Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (2024)

Learn how to make real poutine at home with my Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe. I will show you how to make it, as well as explaining exactly what exactly poutine is, for the uninitiated.

What kind of a Canadian food blogger would I be if I didn’t have a recipe for Canadian Poutine on this blog? Poutine is a wonderful and delicious concoction of fries, gravy and cheese curds and is one of the most quintessential Canadian dishes! So if you already know how great this dish is and are just looking for a great, authentic poutine recipe to make at home, skip on down to the recipe. I’ve got you covered! If you’d like to learn more about Poutine, read on!

Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (1)

What cheese to use for poutine?

When it comes to poutine, it’s really all about the cheese curds. Real cheese curds are what makes a poutine “authentic”. Cheese curds are simply solid pieces of curdled milk, that can be either eaten alone as a snack or, in Canada, added to fries and gravy to make poutine :) Cheese curds can be found in white or yellow colour. White cheese curds are the ones you want for poutine.

Substitute for Cheese Curds in Poutine:

If you can’t get cheese curds, the closest possible substitution if you want the poutine experience, would be torn chunks (not shredded!) of a full-fat block mozzarella cheese (NOT fresh mozzarella – use the kind you’d shred to put on top of pizza). You want it in chunks so it doesn’t melt completely. Don’t be skimpy. Some cheese curds are the size of my baby finger. That’s part of the poutine experience – the chunks of warm, softened cheese and shredded just won’t cut it because it melts completely and mixes in with the gravy. (Cheddar is not the best substitute. Even though cheese curds are technically cheddar they don’t taste like it. The taste is much more mozzarella-like – soft, pliable, subtle taste, squeaky :)

How do you make poutine gravy?

I’ve included a perfect poutine gravy recipe below for you! If you’ve eaten a lot of poutine, you’ve probably experienced a wide range of gravy tastes. Some are clearly chicken, some are dark and beefy. I think the perfect one is somewhere in between. I looked to French-Canadian chef Ricardo for a reliable and authentic recipe. Let’s face it, the French-Canadians know poutine! His gravy is 2/3 beef stock and 1/3 chicken stock, for a lightened up beef gravy. I think it’s perfect.

Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (2)

How to pronounce Poutine:

If you are an English speaking Canadian, you’ll almost certainly pronounce it “poo-teen” (emphasis on the last syllable). French Canadians might suggest that it should be pronounced as “poo-tin” (again, with the emphasis on the last syllable). I say, if you find yourself in Quebec, you could try the latter – pretty much anywhere else in Canada and elsewhere, the former will serve you well.

How to eat poutine

Even if you are strictly a person who eats fries with your hands, when it comes to poutine, a fork is the only way to go! The combination of lots of gravy and melted cheese is a mess to eat any other way.

Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (3)

Cook’s Notes for Authentic Canadian Poutine

French-Canadians would probably recommend starting your poutine gravy with canned broth (vs. the boxed variety). I personally find it a little too salty for my taste, but that might be just the brand I use.

If you use canned, definitely taste before adding additional salt to your gravy. Don’t skimp on the freshly ground pepper in the gravy, though :)

Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (4)

Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (5)

Get the Recipe: Authentic Canadian Poutine

Authentic Canadian Poutine featuring deep-fried fries, poutine gravy and white cheddar cheese curds all tossed together. Do be careful with deep frying. A proper deep fryer is recommended.

4.90 stars from 58 ratings

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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Yield: 3 people

Ingredients

Poutine Gravy:

  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
  • 20 oz beef broth
  • 10 oz chicken broth
  • Pepper, to taste

For Deep Fried Fries:

  • 2 lbs Russet potatoes, (3-4 medium potatoes)
  • Peanut or other frying oil

Toppings:

  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups white cheddar cheese curds, (Or torn chunks of mozzarella cheese would be the closest substitution)

Instructions

  • Prepare the gravy: In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and set aside.

  • In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns golden brown.

