Homemade Poutine
Make authentic Canadian poutine at home with this simple recipe for crispy french fries, savory brown gravy, and delicious cheese curds. It’s pure comfort food!
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Table of Contents
- About Homemade Poutine
- What is poutine?
- What’s in poutine?
- Can you use store-bought french fries?
- Can you use store-bought brown gravy?
- Can you make poutine in advance?
- How long is poutine good for?
- Can you freeze poutine?
- How to reheat poutine
- Notes & tips for homemade poutine
- More delicious side dishes
- How to make homemade poutine
- Recipe Details
About Homemade Poutine
No need to travel for this authentic Canadian dish! Great as an appetizer, side dish, or snack, you can easily whip up a batch of indulgent poutine right in your own home.
Plus, you can go fully homemade – with the french fries and gravy made from scratch, as explained on this page – or you can save some time and use your favorite store-bought or restaurant versions instead.
What is poutine?
Originating in Quebec during the 1950’s, poutine consists of french fries topped with brown gravy and cheese curds. The cheese curds melt when they come into contact with the hot fries and gravy, leaving you with a deliciously savory version of cheese fries. They can be eaten as finger food or with a fork.
What’s in poutine?
This poutine recipe comes together with a batch of homemade french fries and homemade brown gravy. To whip them up, you will need?
- Russet potatoes – For making the homemade french fries.
- Peanut oil – Used for frying the french fries. Peanut oil is the most popular choice for making french fries, but you can also use canola oil or sunflower oil instead.
- All-purpose flour – For making the creamy base of the gravy.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and pepper – Simple seasonings to add flavor to the gravy.
- Beef broth and chicken broth – For giving the gravy a hint of meaty flavor. You can use broth, bone broth, or stock, so long as your chosen variety has little to no sodium.
- Cheese curds – Because you can’t have poutine without delicious cheese curds. If you’re unable to find them at your local grocery store, you can substitute for an equal portion of mozzarella or oaxaca cheese.
Can you use store-bought french fries?
Of course! There’s nothing “special” about the french fries in this recipe – they are just classic, oil-fried homemade french fries – so feel free to use store-bought (or even made freshly from your favorite restaurant) as an alternative.
Can you use store-bought brown gravy?
Like with the french fries, the recipe included here is one for classic brown gravy, so feel free to use your favorite brown gravy instead if you’d like.
Can you make poutine in advance?
Yes, you can, but the french fries, brown gravy, and cheese curds should be stored in separate sealed containers in the refrigerator. For best presentation, poutine can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
See below for instructions on reheating poutine to serve.
How long is poutine good for?
How long poutine will last will depend on how it’s been served.
If you’ve already assembled everything (drizzled fries with gravy and cheese curds) together on a large plate, then it’s best to enjoy poutine the day it was made. Attempting to store leftovers at this point will only give you mushy fries and separated gravy.
However, if you’ve kept the french fries and gravy separate and only assembled it per serving, then you can store the leftover fries, gravy, and cheese curds in separate sealed containers in the refrigerator. When properly stored, all ingredients should last up to three to five days.
Can you freeze poutine?
Yes, you totally can – as long as you can store each main ingredient (french fries, gravy, and cheese curds) separately. If you’ve already drizzled the gravy on the french fries then it’s best to enjoy the poutine the same day it was made.
Once stored in a sealed container or freezer bag, the french fries, brown gravy, and cheese curds should all last for up to one to three months.
How to reheat poutine
When serving leftovers, follow these general guidelines for heating everything up:
- Thawed french fries – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread out on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 3-5 minutes or until hot.
- Frozen french fries – Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread out on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 8-10 minutes or until hot.
- Thawed or frozen gravy – Can be warmed up in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
Notes & tips for homemade poutine
- If you’d like to add some protein, sprinkling some shredded beef or chicken on top would give this classic poutine a meaty twist.
- If you’d like the gravy to be thicker, create a slurry by whisking together one tablespoon of cornstarch and one tablespoon of water. Once mixed, slowly pour the slurry into the gravy, constantly whisking, over medium heat. The gravy should thicken instantly.
More delicious side dishes
How to make homemade poutine
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Prepare the french fries by slicing the potatoes and submerging them in a bowl of cold water. Set this bowl aside for now.
Step 2 – Add the peanut oil to a large skillet, then heat it up to 325 degrees F.
Step 3 – Remove the sliced fries from the water and thoroughly pat them dry, then drop them into the hot oil. Cook the cut fries for 10 minutes – this will blanch them, not crisp them, so they won’t be browned yet – and place the blanched fries on a wire cooling rack. Repeat this step until all the cut fries are blanched.
Step 4 – While you’re working with the fries, begin to prepare the brown gravy. Melt some butter in a saucepan, then whisk in flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Let the flour paste cook for a few minutes.
Step 5 – While continuing to whisk, slowly blend in the beef broth and chicken broth until there are no clumps.
Step 6 – Let the gravy simmer until slightly thickened.
Step 7 – Finish the fries by increasing the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees F, then frying the fries for 2-3 minutes. Unlike before, the fries should become crispy and a golden color. Transfer the fries back to the wire cooling rack and season with salt.
Step 8 – Assemble the poutine by adding french fries to a large plate and drizzling them with brown gravy and cheese curds.
Step 9 – Serve and enjoy!
Homemade Poutine
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- salt, for seasoning fries
- 2 cups cheese curds
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and peel if desired. Cut into 1/2 inch slices, then cut each slice into 1/2 inch sticks. Place cut fries in a large bowl, then submerge with cold water. Set bowl aside.4 large russet potatoes
- In a large skillet, heat 2-3 inches of oil to 325 degrees F (using a candy thermometer helps!).4 cups peanut oil
- When ready to fry, line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack on top, then set nearby. Drain water from cut fries and use a towel pat each one dry; be very thorough as any remaining moisture may cause oil to splatter.
- Gently place handfuls of cut fries into hot oil. This is a blanching step; fries will be cooked but not browned yet. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that fries don't stick together. Once done, remove fries from oil and place them on prepared wire cooling rack. Repeat this step until all cut fries have been blanched.
- While fries are being blanched, melt unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until mixture becoems a paste.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cook flour paste for 2 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- While continuing to whisk, pour in a little bit of the beef broth and allow the flour to absorb it. Once absorbed, pour in a little bit more beef broth and repeat the process. Continue until all of the beef broth and chicken broth has been added.3 cups low-sodium beef broth, 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- Bring gravy mixture to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened. Once gravy is done, remove saucepan from heat.
- Once all cut fries have been blanched, increase oil temperature to 375 degrees F.
- Place handfuls of blanched fries back into the hot oil to crisp. This process will be quick, about 2-3 minutes. Once done, remove finished fries from oil and place them back on the wire cooling rack, then immediately sprinkle fries with salt (to taste). Repeat this step until blanched fries have been fried.salt
- Assemble poutine by arranging fries on a serving plate. Drizzle fries with prepared gravy and top with cheese curds.2 cups cheese curds
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
