• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

VegKitchen logo

  • Vegan Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baking and Sweets
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta and Noodles
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Wraps
    • Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups, Stews, and Chilis
    • Snacks and Dips
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Canning and Preserving
    • Cheese-y Delights
    • Global Recipes
    • Raw Vegan
    • Slow-Cooker
  • Vegan Living
    • Vegan Substitutions Guide
    • Green Kitchen
    • Healthy Eating Tips
    • Food and Produce Guides
    • Vegan Food Hacks
    • Kid Friendly
    • Vegan Product Reviews
    • More Vegan Living
  • About
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegan Living
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Living
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Freebie!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegan Food Hacks

    Fuss-Free Baked Polenta Fries

    Published: Jan 18, 2017 · Updated: Aug 18, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    There are lots of posts on food blogs and sites for baked polenta fries, in which a rather lengthy  process is detailed. First, the polenta is cooked from scratch (it’s kind of like a coarse cornmeal mush for those of you not familiar with it); then it’s spread into a dish in which it cools and firms up; then the fry shapes are cut from that. And because food blogs usually want to present recipes that involve more than one or two ingredients, seasonings are added to the mix, as well.

    I, too, presented such a recipe. And much as I love polenta fries, I have to admit that I never made them that way again. It’s not that it’s difficult; it is tedious, and between the cooking of the polenta and letting it set, we’re easily talking about 2 to 3 hours before they even go into the oven.

    Here in our Vegan Food Hacks’ kitchen, where our motto is “why bother?” we recommend making this tasty treat with precooked polenta — the kind that comes in those neat tubes. Your 2 to 3 hours of prep and wait time is cut down to 2 to 3 minutes. I think that sounds like a good deal.

    Fuss-free baked polenta fries go well with vegan burgers, wraps, and sandwiches. They make a yummy side dish for main-dish salads, too. See them below with Tempeh Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Wraps.

    Tempeh "bacon" lettuce tomato wraps and polenta fries

    Season them with pepper, dried herbs, your favorite seasoning blends, or nothing at all. I just like them plain, with ketchup.

    Depending on how much other food is being served with these, and how addictive you find them, this serves 2 to 4.

    What to do

    1  Preheat the oven to 425º F. If your oven runs hot, 400º F is fine, too.

    2  Remove the tube of polenta from its plastic packaging. cut off a little of the puckered ends (though you can include them in the mix). Cut the polenta in half crosswise, then cut each section into fry shapes.

    3  Put them into a bowl and drizzle in a little oil — not too much! — and toss together gently to distribute.

    4  Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet or roasting pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until crispy and firm on the outside. Don’t overbake, these firm up a little even after removing from the oven.

    How to make baked polenta fries

    5  Season the polenta fries with salt and pepper, herbs, seasoning blend, or just leave them unseasoned.

    6  Serve with ketchup or your favorite sauce on the side of your favorite sandwiches, wraps, or vegan burgers.

    See more of our Hack This! features and other vegan food hacks.

    More Vegan Food Hacks

    • Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 5 Ways
    • No-Bake Vegan Strawberry Shortcakes
    • 5-Minute Vegan Artichoke Dip
    • Vegan Parmesan

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    nicole malik from vegkithen.com

    Hi, I'm Nicole! I'm the creator behind VegKitchen, and the author of the popular cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. Learn more about me here.

    More about me →

    vegan substitution chart

    Featured Recipes

    • 25+ Vegan Valentine’s Day Desserts
    • 11 Best Vegan “Cheese” Recipes
    • Vegan Christmas Cookies
    • Vegan Jalapeno Poppers
    • Vegan Vodka Pasta
    • Vegan Banana Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • Free Vegan Cheat Sheet
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.


    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hook & Porter Media

    184 shares