  • Add the beef and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Stir in about HALF the cornstarch mixture and simmer for a minute or so. If you'd like your gravy thicker, add a more of the cornstarch mixture, in small increments, as needed, to thicken. Season with pepper. Taste and add additional salt, if necessary, to taste. Make ahead and re-warm or keep warm until your fries are ready.

  • For Deep-Fried Fries: Prepare your potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch thick sticks. Place into a large bowl and cover completely with cold water. Allow to stand at least one hour or several hours. When ready to cook, heat your oil in your deep fryer or large, wide, heavy cooking pot to 300° F.

  • Remove the potatoes from the water and place onto a sheet of paper towel. Blot to remove as much excess moisture as possible.

  • Add your fries to the 300°F oil and cook for 5-8 minutes, just until potatoes are starting to cook but are not yet browned. Remove potatoes from oil and scatter on a wire rack. Increase oil temperature to 375°F Once oil is heated to that temperature, return the potatoes to the fryer and cook until potatoes are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined bowl.

  • To Prepare Poutine: Add your fried or baked fries to a large, clean bowl. Season lightly with salt while still warm. Add a ladle of hot poutine gravy to the bowl and using tongs, toss the fries in the gravy. Add more gravy, as needed to mostly coat the fries.

  • Add the cheese curds and toss with the hot fries and gravy. Serve with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

Be sure to read the "Cook's Notes" in the original post, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!

Cuisine: Canadian

Course: Main Course, Snack

Author: Jennifer Maloney

Calories: 528kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 1068mg, Potassium: 1438mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 710IU, Vitamin C: 23.8mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 3.6mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @seasonsandsuppers on Instagram or tag #seasonsandsuppers.


Jennifer Maloney

Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!

www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/about/

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originally published on Jan 7, 2014 (last updated Jun 11, 2021)

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214 comments on “Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe”

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  1. Beric MaassReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (6)
    I’ve been practicing with my new air fryer, I can fresh curds right down the road, getting ready wow The Boss, but, seriously, where did you get those oval dishes?

    • Jennifer MaloneyReply

      Hi Beric and the oval dishes are cast iron, probably available on Amazon.

      • Beric MaassReply

        Yes, Amazon. Thank you! And I will follow up with my results 🤤

  2. David ChuhranReply

    Do you think I could get away with using equal parts chicken and beef broth?

    • Jennifer MaloneyReply

      Hi David and yes, assuming there is a reason you need to do this, it should be fine. Of course, the resulting gravy will be lighter in colour and flavour.

  3. Sandra KraftReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (7)
    Poutine! The right taste and unctuous Goodness!!!! Thank you!

  4. KimReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (8)
    Regarding the curds what I do is after the gravy is made I put them directly into the gravy for maybe 2 minutes at most.
    Then I ladle them onto the fries.
    They are just at the ooey gooey stage.

    • Jennifer MaloneyReply

      You can never go wrong with ooey gooey :)

  5. AnalogReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (9)
    Thanks for this recipe! I have been craving poutine for so long and this was perfect. Easy and tasty!

  6. InancReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (10)
    My first time making my own poutine! Even though I had to opt for local cheese (kaşar) in Turkey, the end result was quite similar to the ones I had in Montreal. Thank you.

    • Jennifer MaloneyReply

      Glad to hear, Inanc! Thanks :)

  7. KmiReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (11)
    Excellent!

  8. Aschley WilleyReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (12)
    Excellent recipe. I did make one modification though. I pressure cooked 1 pound of stew meat for 50 minutes after searing it on high and getting it nice and golden brown. I then made the gravy from drippings.

  9. Joseph SherwoodReply

    Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (13)
    The brown gravy was incredibly delicious it made the entire dish for us. Family came over and ate it all before I could get a second helping. We plan on repeating this recipe in the future it was stellar

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Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe - Seasons and Suppers (2024)

FAQs

What is a traditional food of Canada poutine? ›

Poutine (Quebec French: [put͡sɪn]) is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec, in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain and there are several competing claims regarding its invention.

