Polenta Fries

4.59 from 12 votes

Our baked Polenta Fries make a delicious appetizer or can be served as a delicious side dish. They're crisp on the outside and slightly creamy on the inside. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Cooling and Chilling Time1 20

Total Time2 15

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, snacks

Cuisine: Italian, Italian-american

Servings:

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

tarragon aioli

½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced tarragon
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

marinara

1/2 cup marinara sauce

polenta fries

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

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Tarragon Aioli

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

Baked Polenta Fries

Pour stock into a medium saucepan, place over medium heat and simmer. Slowly whisk in cornmeal until fully incorporated, lower heat to low and continue to stir for about 20 minutes, until mixture is thick and creamy.
Stir in butter, 2 ounces Parmesan and salt. Season with black pepper.
Stir until no lumps remain, then pour mixture into a parchment lined 9”x13” baking sheet with a 1” lip. Evenly spread and allow mixture to cool for about 20 minutes before placing into the refrigerator. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Remove polenta from refrigerator and invert onto a clean cutting board. Remove parchment and cut polenta into 1”x 3” sticks.
Preheat oven to 450˚F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray. Line polenta fries onto prepared baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Spray polenta fries with cooking spray.
Bake fries for about 25 minutes or until fries are golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and top with remaining grated Parmesan.
Transfer fries to a platter and serve fries with tarragon aioli and marinara sauce (optional).

Notes

Air Fryer Polenta Fries

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

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.

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