How to Make French Fry Pizza
Layer golden, extra-crispy french fries into a sturdy pizza crust topped with rich marinara, melted mozzarella, pepperoni, and fresh herbs to surprise your mom.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Cast iron skillet (10-12 inch)
- ✓ Baking sheet
- ✓ Parchment paper
- ✓ Pastry brush or spoon
- ✓ Oven mitts
- ✓ Chef knife and cutting board
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 1 lb frozen shoestring or crinkle-cut fries
- ✓ 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- ✓ 1/2 cup thick pizza sauce (marinara)
- ✓ 1/3 cup mini pepperoni slices
- ✓ 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- ✓ Fresh basil leaves and dried oregano
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Always wear heat-resistant oven mitts when handling preheated cast iron cookware.
- • Allow excess steam to escape away from your face when opening the hot oven door.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Par-Bake the French Fries
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the frozen fries in a single layer and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until they are light golden and firm. Par-baking prevents the fries from turning soggy under pizza sauce.
- • Fries feel firm to the touch
- • Light golden color without fully browning
- • Overcrowding the baking sheet in heaps, which steams the fries instead of crisping them
Construct the Fry Crust in Cast Iron
Lightly oil a cast iron skillet and arrange the hot par-baked fries tightly across the bottom in an overlapping crisscross pattern. Press down gently with a flat spatula to compact them into a continuous, solid disk. Sprinkle half of the parmesan cheese over the top to act as an edible binder.
- • No large visible gaps between the fries
- • Fries form a unified circular disc
- • Leaving large holes between fries where sauce will leak to the pan bottom and burn
Apply Sauce and Primary Cheese Layer
Spoon the thick pizza sauce lightly over the fry crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges for a crispy perimeter. Scatter half of the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce, ensuring the cheese reaches close to the rim to fuse the outer fries together.
- • Sauce is evenly distributed in a thin veil
- • Cheese blankets the center evenly
- • Adding too much watery sauce, which dissolves the fry crispness
Load Toppings and Top Cheese Layer
Arrange mini pepperoni slices across the cheese base, then cover with the remaining shredded mozzarella and a pinch of dried oregano. Finish by sprinkling the remaining parmesan cheese over the top for extra browning and sharp flavor.
- • Pepperoni is distributed evenly across all sectors
- • Cheese layer fully conceals the sauce
- • Piling toppings exclusively in the center, causing uneven melting and sagging
Bake until Melted and Crispy
Place the loaded skillet into the oven at 425°F (220°C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Broil on high for the final 1 to 2 minutes until the mozzarella bubbles vigorously with golden-brown blisters and the fry edges turn deep golden.
- • Cheese is bubbling with toasted brown spots
- • Edge fries are deeply crisp and browned
- • Leaving broiler unattended, which can rapidly scorch the cheese and pepperoni
Garnish, Rest, and Serve
Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest on a heatproof trivet for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the cheese to set. Scatter fresh, torn basil leaves over the melted cheese and slice into wedges using a sharp chef knife or serve straight from the skillet.
- • Fresh basil wilts slightly from residual heat
- • Wedges hold their shape when lifted
- • Slicing immediately out of the oven before the cheese matrix sets, causing slices to fall apart
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by chefkoudy — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Cast iron skillet? Heavy oven-safe stainless steel skillet or 9-inch metal pie tin
- No Pizza sauce? Tomato paste mixed with a splash of water, olive oil, and dried Italian herbs
- No Parchment paper? Lightly greased baking sheet or aluminum foil coated with non-stick cooking spray