---
title: "Chilean French Fries in Lard — Double-Fried Papas Fritas en Manteca Recipe"
description: "Versión en Español Chilean french fries in lard (papas fritas en manteca de chancho) are made by cutting firm potatoes into 1 cm sticks, rinsing off excess starch, drying them, frying in pork lard..."
url: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/chilean-french-fries-in-lard-recipe/
date: 2026-07-26
modified: 2026-07-26
author: "Carlos Uhart M."
image: https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Chilean-French-Fries-in-Lard-Double-Fried-Papas-Fritas-en-Manteca.jpg
categories: ["Main Dishes"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Chilean French Fries in Lard — Double-Fried Papas Fritas en Manteca Recipe

[Versión en Español](https://comidaschilenas.com/receta-de-papas-fritas-perfectas/)

![Chilean french fries double-fried in pork lard, drained on paper — crispy papas fritas en manteca de chancho](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Chilean-French-Fries-in-Lard-Double-Fried-Papas-Fritas-en-Manteca.jpg)*Chilean French Fries in Lard — Double-Fried Papas Fritas en Manteca*

Chilean french fries in lard (papas fritas en manteca de chancho) are made by cutting firm potatoes into 1 cm sticks, rinsing off excess starch, drying them, frying in pork lard at 140°C for 5 to 6 minutes, cooling completely, then frying a second time at 180°C for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and crispy — salted immediately off the heat, they serve 6 people in under 65 minutes.

The double-fry method in natural lard is the traditional Chilean technique that produces the crispiest possible crust while keeping the interior fluffy: the first fry cooks the potato through, the second fry creates the crust. The potato itself is native to Chile — and the oldest documented record of potatoes fried in hot fat was written in Chile in 1629.

## How to Make Chilean French Fries in Lard?

The double-fry technique requires patience but is not complex: the first fry at 140°C is a controlled cooking stage that softens the interior without browning the surface; the freezer rest (20 minutes) reorganizes the surface starch into a more rigid structure; and the second fry at 180°C dehydrates that surface in seconds, producing a shell that stays crispy even after the fries are removed from the oil. The only variable the cook controls is temperature — which makes a reliable thermometer the single most important tool in this recipe.

## Nutritional Information

Each serving of Chilean french fries in lard contains approximately 355 calories, 4 g of proteins, 20 g of total fats (3 g saturated), 42 g of carbohydrates, 0 g of sugars, 0 mg of cholesterol, and 240 mg of sodium. Potatoes are a naturally fat-free food rich in potassium, vitamin C, and resistant starch; the fat content in the finished dish comes entirely from the frying fat absorbed during cooking.

## Homemade Chilean French Fries in Lard Recipe

**Prep Time:** 50 minutes (includes soaking and cooling)

**Cook Time:** 15 minutes

**Servings:** 6

### Ingredients

- 2 kg firm starchy potatoes (Yagana, Puyehue, Ona, or Russet)
- 500 g natural pork lard (manteca de chancho)
- Coarse sea salt
- Merkén (smoked Mapuche chili), optional

### Instructions

1. **Prepare the potatoes and heat the lard:** Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into sticks approximately 1 cm wide and 7 to 8 cm long. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then rinse under running water until the water runs clear — this removes excess surface starch that would cause the fries to clump and steam rather than crisp. Dry thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. In a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, melt the lard over high heat until it reaches 140°C (284°F).

![Block of natural pork lard (manteca de chancho) melting in a pot for frying Chilean papas fritas](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pork-Lard-Melting-for-Chilean-Double-Fried-French-Fries.jpg)*Step 1 — Natural pork lard heated to 140°C for the first fry*

1. **First fry — cook through:** Carefully lower the potato sticks into the hot lard in batches, without overcrowding — the fries should be submerged and not stacked on top of each other. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and just beginning to turn a pale golden color. Remove with a skimmer, drain on paper towels, spread out in a single layer, and cool completely. For best results, transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes — this is the step that makes the difference between good and exceptional fries.

![Chilean potatoes cut into 1 cm sticks and rinsed to remove excess starch before double frying in lard](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Chilean-Potatoes-Cut-into-Sticks-for-Double-Frying.jpg)*Step 2 — Potato sticks rinsed and dried, ready for the first fry at 140°C*

1. **Second fry — build the crust:** Raise the lard temperature to 180°C (356°F). Return the cooled fries to the hot lard and fry for 1 to 2 minutes only — no more — until deeply golden and crispy. Remove immediately, drain in a bowl lined with paper towels, and salt at once while still very hot, sprinkling from height for even coverage. Add a pinch of merkén if desired. Toss gently and serve immediately with mayonnaise, ketchup, or ají sauce.

