polenta fries need to be well seasoned.

Step by step

One: Cut the polenta in to fries and put on a baking tray.

polenta cut into fries on a black baking tray.

Two: Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Put in a preheated oven at 200C for 45-50 minutes, or until crispy.

Oven Baked Polenta Fries on a black baking tray.

Three: Serve with dips.

Baked Polenta Fries on a white plate with small pots of ketchup and mayonnaise.

Seasoning

We try to make our recipes as adaptable as possible, and that usually comes down to the seasonings. We just added some garlic to these, to keep it simple, but there is so much more that you can do with them. Herbs are always a good addition and some dried oregano and thyme work well.

Fancy something spicy? A sprinkle of cayenne goes a long way here or even some fajita seasoning. If you like your fries cheesy, and who doesn't, then about 10 minutes before the polenta chips are cooked, sprinkle some finely grated Parmesan on them and put them back in the oven. Cheesy chip perfection!

What to serve these with

Chips need dip. It's some kind of law or something. We have got you covered with a wide selection of dips that would go perfectly with these. Why not try our Healthier Homemade Ketchup or Healthy BBQ Sauce if you want to keep it traditional. Want something a bit creamier? Try dipping these in to our Homemade Healthy Ranch.

Polenta chips on a red rimmed plate with two pots of dip.

FAQ

Can you make baked polenta fries in advance?

You can chop the polenta in to chips and add the oil and seasoning and then put on a tray and cover. They can stay like this for a few hours until you are ready to put them in the oven to cook them.

Can you make baked polenta fries in advance

How to make the polenta from scratch

We used a pre-cooked block of polenta to make these, as it saves so much time. However, you could make it yourself from scratch by boiling and simmering polenta in stock and them pouring it in to a lined baking tray and cooling and then putting in the fridge to chill overnight. You can then cut it like you would a pre-cooked block.

Can you make polenta fries in the air fryer?

Yes, these get lovely and crispy in the air fryer and will take just 10-15 minutes.

Extra tips

Keep the seasonings simple, or get really creative. Cayenne or fajita seasoning adds some spice or some oregano and thyme add some Italian flavour.
Make these cheesy by adding a sprinkle or Parmesan 10 minutes before they are finished.
Serve with our healthy ketchup and BBQ sauce or our healthy ranch dressing.
If using store bought polenta, then pat it dry before slicing it up.
Make sure that all the chips are cut to the same size, so they cook evenly.

More side dishes

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