What are the 3 things that poutine is made of? ›

The basic recipe only calls for three ingredients: french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Unless you make your gravy from scratch you also don't need any kitchen equipment beyond a standard french fry cutter and commercial deep fryer.

What is the gravy in poutine made of? ›

Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the gravy. All-purpose flour: Equal parts flour and butter are combined to create a roux. This is what makes the gravy so thick and creamy! Beef broth: Use reduced sodium beef broth to prevent an overly salty gravy.

What is poutine called in America? ›

The original Québec poutine now has cousins in the rest of Canada! In the United States, some restaurants of New York and New Jersey propose their own mix of fries, gravy and cheese, called « Disco Fries ». In Latin America, we can enjoy a poutine on the isolated beach of Zipolite island in Mexico.

What is Canada's national dish? ›

What is Poutine? Poutine is Canada's national dish, which usually consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy.

What is the national dish of poutine? ›

Poutine: Fries, cheese curds and gravy combine in national dish of Canada.

What does poutine do to your body? ›

A starch-filled meal like poutine can actually make your blood sugar level skyrocket, making your pancreas (which secretes insulin to makes sure your cells can access glucose in your blood) respond in kind.

What is the mother of poutine? ›

Details of the first ten years of Putin's life are scarce in his autobiography, especially when compared with other world leaders. Allegedly Vladimir Putin with his mother, Maria Ivanovna Putina (née Shelomova), in July 1958; two years before Vera Putina claims he was sent to his grandparents in Russia.

What does poutine stand for? ›

Some assert that "poutine" is related to the English word "pudding," but a more popular etymology is that it's from a Quebecois slang word meaning "mess." The dish has in recent years been making inroads on American menus.

What kind of cheese curd is used in poutine? ›

Original Quebec poutine is made with white cheddar cheese curds. Although I prefer the beef gravy described here, there is also poutine gravy which I believe is a thinner chicken gravy.

How is poutine traditionally made? ›

poutine, a Canadian dish made of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. It first appeared in 1950s rural Québec snack bars and was widely popularized across Canada and beyond in the 1990s. Poutine may be found everywhere from fine dining menus at top restaurants to fast-food chains.

Is there poutine in Mcdonalds us? ›

There may be a few McDs up near the border that sell it, but in most of the US, poutine is largely unknown. Cheese fries (with goopy processed 'cheese' sauce) or chili fries, or even chili-cheese fries, are all much better known in the States.

What is poutine called in New Jersey? ›

A variant of poutine called Disco Fries is considered a classic New Jersey diner dish, using shredded Cheddar cheese or mozzarella in place of cheese curds.

Why do cheese curds not melt? ›

Believe it or not, cheese curds do not melt unless they are brought to a very high temperature. This is due to their low acidity. They have a very high melting point and in many traditional dishes like Poutine that is specifically why they are used.

Why is poutine Canada's national dish? ›

Often served as a side dish, poutine has been there since 1950s and is made of French Fries, cheese curds and a brown gravy made of beef and chicken stock. It's probably called so as the other dishes made of potatoes are also called poutiness. This dish is so much popular that Canada calls it their 'national dish'.

Why is Canada known for poutine? ›

The traditional story is that poutine originated in the 1950s in Warwick, Quebec, at a restaurant called Le Lutin qui rit (The Laughing Goblin). Upon being asked to add cheese curds to a customer's fries, owner Fernand Lachance responded, “Ça va faire une maudite poutine,” or, “That's going to make a dreadful mess.”

What does poutine mean in Canada? ›

poutine • \poo-TEEN\ • noun. : a dish of French fries covered with brown gravy and cheese curds - chiefly Canadian. Examples: Although classic poutine is a simple marriage of French fries, gravy, and cheese curds, the dish has inspired ethnic variations with different combinations of meats and sauces. "

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