Seasoned Garlic Crab Fries with Aioli
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French fries topped with seafood? There’s nothing better. These seasoned garlic crab fries with aioli are crispy, double-fried fries tossed in Old Bay seasoning and finished with sweet crab meat, crispy garlic, jalapeños, and a rich homemade garlic aioli. Inspired by boardwalk-style seafood snacks, this recipe combines bold seasoning, crunchy texture, and buttery crab flavor into the ultimate shareable appetizer or game day dish. . If you love loaded appetizers and seafood-forward comfort food, you’ll also want to try my lobster & truffle mac and cheese or these crispy battered fish and chips next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant-style flavor – Double-fried potatoes, Old Bay seasoning, and garlic aioli create bold boardwalk-inspired flavor at home.
- Perfect for sharing – Loaded fries make an ideal appetizer, game day snack, or party dish.
- Incredible texture – Crispy fries, tender crab, crunchy garlic, and creamy aioli balance every bite.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Crab – I love using the meat from the claw of the crabs for this recipe because it has a stronger crab taste. The meat comes from the swimming claws of the crab and are more active muscles so the meat is fattier and darker in color – more pink and brown rather than pure white like the lump meat. Using the claw meat will let the flavor of the crab shine with the seasoned fries.
- Potatoes – In this recipe I use Russet potatoes, also known as Idaho potatoes. They’re large, starchy, oblong potatoes known for being the ideal baking potato. When cooked they become soft and light on the inside while frying them in the duck fat leaves them extra crispy on the outside.
- Old Bay – Old Bay Seasoning is a blend of savory spices like celery salt, bay leaf, mustard powder and black pepper among others, and it’s commonly used to flavor seafood like crab, lobster and other shellfish.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
Double frying the potatoes is key for achieving extra crispy fries with a fluffy interior, so don’t skip the second fry or overcrowd the pan.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Crab meat: Lump crab meat or even imitation crab can be used depending on budget and preference.
- Old Bay seasoning: Cajun seasoning or seafood seasoning blends can be substituted for a different flavor profile.
- Russet potatoes: Frozen fries can be used for a quicker shortcut version.
- Garlic aioli: Store-bought garlic aioli or seasoned mayonnaise can replace homemade aioli.
- Jalapeños: Pickled jalapeños or sliced Fresno chiles work well for added heat and acidity.
All About Aioli
Want to know a fun fact that a lot of people don’t realize? Aioli is just garlic mayo. When people say they hate mayonnaise but love aioli I can’t help but laugh. If you don’t have the energy to hand whisk your aioli, it can also be made in a food processor (a blender only works for larger quantities because of how high the blades are). You can also whisk the garlic, salt and lemon juice into ½ cup of store-bought mayonnaise as a shortcut. As a safety precaution, be careful with raw egg yolks! They’re not recommended for pregnant women or elderly people.
What’s the Best Way to Cook Fries?
Take a look at the step-by-step photos above for getting that perfect fry shape. Once the fries are formed, cook them using a double fry method, first at a lower temperature to cook the potatoes then again at a higher temperature to crisp the outside. Working in smaller batches takes a bit more time, but it helps to keep the temperature of the oil even. Adding too many fries will drop the temperature of the oil considerably.
Tips For the Perfect Fries
- Take breaks in between batches so the oil can come back to the desired temperature. Every time food is added to hot oil the temperature decreases drastically. Allowing time for it to heat back up again results in an even fry among batches.
- Get an infrared thermometer to find the accurate temperature of oil quickly and easily.
- I fry most foods in a cast iron skillet. They retain and evenly distributes heat well, keeping it at a more even temperature.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Leave space so the food cooks evenly.
- I also recommend keeping a small fire extinguisher in your kitchen just to be safe!
How to Make Seasoned Garlic Crab Fries with Aioli (Step-by-Step)
- Rinse the potatoes. Slice the peeled potatoes into ¼-inch thick planks and cut each plank into ¼ -inch fries. Add the cut fries to a large bowl filled with cold water and the vinegar and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Fry the potatoes. In a heavy-bottomed pot add enough oil to reach 2-inches up the pan. Heat the oil to 250ºF. While the oil heats, drain the fries and pat completely dry. Working in batches, add a handful of the fries to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat. Use tongs to remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fries. Let all the fries cool to room temperature then increase the temperature of the oil to 350ºF.
