Air Fryer French Fries Fast And Crispy Wellplated Com

Yes folks, I am one of the cool kids now: an air fryer owner! (After copious research, this is the one we settled on based on price and capacity.) The very first recipe I set out to master: French fries. One of the biggest appeals of an air fryer is that it can crisp food with very little oil. The top contains a heating element and fan, which blows hot air down and around the food on a rack below, cooking it quickly and making it crispy (like Air Fryer Cauliflower). It even makes scrumptious Air Fryer Pork Chops! Unlike a standard oven, air fryers can preheat in minutes and their compact size means the food is ready faster (hello, Air Fryer Grilled Cheese on demand). This makes it easy to create healthy versions of foods that are usually cooked via deep frying, like Air Fryer Potato Chips, Air Fryer Onion Rings, and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts.

For example, French fries are healthier in an air fryer, because unlike a deep fryer where the potatoes are completely submerged in a large amount of oil and also absorb the oil, you only need 2 teaspoons of oil to cook a generous batch of fries in the air fryer.For reference, air fryer French fry calories are around 107 for 4 ounces, compared with 335 calories for a similar-sized serving of fries at McDonald’s.

Less oil means less mess. No grease or messy, sizzlingly oil to clean up at the end. Air fryers are also FAST.

They heat up in 3 minutes.Convection cooking is faster (why I love making Air Fryer Baked Potato; it’s quicker than the oven and doesn’t heat up my kitchen!)

The Best Homemade Air Fryer French Fry Recipe

This recipe is based on my go-to oven Baked French Fries. <—If you don’t own an air fryer and want fries that are healthy, that recipe is fabulous and yields the crispest possible fries in the oven, without the grease. After testing different air fryer French fry times, potato varieties, cut sizes, and even numbers of fries in the basket, I can say with complete confidence: these are the best air fryer French fries ever!

Secrets to the Crispiest Air Fryer French Fries

Air frying fries that are supremely crispy, piping hot, and dead ringers for their deep-fried restaurant counterparts comes down to five components:

The type of potatoHow you cut the potatoSoaking the potatoHow many layers of fries you cook in the air fryer at onceTotal cook time

Pick the Right Potato

When it comes to which potato to use for air fryer French fries, you have two options: Yukon gold potatoes and Idaho potatoes (also called russet potatoes). Each will yield a different result.

Russet potatoes resulted in fries that were crispy outside, drier inside, and tasted most similar to fries you would eat in a restaurant.Yukon gold potatoes resulted in fries that were equally crispy outside, but that had a firmer, creamier inside. Thanks to their naturally buttery taste, the French fries made with Yukon golds also had a richer flavor.

While Yukon golds are my favorites for Oven Roasted Potatoes and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, when it came to making a healthy version of classic French fries in the air fryer, russet potatoes did the best job. Feel free to try both potatoes and pick your favorite! And you MUST try Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries at some point too.

How to Cut Potatoes for Fries

To create fries that crisped but didn’t burn, I found that cutting the potatoes into matchsticks that were ¼-inch wide on each side and 3 to 4 inches in length worked best.

In order for your fries to cook evenly in the same amount of time, it’s important for them to be cut the same size. I suggest using a mandoline (like this one) for easy cutting and to ensure uniform fries.

Soaking: A Crispy Essential

While it may seem like a pain, soaking the potatoes in hot water for 10 minutes prior to cooking them in the air fryer is essential.

The water removes excess starch, allowing the fries to be their crispiest.Instead of cold water, I like to use hot water to cook the potatoes slightly. This creates the “double fried” effect that makes many restaurant fries so addictive.Be sure to pat your soaked potatoes very dry with kitchen towels or paper towels so they crisp nicely.

How Many Layers Can You Cook at Once?

One of my biggest frustrations with the air fryer is that, despite the basket’s large overall volume capacity, in order for certain foods to crisp properly, they need to be cooked in a single layer. Since the surface area of the basket is small, that means you end up making a lot of batches, taking away from the air fryer’s quicker cook time. To determine whether or not you could fit more fries into the air fryer at once, I tested a few different methods. Here is what I found.

Single Layer of Potatoes. Cooking just one layer of potatoes at a time resulted in the best, crispiest fries. The downside was that I needed to make at least 4 batches, which extended the recipe’s total time.

Double Layer of Potatoes. My next test was to see if I could stack the potatoes in two layers. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the double-layer fries, while not as crisp as the ones I cooked in a single layer, were still delightfully crispy and very satisfying. This approach also cut my number of batches in half.Three Layers or More. When I stacked the potatoes in three layers or more, they were noticeably less crisp and representative of “fried” fries. I would not recommend this method.

For us, the double layer was the perfect balance between crispiness and faster recipe time.

Homemade Air Fryer French Fries Cook Times

The amount of time you need to air fry French fries will vary based on your model and its power, how thickly you cut the fries, and how many layers of potatoes you cook at once.

I primarily tested these as Ninja air fryer French fries, as this is the model I own. My cook time was 8 minutes. Other popular air fryer models include the Phillips, the Vremi SkinnyTaste air fryer, and budget-friendly GoWISE USA.Plan to air fry french fries at 375 degrees F for 8 to 16 minutes, turning them once partway through.

Seasoning Ideas

I’ve suggested my go-to seasoning blend with garlic powder here, but you have plenty of options!

Ranch. Add onion powder and dried dill.Cajun. Toss your fries with Cajun easoning for a bold, lightly spicy flavor.Italian. Try your air fryer fries with some Italian seasoning for a delicious Italian spin. (Pair these with the basil yogurt dip from my Zucchini Fries recipe.)Seasoning Salt. Add seasoning salt for addictive salty and garlicky flavor. Omit the kosher salt, as seasoning salt is already salty.Curry. For warm and richly-spiced fries, try adding curry powder. Parmesan Truffle. Enjoy an elegant, restaurant-worthy spin by adding truffle salt and topping your finished fries with freshly grated Parmesan.

Sauce Ideas

One of the best part of fries is dipping! Of course ketchup is classic, but don’t miss out on one of these other yummy recipes, or use your own favorite dipping sauce.

Skinny Greek Yogurt Ranch DipHoney Mustard Dip from my Honey Mustard Chicken TendersHomemade BBQ SauceVegan Queso

Storage Tips

To Store. Place leftover fries in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To Reheat. In the unlikely event of leftovers, you can reheat the baked fries in the air fryer at 375 degrees F or by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F and placing an empty baking sheet in the oven while the oven preheats. Spread the leftover fries in a single layer on the hot pan (or in the air fryer basket), and recrisp. Nothing replaces the just-cooked taste (the fries will dry out a bit), but they do perk up. I found air fryer fries reheated even better than regular fries, since the lesser amount of oil inherently prevents them from getting soggy.To Freeze. Freeze fries in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer the frozen fries to an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen as desired.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Air Fryer. The air fryer I own and love. I use it for all of these air fryer recipes.Baking Sheet. I use these almost every day. Mixing Bowls. Perfect for soaking your fries and tossing them with the spices.

This recipe serves 3 to 4, but trust me—you’ll want the whole batch to yourself!