Crispy on the outside with just the right amount of salt, Air Fryer French Fries are a healthier alternative to greasy restaurant fries!
Fried foods and I have a love-hate relationship. I love to eat them, but I hate the way my stomach feels after eating them. Thank GOODNESS someone invented an air fryer because now I can enjoy my favorite fried foods without feeling so blah afterward. Whether you’re making air fryer chicken wings or these incredible Air Fryer French Fries, you’ll soon become as obsessed with the air fryer as I am! These fries are crispy, slightly salty, and perfectly delicious.
The Best Fries We’ve Ever Had!
Ahhhhh French Fries, a true American classic. If I could eat French fries every single day of the year, I think I would. Too bad my doctor would probably frown upon a daily visit to the McDonalds drive-thru, right?
Well, it might not be the best idea to eat them daily, but I think that eating air fryer french fries once (or a few times…) a week would be allowed! It’s no secret that I LOVE using my air fryer to make my favorite deep-fried meals slightly healthier. So obviously, once I became infatuated with the air fryer, I had to try out my favorite snack – french fries.
It quickly went from a fondness of the air fryer to a deep LOVE for the air fryer. Let me tell you, french fries in the air fryer are incredible. They’re quick to make, super flavorful, and are JUST as crispy as if you got them at your favorite fast-food restaurant.
Serve them up with some of my famous bacon jalapeno fry sauce, and you’ve got yourself a side dish that will disappear off the plate even faster than you can air fry them. I might even venture to say that it will be a LONG while before I get french fries at a restaurant again!
My Family’s Favorite Meals to Have with these Fries
- The Ultimate Burger – You’ve never had a burger so delicious! This bad boy is topped with chese, bacon, avocado, caramelized onions, and roasted sweet potatoes and it’s the best burger around.
- Grilled Pesto Chicken Sandwich – This simple sandwich goes great with crispy fries and your favorite dipping sauce.
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches – We like to put these fries right on our pulled pork sandwiches. They’re so good paired wtih the bbq pork and cole slaw.
Ingredients
Potatoes – I’ve experimented with quite a few different types of potatoes when making french fries in an air fryer. My absolute favorite variety is a russet potato. It gives that classic french fry taste, you’ll think you went to your favorite restaurant! If you’ve got some Yukon golds lying around, those make pretty good air fryer french fries too.
Olive oil – The reason homemade french fries in an air fryer is because they are SO much healthier for you. They’re not completely doused in a pot of canola or vegetable oil. Instead for this air fryer french fries recipe, you’ll just need a small drizzle of some olive oil to coat your fries and the hot air of the air fryer does the rest!
Sea Salt – I love the flavor of sea salt on french fries cooked in an air fryer. I also love that you can choose your coarseness of sea salt. I personally love a coarser salt for a nice crunch on my fries (kind of like a soft pretzel!), but if you prefer a finer salt, go for it.
How to Make French Fries in an Air Fryer
STEP ONE: Wash, slice, and soak your potatoes. Start by cutting your potatoes into small batons with a sharp knife or with a french fry cutter.
STEP TWO: Submerge them in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and spread them out on a baking sheet.
STEP THREE: Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees F. Dry the fries with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. While this step might seem tedious, it’s actually super important. If your fries are wet from the water, they’ll turn out soggy and nobody wants soggy french fries.
STEP FOUR: Toss the fries with olive oil and a little sea salt. You really don’t need much oil, just enough to give them a light coating.
STEP FIVE: Place half of the potatoes into the basket of the air fryer. Cook for 6 minutes at 360 degrees F to start the cooking process. Then turn the air fryer up to 400 degrees F. Stay close by and give the basket a shake periodically. Once the fries are cooked through and golden brown, remove them from the air fryer.
Tips for Success
- Want to prep the fries ahead of time? Cut the potatoes and place them into the water. They can stay submerged for up to 24 hours (no longer). The water will keep them from browning too. Then dry the potatoes and proceed as directed when you’re ready to cook.
- It’s important not to crowd the fries in the air fryer basket. The hot air needs to circulate all around the fries to get them nice and crispy. It’s better to work in batches for best results rather than trying to cook them all at once.
- You can reheat any leftover fries in the air fryer at 350 degrees F. Throw them in, start the air fryer, and shake periodically until they’re crispy enough for you.
- My family likes these fries best with some bacon jalapeno fry sauce or regular fry sauce and extra salt sprinkled on top.
How to make frozen french fries in an air fryer
No potatoes lying around, but you’ve got a craving for crispy fries? Don’t worry, you can make air fryer frozen french fries too! All you need to do is follow this recipe at the step where you coat your fries with oil. There’s no need to soak frozen french fries as they’ve already been prepped for cooking.
Because the french fries are frozen, you’ll need to extend your air frying time a bit. Air fryer frozen french fries are usually crisped to perfection after about 10-15 minutes. Make sure you shake the basket halfway through for optimum crispiness!
Why do you soak potatoes in water before air frying?
While it might seem like an unnecessary step, soaking your french fries before cooking them is actually very important. By soaking the fries in water for 30 minutes, the potatoes release some of the starch inside of them. With that starch gone, the fries are able to get crispier during the cooking process.
So whether you’re making air fryer french fries or traditional deep fried french fries, make sure you soak them first!
Looking for more tasty side dish recipes?
- Cheesy Bacon Oven Potatoes
- Mom’s Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Peasy Pizza Dough Breadsticks
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Chipotle Fries
Ingredients
- 4 medium Russet potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and cut them into small batons with a knife or a french fry cutter.
- Once cut, place the potatoes in a bowl. Cover with water and let them soak for 30 minutes. This gets rid of the starch and helps to crisp them up during cooking.
- Drain the potatoes and place them on a large baking sheet. Dry the potatoes with a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels.
- Toss the fries with olive oil and sea salt. Place half the potatoes into the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 6 minutes at 360 degrees F to start. Then turn the air fryer up to 400 degrees F. Stay close and shake the fries in the basket periodically until cooked to your liking.
- Once the fries are as crispy and golden brown, transfer them to a serving plate. Serve hot with ketchup or fry sauce and a little extra salt sprinkled on top.
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