These baked polenta fries are perfect for dipping in your favourite sauce or alongside any dish you’d usually pair with chips. Crisp and golden on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle, they are fragrant with rosemary and warmed through with a gentle heat from the chilli. I made this particular batch to go with a homemade pepper sauce and they vanished at an unseemly speed!
Why Polenta Deserves a Place in Your Kitchen
Polenta is an underrated kitchen staple. It’s all too easy to shove it to the back of the cupboard and forget about it, which really is a waste. Made from ground cornmeal, it’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, and incredibly versatile.
You can serve polenta straight from the pan as a creamy alternative to mashed potato, or take it a step further.
Once cooked and cooled, it sets firm, making it ideal for slicing into fries or chips that bake up beautifully crisp. It also slices neatly into wedges and grills well, making it a great addition to summer barbecues.
What Are Polenta Fries?
Polenta fries are made by cooking polenta, letting it cool and set, then slicing it into thick chips and baking until crisp. Turning them halfway through helps them colour evenly and crisp up on all sides.
If you want them even crispier, it’s worth making a double batch and reheating one tray in the oven another day — I did!
Ingredients for Polenta Fries
A printable recipe card with all quantities can be found at the bottom of this post.
- Quick-cook polenta – quick-cook polenta makes this dish super easy and it certainly encourages me to cook it more often!
- Water – you can use vegetable stock if you want an even more savoury flavour.
- Bay leaves – fresh or dried
- Fresh rosemary – you can use dried if you wish
- Chives
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli to taste
- Salt
- Olive oil
How To Make Polenta Chips (Step-by-Step)
There is a printable recipe card with ingredient quantities and full method at the bottom of this post, do scroll straight down if you want to!
- Fry the aromatics– Gently fry the shallot and garlic gently in olive oil until soft and aromatic.
- Cook the polenta – Add bay leaves to the water and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until smooth and pulling away from the sides of the pan (about 5 minutes).
- Remove the bay leaves and discard.
- Add flavour – While the polenta is hot, thoroughly stir in the fried shallot, garlic and their oil, chilli flakes, chopped herbs and salt.
- Let the polenta set – Spread the mixture into a lined tray and smooth the top. Leave to cool completely until firm. This step is essential for clean slices and crispy results.
- Slice into fries – Turn out the set polenta and cut into chunky fries or thinner chips, depending on your preference.
- Bake until golden – Arrange the fries on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and bake in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes, turning halfway through, until crisp and golden.
Top Tips for Extra Crispy Polenta Fries
For the best texture every time:
- Let the polenta cool completely before cutting
- Use a hot oven and don’t overcrowd the tray
- Turn the fries halfway through baking
How to Serve Polenta Chips
These baked polenta fries are delicious on their own, but even better with dips and sides:
- Hummus or Hot Pepper Sauce
- Guacamole or BBQ Sauce
- Vegan Mayo or Salsa
- Tomato Ketchup or Sweet Pepper Sauce
- A squeeze of lemon and extra rosemary
They also work well as a side to grilled vegetables, salads, or stews, and are best eaten straight from the oven while still hot and crunchy.
Make Ahead & Storage
Polenta fries are ideal for making ahead. You can cook and season the polenta, spread it into a tray, and refrigerate it once cooled for up to 2 days before slicing and baking.
Leftover baked polenta chips can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer until crisp again. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as it will soften them.
Polenta fries also freeze well. Freeze the sliced, unbaked polenta in a single layer, then transfer to a container. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Simple, Homemade Comfort Food
My crispy polenta fries with rosemary and chilli prove that comfort food doesn’t need to be complicated. With just a few ingredients and a little patience, polenta transforms into something deeply satisfying and endlessly adaptable.
Once you start making polenta chips this way, they do tend to become a regular feature, especially when you want something cosy, wholesome, and made from scratch.
If You Like These Polenta Fries, You Might Like:
- Hot Red Pepper Sauce to go with them
- Easy Vegan Naan Bread
- Traditional Mashed Potato Cakes
- Homemade Vegan BBQ Sauce
- Grilled Polenta Triangles
- Polenta Baskets with Garlic Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Crispy Baked Polenta Fries (Polenta Chips) with Rosemary and Chilli
Equipment
- 1 non stick pan I don't usual recommend these but they are very useful here to stop the polenta sticking. I use a very well seasoned cast iron pan which also does the job.
- 1 Baking Tray lined with baking parchment
Ingredients
- 100 g quick-cook polenta
- 600 ml water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large shallot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for baking
- 1 sprig rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chives chopped
Instructions
- Grease and line a baking tray, preheat oven to 200C/180Fan/390F
- Bring water to a gentle boil in a non stick saucepan. Add salt and bay leaves.
- Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook until smooth and pulling away from the sides of the pan (about 5 minutes).
- Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared tray and smooth the top. Leave to cool completely until firm. This step is essential for clean slices and crispy results.
- Turn out the set polenta and cut into chunky fries or thinner chips, depending on your preference.
- Arrange the fries on a baking tray, brush with olive oil, and bake in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes, turning halfway through, until crisp and golden.
Notes
Nutrition
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