Easy Rosemary Garlic Fries with Lemon Dipping Sauce

Turn regular fries into something special with these Easy Rosemary Garlic Fries with Lemon Dipping Sauce.

​When I Say Easy, I Mean Easy

What’s better than a plain old french fry? Easy rosemary garlic fries with lemon dipping sauce, that’s what. And let me tell you, when I say easy, I mean E-A-S-Y!  

These delectable fries are easy because they start off with frozen fries. Yes, just the oven-baked fries you find in your local grocery store. I’m all for making fries from scratch, but this is a great way to keep things extra quick and easy if dinner needs to happen fast.

But quick and easy does not mean boring and bland. Tossing ordinary frozen oven fries with fresh rosemary and garlic brings them to a new, delicious level.

As soon as the rosemary and garlic hit the hot fries there is an amazing aroma and the flavor is fantastic. The fries are really good just like that, but the lemon dipping sauce raises the french fry bar even higher.

A Lemon Dipping Sauce Tops This Off

Trust me, you don’t want to skip the dipping sauce, as rosemary and lemon go so well together. The dipping sauce is super creamy and the lemon gives it an amazing, bright flavor. 

Plus, it’s so quick and easy to make. Just stir together Greek yogurt, a little mayo, lemon juice and zest along with a couple more ingredients and you’re ready to start dipping away.

Can I Use Homemade French Fries?

I’ve made this recipe super easy by using frozen french fries, but if you want to try your hand at homemade fries to use here, I won’t stop you! This recipe I found for Homemade Double Fried French Fries is a great place to start.

If you do this, I highly suggest using Russet potatoes as they have proven to be some of the best potatoes for making fries. However, a fun alternative would be using sweet potatoes to make rosemary garlic sweet potato fries. Still a great combination of flavors.

Is This Lemon Dipping Sauce Considered an Aioli?

In a traditional sense, the answer is no. This dipping sauce is mayo and yogurt-based which is not the same as a traditional aioli base.

A true garlic aioli recipe is a combination of two simple ingredients (olive oil and raw garlic) that has been emulsified. Mayo is also an emulsification, but with egg yolks and a more neutral oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil or avocado oil. 

Aioli emulsification occurs as you put small drops of olive oil into the garlic while mashing vigorously. Add enough olive oil and mash long enough, and you have yourself a homemade aioli. You can also use a food processor or blender if you don’t want to go with the old-school mortar and pestle and make a more “easy garlic aioli”.

So, at the end of the process you have a garlicky creamy spread that acts pretty much like a mayo. However, traditional aioli typically has an intense garlic flavor that would likely be more intense than a garlic mayo.

When Restaurants Serve an Aioli, What am I Getting?

While you may see a delicious aioli on the menu, often times that creamy aioli is a flavored mayo. Most of us don’t really know the difference and aioli certainly sounds a lot fancier than mayo!

And frankly, there are so many variations of aioli and mayo these days that it’s hard to keep track and really know. So, unless you have a specific allergy to raw eggs, it comes down to does it taste great or not!?

How About Some Easy Rosemary Fries with Lemon Dipping Sauce for Dinner Tonight?

This is definitely one of the easier recipes you will find for some delicious crispy fries. See below for some great mains to pair these with and you have yourself a tasty meal tonight.

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• These fries are a great side dish, but are also a fantastic party appetizer.
• In a pinch, you can substitute dried rosemary. But, the fresh rosemary will be much more fragrant and flavorful than dried.
• If you prefer not to use full fat Greek yogurt, low fat or fat free can be substituted. I wouldn’t recommend regular yogurt because the sauce will not turn out as thick and rich.
• It’s important to chop the fresh rosemary and garlic very finely, so that it’s well-distributed in the french fries.

Ingredients Needed for Easy Rosemary Garlic Fries

Fully instructions are found below in the recipe card

• Frozen french fries (skinny) – Any french fry brand you like will work for this recipe, just make sure they’re skinny fries.
• Fresh rosemary – Highly recommend fresh over dried for maximum flavor.
• Garlic clove – If you can’t find a large clove, you can use two smaller garlic cloves. You want maximum fresh garlic flavor.
• Whole fat Greek yogurt – Whole fat is preferred for it’s richness, but low fat or fat free Greek yogurt can be substituted.
• Mayonnaise – Whatever your favorite brand is will work for the sauce.
• Lemon – You’ll be using both the zest and the juice for the dipping sauce.
• Salt
• Garlic powder – This will be used to season the dipping sauce.

How to Make Easy Garlic Fries with Lemon Dipping Sauce

• Bake french fries according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, finely chop rosemary and garlic together. You want it very finely chopped.
• Set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, mayo, lemon zest and juice, salt and garlic powder, until well combined.
• Once fries are done baking, toss with rosemary-garlic mixture in a large bowl.
• Serve with dipping sauce.

Main Dishes to Serve with Easy Rosemary Garlic Fries with Lemon Dipping Sauce

• Easy Oven-to-Grill Baby Back Ribs
• Freezer Friendly Panko Breaded Chicken Breasts
• Italian Style Sheet Pan Chicken and Green Beans
• Meatball Sub Sliders
• Sweet and Sticky Grilled Chicken
• Garlic Butter Steak
• Most Amazing BLT Sandwich

ENJOY!