These are the best oven baked fries you’ve ever tasted! Tossed in a homemade za’atar spice mix, they are salty, sour and loaded with fresh herbs – plus, they are healthy too!

Oven Baked Za’atar Fries

“What could you eat every day for the rest of your life and never get tired of?” was a question that went around the table at the last dinner party I attended. Some answered sushi while others preferred something sweeter like chocolate. I picked French fries because of their addictive crispy texture and the fact that they are such a great vehicle for flavor. Of course, I could eat chocolate every day and be just as happy but fries and gravy is more my thing. Fries with vinegar and salt is also my thing. Fries with chili and melted cheese is, well, you get the idea. Anything with fries is my thing while anything with chocolate isn’t necessarily my thing. So you see the logic behind why I had to pick fries – because they never disappoint and always satisfy!

I love French fries so much that I got Ben addicted to them. Now every time we order from Seamless, if fries are on the menu, he gets them. One particular place we love to order from is this Middle Eastern spot that sells za’atar fries. Along with a couple of falafel falafel wraps we get za’atar fries, which are fries tossed in this amazing mix of citrusy, peppery and aromatic spice mix.

SO SO GOOD.

Then a few weeks ago, while we were in Montreal, our friend Marc took us to his favorite Middle Eastern restaurant called Sumac. We ate like kings and queens and the za’atar fries were once again spectacular. This got me thinking that I should make my own at home. I went on Amazon, ordered myself a bag of ground sumac and browsed the net for an easy za’atar spice mix recipe. To keep the recipe healthy, I decided to bake the potatoes instead of deep frying them. And just like that – bam! – I made a delicious batch of healthy oven baked za’atar fries.

It’s an easy recipe guys. So easy that it’s fail proof and so good you’ll want to make it every day!

You only need eight ingredients for this dish:

• Potatoes
• Olive oil
• Ground sumac
• Sesame seeds
• Fresh thyme
• Fresh oregano
• Salt
• Pepper

The crispy texture of the fries will surprise you. Tossing the fries in a little olive oil and baking them at a high temperature makes them crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. No deep frying needed and they are absolutely scrumptious!

What is sumac?

Sumac is a spice made from red berries that are dried and ground into a fine powder. The fruit comes from a bush that can be found in subtropical and temperate regions such as North America, Africa and East Asia. It’s often used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking on salads, as a rub or to add tartness to a dish. It is sold in Middle Eastern markets or can be purchased online.

A little za’atar goes a long way

Two tablespoons of za’atar is all you will need for this batch of fries. Because the flavor of sumac is quite sour, using too much can overpower the natural taste of the potatoes. We are looking to strike the perfect balance of flavor so I suggest starting with a little and do a taste test. Need more flavor? Sprinkle an additional teaspoon and taste it again. Got leftover za’atar spice mix? Good for you! Store it in a dry place and use it next time you make this dish again.

You won’t believe how delicious these oven baked za’atar fries are. And because they are relatively healthy, they make an excellent late night snack guaranteed to satisfy the naughty side in you!

Other healthy and yummy snack recipes:

• Guasacaca
• Tuna and sesame omusubi
• Cauliflower pizza
• Spicy tuna rolls
• Edamame with sriracha Buffalo sauce

Did you like this Oven Baked Za’atar Fries Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share?

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