Crispy Baked Polenta Fries (Gluten-Free)

When my partner, Ben, went gluten-free last summer as part of an elimination diet, it forced me (the primary household cook) to confront the fact that we were deeply committed bread and pasta people. The gluten-free shift required revisiting our whole grain pantry.

As I shelved the wheat-based ingredients, I reacquainted myself with some more neglected staples: a bag of coarse cornmeal among them. I grew up eating grits most weekends and love a bowl of creamy polenta, but Ben prefers more texture. That’s how these polenta fries became a family favorite. They are crispy on the outside with a toothsome texture and a subtle garlic and Italian seasoning flavor.

In my opinion, three things make this the best recipe for polenta fries. First, infusing flavor at every step of the cooking process. Second, cooking the polenta differently from the instructions on the bag. Third, these aren’t actually deep-fried! Instead, I use an oven or air fryer to maximize crispiness. No pot of oil required! 

Ingredients for Polenta Fries

• Water, stock, or broth: Water is fine, but when I have chicken stock or vegetable broth in the fridge, this polenta recipe is a great way to use them up! Either adds a savory backbone that pairs well with the sweet corn flavor of polenta. 
• Coarse cornmeal or polenta: Polenta is just coarse-ground cornmeal, and depending on what brand your market stocks, it may be labeled as one or the other. It’s usually in the baking or whole grain aisles. You can also make this recipe using a medium-grind cornmeal, but I would skip fine-milled as the fries may turn out pasty.
• Garlic: I boost the cooking liquid with a grated clove of fresh garlic to give the whole batch a mellow, savory garlic flavor. 
• Italian seasoning: Another way to boost the flavor of the cooking liquid, I add an already mixed up combination of herbs and aromatics. 
• Extra virgin olive oil: Used both to grease the pan before the polenta sets and to brush the fries before baking — it’s what gives them that golden, lightly crisped exterior. 
• Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper applied to the fries before baking add more savoriness and flavor. 
• Toppings: My toddler happily eats these polenta fries dipped in ketchup, but I like to dress them up with Parmesan and parsley. 

Pro Tips for Making Crispy Polenta Fries

After the first few batches I made took forever to crisp up, but through trial and error, I figured out how to make polenta fries that are chunky and substantial, with deeply golden edges and a creamy corn-sweet interior. I tested them fried, air-fried, in a traditional oven, and an oven with the convection setting. Here’s what to do:

• To get that crispy texture, the solution is to cook the polenta in slightly less liquid than I would for a loose, spoonable texture. The polenta still cooks to tenderness; it just sets up more firmly as it cools.
•  Leave the pan of polenta uncovered while chilling it. Because the hot steam is not trapped, the polenta cools faster, and the fridge kick-starts the drying process. This means less moisture to drive off in the final cooking step.
• I season the polenta twice. First, when cooking it, then again after cutting it into batons before baking or air frying. This ensures the fries are flavored all the way through.
• This recipe works in a standard oven and an oven with a convection setting. You don’t need to make any adjustments in heat or time using either setting.
• But a convection oven creates even crispier edges. The convection setting uses a fan to circulate hot air inside the oven. It encourages browning on all surfaces of food in the oven (rather than just the one in contact with the hot pan).
• If you have a deep fryer, you can absolutely fry these instead of baking them! Plan to fry them at 350°F for about 5 minutes.

Where are Polenta Fries From?

You’ll find polenta fritti, fried polenta, on many an apertivo spread of cocktail hour snacks throughout Italy. Though creamy polenta is primarily prepared in Northern Italy—Piedmont, Lombardy, and Veneto—fried polenta is more geographically neutral.

In the city of Bari, squares or triangles of deep-fried polenta called scagliozzi are a popular street food. You’ll find them throughout Puglia and in Naples and Sicily, too. In Campania they’re called scagliuozzi or scagliuzzielli, and anywhere else in Italy they’re also called bastoncini di polenta fritta.

What to Serve with Polenta Fries

These fries are excellent on their own, but dunking them in a warm marinara sauce takes them somewhere truly wonderful.

Other dipping sauces would be tasty too, especially this tangy, creamy feta dressing or, for something richer, garlicky aïoli.

As a side dish, polenta fries hold their own next to virtually any simply prepared protein. I’ve served them next to a wedge of vegetable frittata or baked meatballs for a casual weeknight dinner, and also with steak pizzaiola or spinach-stuffed chicken breasts for something a little fancier.