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Who doesn’t love the convenience of frozen french fries? You open the bag and in 20 minutes, you have a fast, easy side dish. But what if frozen french fries could taste better, finish with an improved texture and be even healthier? Well, now they can. Just use your air fryer to cook frozen french fries and save yourself the time, aggravation and calories of baking or deep frying. Note: If you are looking for homemade fries in an air fryer, look no further – we have great recipes for homemade air fryer french fries and homemade air fryer sweet potato fries. If you’re looking to air fry from frozen, keep reading. The problem with frozen french fries is in the preparation. When cooked in a deep fryer, they taste great, but they’ve been soaked in unhealthy oil, adding fat and calories that will add inches to your waistline. Preparing frozen fries in the oven isn’t efficient. By the time you’ve pre-heated the oven to 400 degrees, cooked the fries for ten minutes, flipped them, and cooked for ten more minutes, you’ve wasted nearly an hour of your life preparing fries that are probably still soggy in the middle. However, when you cook frozen french fries in the air fryer, you get the same great taste and texture of deep-fried french fries without the unhealthy additional oil. Plus, with rapid air technology, air frying makes for fast, even cook times. Cook frozen french fries quickly and easily in air fryer. So good and crispy! Course: Side Dish Cuisine: American Keyword: Air Fried Frozen French Fries, Air Fryer Frozen French Fries, Frozen French Fries in Air Fryer, vegetable Servings: 2 Calories: 300 kcal Ingredients
Instructions
Tools and ingredients for this recipe:Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. Crispy outside, tender inside, and seasoned to perfection, these Air Fryer French Fries are the pinnacle of satisfaction. This recipe is THE method to make perfect French fries from scratch in the air fryer! 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. What is an Air FryerFor those who are new to the appliance, an air fryer is essentially a super-powered countertop convection oven. 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). One of the biggest appeals of an air fryer is that it can crisp food with very little oil. 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.
Less oil means less mess. No grease or messy, sizzlingly oil to clean up at the end. Air fryers are also FAST.
The Best Homemade Air Fryer French Fry RecipeThis 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 FriesAir frying fries that are supremely crispy, piping hot, and dead ringers for their deep-fried restaurant counterparts comes down to five components:
Pick the Right PotatoWhen 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.
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 FriesTo 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.
To Peel or Not to PeelWhen making air fryer French fries, you do not need to peel the potatoes if you do not wish to. Personally, I like the bit of texture the skin adds as well as the vitamins in the skin, so I leave the skin on (the same is true of my Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes). If you prefer the skin off, you are welcome to peel them as you like. Soaking: A Crispy EssentialWhile 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.
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.
For us, the double layer was the perfect balance between crispiness and faster recipe time. Homemade Air Fryer French Fries Cook TimesThe 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.
Seasoning IdeasI’ve suggested my go-to seasoning blend with garlic powder here, but you have plenty of options!
Sauce IdeasOne 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.
Storage Tips
What to Serve with French FriesRecommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Easy-To-Use Air FryerThis extra-large air fryer achieves maximum crispiness, is easy to use, and holds more than its smaller-sized counterparts. Did you make this recipe?Let me know what you thought! Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe. This recipe serves 3 to 4, but trust me—you’ll want the whole batch to yourself! Frequently Asked QuestionsCan I Make Air Fryer French Fries Without Oil? Yes, can make air fryer French fries with no oil at all. They will be slightly less crisp and satisfying, but still yummy. Be sure to spray your basket with nonstick spray. How Many Layers Can I Air Fry at Once? The rule of thumb is that for maximum crisp, do just 1 layer and make sure the food isn’t touching so air can circulate. However, since fries are so thin, I found that I could air fry 2 layers at once and still had good results.
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 92kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPotassium: 391mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg Join today and start saving your favorite recipesCreate an account to easily save your favorite projects and tutorials. Register More Easy Side DishesSide Dishes 1 hr 35 mins This post contains some affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you. You May Also LikeAir Fryer 35 mins Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME! Learn more about Erin |