Name: Polenta Fries
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: ½ cup mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons minced tarragon; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 cup marinara sauce; 3 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock; 1 ½ cups coarse ground yellow cornmeal; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 3 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Polenta fries in a basket with dipping sauces next to it.

We both love these baked Polenta Fries so much! They’re crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside and best of all, they’re baked! We love serving them as a appetizers because they’re so snackable, but they also make a really delicious side dish for simple dinners like Oven Baked Chicken Thighs, Spatchcock Chicken and Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Brisket!

How to Make Baked Polenta Fries

Polenta fries ingredients laid out on a counter.

Process

Pour stock into a saucepan and simmer. Slowly whisk in cornmeal until fully incorporated, lower heat and continue to stir until mixture is thick and creamy.
Stir in butter, some Parmesan and salt. Season with black pepper. Stir until no lumps remain.

Polenta with butter and cheese in a skillet.

Polenta in a pot mixed with butter and cheese.

Pour mixture into a parchment lined 9”x13” baking sheet with a 1” lip.
Evenly spread and cool mixture before placing into the refrigerator. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
Remove polenta from refrigerator and invert onto a clean cutting board. Remove parchment and cut polenta into sticks.

A slab of polenta cut up into french fries.

Preheat oven. Line a half sheet pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray. Line polenta fries onto prepared baking sheet. Spray polenta fries with cooking spray.
Bake fries until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and top with remaining grated Parmesan.

Polenta fries on a baking sheet waiting to be baked.

Transfer fries to a platter and serve fries with tarragon aioli and marinara sauce.

Polenta fries with parmesan in a basket with aioli.

How To Make Tarragon Aioli

Ingredients for a tarragon aioli all laid on on a kitchen surface.

Process

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to use.

Tarragon aioli ingredients in a bowl to be mixed together.

Aioli mixed together in a bowl with a spoon.

Tools You Will Need for This Recipe

Making Polenta Fries in an Air Fryer

Once polenta fries have been cut, spray air fryer basket with cooking spray. Line basket with fries, 1/2 inch apart. Heat air fryer to 400˚F. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from basket and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Make Ahead and Freezing our Baked Polenta Fries

Make Ahead

Polenta Fries can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Once fries have baked, cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 days.

To reheat, pat fries dry with a paper towel. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line fries onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until heated through and fries crisp back up. Immediately top with grated Parmesan and serve.

Freezing

Unlike potato French fries, these baked polenta fries freeze and reheat very well. Once refrigerated polenta has been sliced into fries, transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Then transfer polenta fries to freezer and freeze until each fry is fully frozen, then transfer to a resealable, freezer safe bag. Remove as much air from the bag as possible and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To reheat, Preheat oven to 450˚F. Transfer frozen fries onto a parchment lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake fries for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Immediately top fries with grated Parmesan and serve.

What to Serve with our Polenta Fries?

We love serving our polenta fries as an appetizer, before the start of a meal, but we also like to serve our fries as a side dish with a meal. Some of our favorite dishes to serve our polenta fries with are:

Other French Fry Alternative Recipes You Will Love

Check out our google web story for Polenta Fries!

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