![Coarse sea salt sprinkled immediately after the second fry for crispy Chilean papas fritas en manteca](https://www.chileanfoodrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Coarse-Sea-Salt-for-Chilean-French-Fries.jpg)*Step 3 — Coarse sea salt added immediately after the second fry while fries are still hot*

## Additional Tips

### Choose the Right Potato Variety

For the crispiest fries, choose potatoes with low water content and high starch content — firm, dense varieties that hold their shape under heat. In Chile, the varieties Yagana, Puyehue, and Ona are recommended. Outside Chile, Russet (Idaho) potatoes are the closest equivalent and the standard for double-fried fries in European and North American professional kitchens. Avoid waxy varieties (new potatoes, fingerlings, red potatoes) — their high water content produces soggy fries that do not crisp during the second fry.

### One-Step Frying as a Simpler Alternative

If the two-stage process is impractical, fry the potatoes in a single step at 175 to 180°C in small batches for 6 to 8 minutes, moving them gently at the midpoint to prevent sticking. The result is less uniformly crispy than the double-fry method but perfectly acceptable. The key is maintaining oil temperature: adding too many fries at once drops the temperature sharply, causing the potatoes to absorb oil rather than fry.

### Potatoes Do Not Need Coating

Unlike many fried foods, potatoes contain so much starch that they create their own natural crust during frying. No flour, cornstarch, or batter is needed. The science behind a perfect crust is entirely about controlling the two frying temperatures and the cooling stage in between — a technique that took centuries to perfect and that separates genuinely crispy fries from merely fried potatoes.

| Variable | Standard Method | Alternative | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Frying fat | Natural pork lard | High-oleic sunflower oil | Lard gives richer flavor; sunflower oil is neutral and widely available |
| Potato variety | Yagana, Puyehue, Ona (Chile) | Russet (Idaho) | High starch, low moisture — essential for crispiness |
| Cooling method | Freezer, 20 minutes | Refrigerator, 45 minutes | Freezer produces a slightly crispier result due to faster starch setting |
| Seasoning | Coarse sea salt + merkén | Salt only, or smoked paprika | Add immediately after second fry while fries are still very hot |

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

### Why is pork lard better than vegetable oil for frying potatoes?

Pork lard is not an ultra-processed fat — it is a traditional, minimally processed product that is thermally stable. Approximately 45 to 50 percent of its fatty acids are monounsaturated, the same type that predominates in olive oil. It oxidizes less during frying than most vegetable oils, generating fewer unwanted compounds and producing a cleaner, richer flavor. If lard is unavailable, choose a high-smoke-point oil such as high-oleic sunflower oil.

### When is the exact moment to add salt to french fries?

Immediately after the second fry, while the fries are still very hot. The residual heat allows salt crystals to adhere to the thin film of oil on the surface before it cools and becomes viscous. If you salt too late, the salt slides off and collects at the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle from height in a rain motion for the most even distribution.

### Is it necessary to peel the potatoes before frying?

No. Leaving the skin on produces rustic-style fries with more earthly flavor and extra fiber. If you leave the skin, scrub the potatoes thoroughly and remove any green patches, which contain solanine. Skin-on fries also hold their shape better during the first fry.

### Why does cooling the fries between the two frying stages improve the result?

Cooling allows the gelatinized starch on the surface to reorganize and set, and lets the internal steam stabilize. When the cooled fries hit very hot oil again, the thermal contrast causes rapid surface dehydration — forming a firm, crackly crust without overcooking the interior. Skipping this step produces fries that are golden but soft rather than truly crispy.

## What Are Chilean Papas Fritas en Manteca?

Papas fritas en manteca de chancho are french fries fried in natural pork lard rather than vegetable oil — the traditional Chilean preparation that predates the widespread use of industrial cooking oils. The technique is identical to the Belgian and French double-fry methods that are considered the gold standard for crispy fries worldwide, but in Chile this preparation has a documented history that may predate the European versions by several decades.

## History of French Fries — Chile’s Claim

French fries are typically presented as a Belgian or French invention from the late 17th century. However, the oldest known written record of potatoes cut into strips and cooked in hot fat appears in the Chilean manuscript “Cautiverio Feliz” (1677), in which Francisco Núñez de Pineda y Bascuñán describes — in the context of his captivity among the Mapuche people — consuming potatoes cooked this way in 1629. This predates the earliest European references to fried potatoes by at least a generation, and aligns with the broader historical reality that the potato itself is native to the Chilean-Andean region.

## Did You Know?

Genetic research published in 2025 confirmed that the modern potato (Solanum tuberosum) originated in the central-south of Chile, from a natural hybridization event between an ancestor of the tomato and a wild non-tuberous species in the nightshade lineage. This genetic crossing produced the tuber trait that defines the potato as we know it today and explains its extraordinary capacity for agricultural adaptation across every climate on earth — from the Andes to northern Europe to the American Midwest.

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