Keto French fries pan fried perfectly to a crisp and a great low carb alternative at only 4g net carbs per serving. Easy to make, easy to enjoy by themselves or dipped in a sugar free ketchup!
French fries next to a bunless burger sounds like heaven. But, when you’re keto French fries weren’t an option, until now. Now, you can have delicious keto fries made with turnips. I’ve seen jicama and maybe they do work but I found turnips to be the best for French fries. To add, you have to fry them. Put the air fryer away because it’s just not the same.
What Are Keto Fries Made Of
Are sweet potato French fries keto? Well, you’d think with slow digesting carbs they will work but no. They are loaded with carbs and starches. To add, in restaurants they flour or bread everything. In this recipe, I use turnips which are also a root vegetable. A small turnip is only 3g net carbs versus a small sweet potato that’s 12g net carbs. Meaning, you can eat way more without having to count calories.
Ingredients Needed
- Turnips
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
- Whey Protein Isolate (optional)
- Beef Tallow for frying
How To Make Keto French Fries
To start, cut up and boil the turnips until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Don’t let them get too soft. This precook helps with flavor and allows them to fry for a shorter amount of time, mainly flavor.
Remove them from the boiling water and pat them dry. Season them well on all sides. Now, the trick to the crispiness is the whey protein isolate. You don’t have to use it but if you don’t the fries will still be delicious just not crispy.
Heat up a deep fryer or frying pan. Right before placing the fries into the heated oil this is where you sprinkle the whey protein isolate across the top of them. Just one side is fine because if you try do all sides it’ll melt and all off before you can place in the oil.
Then, when placing them into the oil give them a little space.
Lastly, once they have a great color and are tender remove them and serve.
How To Store
If you happen to have some keto fries left then storing them is easy. Place them in a sandwich bag or a storage container and place in the refrigerator. They should last 2-3 days. To freeze, I’d say freeze the fries you don’t plan to eat before cooking them. That way when it’s time to eat them you can have fresh tasting French fries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are French Fries Keto Friendly?
No they aren’t! French fries are made with potatoes and starches. Now, when made at home they have less of these things but potatoes themselves just aren’t keto friendly at all. A great alternative to the turnips I use would be jicama.
Can I Eat Potatoes On Keto
According to the USDA, a medium potato is 32g net carbs. This is far above the 20g net carbs that are recommended on the keto diet. You may say, I can just eat but let’s be honest. Who wants to eat 5 French fries? You want to enjoy them and even a small amount is just too much. Instead you can enjoy this recipe that’s only 4g net carbs per serving.
Dipping Sauces For Keto French Fries
Recipes To Eat With Keto Fries
Keto French Fries
Equipment
- vegetable peeler
- frying pan
Ingredients
- 3 small turnips (6-7 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon unflavored whey protein isolate
- beef tallow for frying (or duck fat)
Instructions
- Peel and slice raw turnips
- (Optional step) flash boil turnips by dropping in salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Remove as soon as turnips begin to get soft. Drop in cold water to stop cooking and dry them then move to next step.
- Make rub and take half to season fries. Simply toss them in the seasoning to evenly coat them. You can use more than half if needed but save some for next step.
- Add 2 TB of whey protein isolate into remaining rub
- Before proceeding to the next steps have your lard/oil in a frying pan ready to heat. If you take too long the whey protein isolate will melt due to the water releasing from the turnips
- Lay all your fries out spread out evenly. Such as on a baking sheet, cutting board or your counter. With a strainer sprinkle the rub with the added whey protein across the tops of all the fries. DO NOT FLIP. Just one side is enough.
- Quickly heat up lard or oil in a pan. Once up to temperature drop the fries in whey protein isolate side up. Have temperture medium/high but not too hot.
- Allow to brown in oil. If shallow you can flip them. I prefer to use a small pan so it doesn't take much oil to cover the french fries. That way no flipping is required.
- Browning should take 2-3 minutes but the second you see the color remove them quickly.
- Serve right after no need to wait, with ketchup. Enjoy.
Notes
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Flash boil turnips for 3-5 minutes to get that raw flavor out. You can skip this step because I don’t personally mind myself. But, if it’s an issue to you this extra step makes a very noticeable difference.
- Do not bake! Baking does not produce a crispy fry and skipping the whey protein isolate will take away the crispy texture as well.
- Sprinkle whey protein on one side only. It’s pointless to add on all sides due to it falling off when frying. I explain this in the video.