- Fry for a second time and season. Working in batches again, add fries to the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet once more to drain. Add all of the fries to a large mixing bowl and toss with the Old Bay spice.
- Fry the garlic. Add the garlic to a fine mesh strainer and carefully lower it into the oil until the garlic is crispy, about 15 seconds then drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks. Place a medium-mixing bowl on a kitchen towel (this will keep it from moving). Add the egg yolk, garlic, salt and 2 teaspoons of water to the bowl, whisking to combine.
- Slowly add the oils. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the grape-seed oil into the bowl 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is thick and emulsified. Continue to whisk constantly and add the olive oil, drizzling it in slowly, about a tablespoon at a time. Whisk in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble and serve. Divide the fries among serving bowls and top with crabmeat. Drizzle with aioli and top with jalapeños, chives and crispy garlic. Serve immediately.
How to Serve Seasoned Garlic Crab Fries with Aioli
- As a shareable appetizer: Serve on a large platter with extra aioli and lemon wedges on the side.
- Game day style: Pair with cold beer, seafood boils, or wings for a crowd-friendly spread.
- Boardwalk-inspired: Serve in paper-lined baskets or cups for a casual seafood shack presentation.
- With extra toppings: Add pickled peppers, extra chives, or hot sauce for additional flavor and texture.
How to Store Seasoned Garlic Crab Fries with Aioli
- Refrigerator: Store fries, crab, and aioli separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days.
- Reheating fries: Reheat in a 375°F oven or air fryer until crisp again.
- Aioli: Keep refrigerated and stir before serving if separation occurs.
- Assembly: Assemble just before serving to keep the fries crispy and prevent sogginess.
- Do not freeze: Freezing can negatively affect both the fry texture and aioli consistency.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Double frying helps create fries that are crispy on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy inside.
You can prep the aioli and fry the potatoes once ahead of time, then complete the second fry and assemble just before serving for the best texture.
Claw meat is ideal because it has a richer, more pronounced crab flavor, though lump crab meat also works well.
Yes, you can use an air fryer for the fries to reduce oil while still achieving a crispy texture, though the results may be slightly less rich than deep frying.
Other Recipes to Try
If you loved the fun, shareable element of these seasoned garlic crab fries, check out some of my other favorite seafood sides below:
- Maryland Style Crab Cakes
- Crab Salad with Popped Quinoa and Tarragon Dressing
- Duck Fat Fries with Duck Confit and Kimchi
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Seasoned Garlic Crab Fries with Aioli
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Ingredients:
For the seasoned fries:
- 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
- 3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
For the aioli:
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional as needed
- ¼ cup grapeseed oil
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
For serving:
- ½ cup lump crab meat
- 1 medium jalapeño, seeds removed and diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions:
For the fries:
- Slice the peeled potatoes into ¼-inch thick planks and cut each plank into ¼ -inch fries. Add the cut fries to a large bowl filled with cold water and the vinegar and let sit for 30 minutes.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot add enough oil to reach 2-inches up the pan. Heat the oil to 250ºF. While the oil heats, drain the fries and pat completely dry. Working in batches, add a handful of the fries to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fries. Let all the fries cool to room temperature then increase the temperature of the oil to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Working in batches again, add fries to the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet once more to drain. Add all of the fries to a large mixing bowl and toss with the Old Bay spice.
- Add the garlic to a fine mesh strainer and carefully lower it into the oil until the garlic is crispy, about 15 seconds then drain on paper towels and set aside.
For the garlic aioli:
- Place a medium-mixing bowl on a kitchen towel (this will keep it from moving). Add the egg yolk, garlic, salt and 2 teaspoons of water to the bowl, whisking to combine.
- Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the grapeseed oil into the bowl 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is thick and emulsified. Continue to whisk constantly and add the olive oil, drizzling it in slowly, about a tablespoon at a time. Whisk in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For serving:
- Divide the fries among serving bowls and top with crabmeat. Drizzle with aioli and top with jalapenos, chives and crispy garlic. Serve immediately.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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This is very really unique helpful information. keep it up. Thank you so much! https://www.gmdrecipes.com/
On Tue, Jul 2, 2019 at 4:49 PM Gmd Ron <gmdron333@gmail.com> wrote: