A simple way to dress up a crowd-pleasing favorite: Furikake French Fries with Spicy Mayo! Frozen french fries make it easy and fast. Deep fry until golden and crispy then top with spicy mayo and Furikake Japanese seasoning. A delicious snack, side dish, or party dish.

this recipe

What are Furikake Fries?

Furikake Fries are regular french fries seasoned with Spicy Mayo and Furikake, a Japanese seasoning. The combination of hot crispy french fries with creamy spicy mayo and salty crushed nori is so good!

I was inspired by the Okonomiyaki Fries at Flaming Kitchen, a restaurant in my area that specializes in Asian-fusion snacks and meals. The french fries were topped with furikake, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes. I went home and started making these at home.

So easy! So good! Furikake Fries is such a simple recipe and delicious, too. If you have a jar of furikake at home, it’s the perfect seasoning for so many food items. Salty and savory with a hint of sweetness.

More recipes with furikake: Furikake Chex Mix, Furikake Salmon, Hurricane Popcorn.

Tips for making French Fries at home

To make restaurant-quality, crispy fries at home, there are two essentials: 1) frozen french fries, and 2) deep frying!

In my humble opinion, frozen french fries are better than homemade. They come out perfectly crisp every time. Frozen fries are also more quick and convenient. They do not require dicing, peeling, soaking, and double frying.

Deep frying also makes for the perfect texture — crisp and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Although you can bake or air fry the fries — the taste and texture won’t be quite the same. Just make sure the oil is hot enough (a thermometer comes in handy) and don’t crowd the cooking pot.

Ingredients

• Frozen French Fries. An easy and convenient freezer staple. You could make homemade fries but frozen fries from a bag are even better — without all the work. I recommend shoestring fries which are thinly sliced. McCain Superfries But choose whatever you like — crinkle cut, straight cut, waffle fries, or curly fries.
• Furikake. A Japanese seasoning blend made from crushed nori, sesame seeds, salt, and sugar. A pantry staple with lots of umami flavor in my Korean American kitchen. Look for it at the Asian grocery store or make your own (recipe below)
• Spicy Mayo. Look for spicy mayo in a squeeze bottle. Hellman, Lee Kum Kee, and Kikkoman all make spicy mayo in a squeeze bottle. Or, use wasabi mayo or sriracha mayo. For a non-spicy version, use regular Kewpie Mayo.
• Cooking Oil. You’ll need enough oil for the fries to float — about 1-2 inches. Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point like Avocado oil, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil.

Additional toppings (optional):

• Bonito flakes. Shaved and smoked tuna flakes are a classic Japanese ingredient. If you have them, add a generous handful on top.
• Green onion. For freshness and color. Mince as finely as you can so it’s not too chunky.

How to make Furikake French Fries

1. Set up the deep frying station. Set up a Dutch Oven on the stovetop. Attach a candy thermometer on the side. Add 1-2 inches of cooking oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until the thermometer reaches 370F/187C.
2. Fry the french fries. Add the french fries to the hot oil. Make sure not to crowd the cooking pot and only add enough for a single layer. Be careful of oil splatter, as the frozen french fries are very cold. Deep fry until golden brown and crunchy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Transfer to a cooling rack. Remove the golden fries with a spider strainer or tongs. Transfer to a cooling rack that’s fitted over a sheet pan. Make sure to fry the rest of the french fries in batches so they don’t get soggy. And make sure the oil reaches 370F/187C once again before adding more fries.
4. Add spicy mayo + furikake. Transfer the fries to a serving dish. Drizzle the hot fries with spicy mayo from a squeeze bottle. Add generous sprinkles of furikake on top. If you’d like, you can also add bonito flakes and green onion.
5. Serve. Enjoy immediately!

PRO Tips

• Be generous with the furikake. Add the furikake seasoning generously. It will stick to the spicy mayo.
• Don’t crowd the fries. When deep frying, make sure to cook in batches. Add enough fries to make a single layer in the cooking pot.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Dutch Oven. Instead of buying a deep fryer, all you need is a Dutch Oven. The high walls prevent spilling and splater. The cast iron covered with enamel also retains the oil temperature better than a stainless steel pot.
• Thermometer. To gauge the oil temperature. Hot oil ensures crisp french fries that are not soggy.
• Cooling Rack + Baking Sheet. Allows air to circulate over and under the freshly cooked fries so they stay crispy. No more soggy fries!
• Tongs + Metal Spider. Helpful for removing the fries.

Serve with

Furikake Fries are a great side dish with hot dogs and burgers. I like to serve them with French Beef Dip Sandwiches and Gochujang Pulled Pork Sandwiches, as well.

Or, serve with a variety of other sides for a snacky dinner: fresh fruit, cut-up veggies, Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken, or Korean Triangle Kimchi Rice Balls. My favorite kind of dinner!

FAQ

More fun snacks:

• Kimchi Cheese Fries
• Queso Fundido Kimchi Dip
• Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli
• Soy Sauce + Garlice Korean Fried Chicken Wings
• Kimchi Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich