If you’re familiar with Italian polenta, you know this creamy porridge-like dish is infinitely adaptable (it’s like a chameleon — it takes on the flavor of the ingredients mixed into it!). Stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese, creamy mascarpone, a little butter, and whatever herbs you’ve got on hand — yes, really, any herbs! — then turn this beloved side dish into crispy polenta fries!
Here’s why we love this recipe so much:
- You can use any herbs!
- It puts a fun twist on an otherwise humble ingredient.
- Kids love them!
- Serve with any dip, just like fries: marinara sauce and homemade aioli are our go-tos.
- Finger food (always a good idea)!
Be sure to try our Creamy Parmesan Polenta next, or give one of these other cornmeal recipes a try: Pumpkin Polenta, Mushroom Polenta, or Breakfast Polenta with pesto!
What Is Polenta?
Polenta is a Northern Italian dish of cooked finely ground corn. In its simplest form, polenta is cooked on a stove top with stock or water, salt, and pepper. It’s kind of like a cornmeal porridge. You may be familiar with a similar dish, grits, which are made from white corn (hominy). I grew up eating the latter; it’s one of my dads’ absolute favorites!
One thing we love about polenta is how versatile it is. Beyond the basic cooking preparation, you can easily adapt the flavor profile just by mixing in cheese and herbs. Add freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or other cheese (mascarpone, goat cheese, and blue cheese are all fantastic! — check out our creamy polenta with roasted mushrooms!) to give it a major flavor boost.
Some of our favorite ways to serve polenta: with braised beef ribs, under a bed of meatballs or ragout, or simply with browned sausage and sautéed leafy greens on top. It’s so creamy and so delicious!
Learn more about the origins of Italian polenta here!
Ingredients For Polenta Fries
To make a classic pot of polenta, all you need are: coarsely ground corn grits (aka: polenta!), chicken stock (can substitute water or milk), and Kosher salt.
Once cooked, stir in the following:
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Mascarpone cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Finely chopped fresh herbs, such as: basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill, chives
This is such a fantastic way to use up leftover herbs you have lying around! You can mix and match, just be sure to use at least 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs. Using dried herbs will overpower the delicate flavor of the polenta.
Looking for other non-traditional fry recipes? We love crispy baked zucchini fries!
How To Make Polenta Fries
- Cook the polenta. Combine corn grits, chicken stock, and Kosher salt in a medium sauce pan, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then stir until thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.
- Flavor the polenta. Stir in butter, parmesan cheese, mascarpone, and fresh herbs until very well mixed and butter and cheese has melted.
- Transfer to a baking dish. Pour the warm polenta into a 9×13 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to flatten as evenly as possible.
- Cool the polenta. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 1 hour.
- Cut into fries. Turn the cooled polenta out onto a cutting board, then cut into small sticks. To do this, cut the polenta in half lengthwise, then cut the two halves into sticks about ¼” thick. This will yield ~28 polenta fries.
- Crisp the fries. Preheat an oven to 425 F. Place the polenta fries on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little space in between. Cook for 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
- Broil to finish. Carefully flip the fries over. Preheat the broiler to high, then place the polenta fries on the rack closest to the broiler. Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler, until crispy on the second side. Serve immediately with your favorite homemade marinara sauce (we recommend Rao’s marinara if using store-bought, but tarragon aioli would be fabulous too!).
Tips For The Best Polenta Fries
- Use an offset spatula so smooth the warm polenta into an even layer. Any imperfections will show when you cut the cooled fries!
- Keep the polenta moving. While you don’t need to stir as consistently as you would with risotto, if you don’t stir often, you risk scorching the bottom of the pan.
- Allow polenta to cool completely before slicing into sticks. Otherwise, the polenta won’t hold its shape as well.
- Use traditional (not quick cooking) polenta.
- If you can’t find polenta, use coarse or medium coarse ground corn grits as opposed to finely ground corn grits, which won’t have the same texture.
- Use any fresh herbs you’ve got – seriously! This is a great way to use up leftover herbs that are about to go bad.
- While the polenta fries are edible once cooked, don’t skip the step of crisping them up in an oven! You want that crispy texture, and it helps them maintain their shape!
Not into the idea of fries? Use a round cookie cutter to shape the cooled polenta, then pan fry, similar to these fried polenta cakes!
Polenta fries are definitely one of our favorite side dishes, perfect alongside any Italian-inspired entrée! Try them today and let us know your favorite combination of herbs and cheese!
If you make these Polenta Fries, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below.
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More side dishes to love:
- Maitake mushrooms with ‘nduja
- Sicilian cauliflower
- Mashed potatoes with sour cream
- Cherry tomato confit
- Roasted root vegetables
Crispy Baked Parmesan Polenta Fries
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal polenta
- 3 ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped herbs such as oregano, basil, chives, parsley, tarragon, thyme, rosemary (can use a combination!)
- Marinara sauce for serving
- Aioli for serving
Instructions
- Cook the polenta. Combine corn grits, chicken stock, and Kosher salt in a medium sauce pan, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then stir until thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.
- Flavor the polenta. Stir in butter, parmesan cheese, mascarpone, and fresh herbs until very well mixed and butter and cheese has melted.
- Transfer to a baking dish. Pour the warm polenta into a 9×13 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to flatten as evenly as possible.
- Cool the polenta. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 1 hour.
- Cut into fries. Turn the cooled polenta out onto a cutting board, then cut into small sticks. To do this, cut the polenta in half lengthwise, then cut the two halves into sticks about ¼" thick. This will yield ~28 polenta fries.
- Crisp the fries. Preheat an oven to 425 F. Place the polenta fries on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little space in between. Cook for 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges.
- Broil to finish. Carefully flip the fries over. Preheat the broiler to high, then place the polenta fries on the rack closest to the broiler. Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler, until crispy on the second side. Serve immediately with your favorite sauce (we recommend Rao's marinara, but tarragon aioli would be fabulous too!).
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include marinara or aioli.
- Use an offset spatula so smooth the warm polenta into an even layer. Any imperfections will show when you cut the cooled fries!
- Allow polenta to cool completely before slicing into sticks. Otherwise, the polenta won’t hold its shape as well.
- Use traditional (not quick cooking) polenta.
- If you can’t find polenta, use coarse or medium coarse ground corn grits as opposed to finely ground corn grits, which won’t have the same texture.
- Use any fresh herbs you’ve got – seriously! This is a great way to use up leftover herbs that are about to go bad.
- While the polenta fries are edible once cooked, don’t skip the step of crisping them up in an oven! You want that crispy texture, and it helps them maintain their shape!
Let us know your thoughts!