I love french fries. And because you are in this post, I am sure you love them too. But let’s be real, french fries are not really the healthiest food out there especially if we are talking about fast food fries. In fact, french fries are at the top unhealthiest food in the chart.
So, how do you indulge in french fries without feeling guilty that you are harming your health? With the help of an air fryer of course! With that in mind, here is a homemade french fries recipe you can do in an air fryer!
For another variation, you can try this air fryer sweet potato fries recipe.
How to make Air Fryer French Fry
I love air frying my french fries because unlike using a deep fryer where you have to soak your fries in so much oil, you will only get to use less oil (barely there at all) when you use an air fryer!
Aside from that, you can easily get a crispy and crunchy set of fries in the air fryer with much less cook time! Now, let’s get into this french fries air fryer recipe.
Ingredients:
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the basket
- 1 medium russet potato (about 6 ounces), unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the basket with nonstick spray.
You can peel the potatoes or just wash them very well. Then cut them in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch slices. Aim for smaller same sizes so they will cook at the same time if you want to prepare several batches of fries.
Place the potatoes in a large bowl or medium bowl and rinse them well with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper.
Work in batches if you are cooking for a large number of people. Put the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket without overlapping and cook.
Consistently turn the fries halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Time can vary from 14 to 16 minutes.
Remove fries from the air fryer and season with salt or other seasonings you prefer.
How to Air Fry Frozen French Fries
The recipe I gave above is for fresh, whole potatoes. So, what if you have frozen fries instead? Can you still use an air fryer for it? The answer to that is yes! Here are some tips on how you can air fry frozen french fries to still get that crispy result.
- Consistently check the fries in the air fryer every 5 minutes. Usually for frozen fries, it will be ready in 10-12 minutes depending on the size and thickness of your fries.
- Don’t use too much oil on your frozen fries as they will get mushy and soggy as a result. A light spray of oil will do the job.
- Shake your fries in the air fryer every few minutes so that everything will cook evenly.
- For frozen fries, you do not want to overcrowd your air fryer basket. Do not fill your air fryer more than half to ¾ full or else, some fries will not be cooked enough.
Air Fryer Fries Pairings or Side Dishes
You can eat regular fries by themselves just fine but if you want to pair your crispy fries with something, then here is a list of some good pairings and side dishes to help the fries taste even better!
- Air fried Corn on the Cob
- Ketchup, Bbq sauce, gravy, chipotle sauce, or any other favorite dipping sauce
- Quesadillas
- Guacamole
- Grilled foods
- Hamburgers
- Chicken wings
- more air fryer side dishes
More tips for the best homemade air fryer french fries
There are different ways to cook the fries into the air fryer to make them crispy and to be able to cut the cooking process altogether. I have here more tips for you to be able to make the perfect crispy french fries in the air fryer!
- Cook in batches. I highly recommend that you place potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket and leave a few spaces between each fries. If they are too crowded, the potatoes will steam inside the air fryer and they might get soggy as a result.
- Drain or remove excess oil and pat dry to remove as much moisture as possible. You will have soggy fries quickly if the fries are too wet.
- If you want that perfectly golden and super crispy outside, you can rinse away the excess starch from the cut potato sticks and give them a quick rinse.
- You can also soak your potatoes in the water overnight in the fridge for extra crunchy results.
- If you will be working in batches, you can’t help that the first batches will sit out and eventually become cold. To resolve this, once you are done with your final batch, toss all your homemade fries in the basket for 1 to 2 minutes. You do not need to worry about the spacing this time!
- Don’t be scared to experiment with the flavors and season your fries. You can use garlic powder, barbecue powder, cheese powder, and other seasonings you want!
- You can cook your french fries for about 15 minutes but this can vary as each air fryer is different. Monitor your fries and adjust the cooking time if necessary.
Why use an Air Fryer?
There are different ways on how you can make french fries. The one that you probably know is deep frying. This uses a large amount of oil which is definitely not good for your health. You can also try cooking fries in the oven but it may take more cooking time and more kitchen supplies that will add to your cleaning time.
Personally, I love using an air fryer in cooking almost anything that requires frying because I can use little oil or barely any oil at all and still get that crispy and crunchy results as you would in traditional frying.
Recipe Card
Air Fryer French Fries
Forget the unhealthy, oily fast food fries. I have here an easy, healthy, and crispy air fryer french fries recipe you can easily do at home!
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the basket
- 1 medium russet potato (about 6 ounces), unpeeled
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and spray the basket with nonstick spray.
- Peel potatoes then cut the fries in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch slices.
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl and rinse them well with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper.
- Put the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket without overlapping and cook.
- Consistently turn the fries halfway through, until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Time can vary from 14 to 16 minutes.
- Remove fries from the air fryer and season with salt or other seasonings you prefer.
I’m Anastasia and I’m a full-time blogger, online entrepreneur, and Pinterest marketing strategist. I help digital entrepreneurs and bloggers drive targeted traffic from Pinterest either through my online courses or through Pinterest consultancy.