Crispy Baked Polenta Fries with Garlic Herb Dipping Sauce

Polenta fries are a delicious side dish, and pair especially well with salads for a crispy texture. They’d be a great appetizer if you’re entertaining, and they’re so easy to meal prep and make on a weeknight.

Polenta fries, or sometimes called polenta sticks, make an elevated and versatile side dish that works with so many different meals. Polenta fries get even better when served with a good, easy dipping sauce. I especially love them with baked salmon, grilled shrimp and salads. This polenta fries recipe gets crispy in the oven, which makes them a great alternative to french fries. Under the crisp is a creamy interior with a subtle cheese flavor. I’m loving rosemary lately, and these polenta fries pair perfectly with the herby sauce. This is an all season recipe, great as a summer side dish and also a holiday entertaining appetizer.

What Are Polenta Fries Made of?

1. Cornmeal

2. Liquid (water, broth, milk)

3. Olive oil

4. Flavoring (dried herbs, granulated garlic)

5. Cheese (pecorino, asiago, Parmigiano)

Cornmeal

For the cornmeal, you can use a fine or medium grind. Medium will take a bit longer to cook and give a courser texture that can be really nice. Fine cornmeal will give you a smooth, creamier texture.

Liquid

Recipes for baked polenta fries vary the type of liquid. It can be a combination of water, milk and chicken or vegetable broth. I like using water and broth, and add cheese for creaminess.

Olive Oil

I opt for olive oil to brush over the uncooked polenta to help it get crispy when it bakes. Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy oil to cook with because it contains mostly monounsaturated fats and has a high dose of antioxidants, both of which contribute to its stability at higher temperatures.

Flavoring

Salt is very important, but you can flavor polenta fries with various things. Dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil and parsley, and granulated garlic can be used to boost the flavor as desired. I like to use a flavorful dipping sauce, and keep the flavoring simple in the actual polenta.

Cheese

Cheese adds to a creamy texture and helps the fries get crispy in the oven. In this recipe, I used pecorino, but have also used Parmigiano and both are delicious.

Recipe for ‘Crispy Baked Polenta Fries with Garlic Herb Dipping Sauce‘

Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes total

Yields: 2-3 servings for a side dish, more if serving as an appetizer

Ingredients

For Polenta:

• 3/4 cup of fine corn meal

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup chicken bone broth or chicken broth

• 1/4 cup pecorino cheese (or asiago, parm)

• A pinch of sea salt

• Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

For the Garlic Herb Dipping Sauce:

• 2 tbsp mayo

• 2 tbsp sour cream

• a pinch of sea salt

• 1 small garlic clove, or half larger

• 1/4 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary

Directions

1. For the sauce: In a small food processor add all sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. You can hand chop the garlic and rosemary finely and add to sauce if not using food processor. Allow to sit in refrigerator.

2. For polenta fries: In a saucepan, heat water and bone broth until simmering then add salt. Turn down the heat and add the corn meal slowly while whisking to avoid lumps. Cook on low heat until thickened, about 5-10 minutes, continuously stirring. Add the cheese off heat and stir.

3. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pour the polenta mixture, scraping sides of pot with a spatula. With a non stick spatula, spread mixture into an even layer about half an inch thick and into a rectangle shape. I try to point the corners so that it makes small, even rectangles when cut.

4. Allow to cool and set in the refrigerator for an hour or longer.

5. A little over an hour before serving, heat oven to 425F.

6. Brush the top of mixture with olive oil. Turn mixture over onto another baking sheet and brush the other, no facing up side with olive oil. Cut the smaller rectangles to your preferred polenta fry size, I do about 4 x 1 inches. Separate the fries so they aren’t touching (often needs two baking sheets). Bake for 20ish minutes until golden brown, and flip. Cook for another 15-20 minutes until both sides are golden brown.