Air Fryer French Fries

These easy homemade Air Fryer French Fries cook up crispy without the added fat from deep frying. With just a few ingredients and a little planning, these taters can be all yours.  There is nothing better than home-cooked French Fries, especially without the greasy cleanup!

Enjoy a batch today dipped in my delicious Southern Comeback Sauce or chipotle ketchup.  Or air fry up a batch for Chili Cheese Fries or Poutine. They make great side dishes or snacks with burgers, brats, and sandwiches. 

How do you make air fryer French Fries

Start by slicing the potatoes into fries that are about 1/4 inch thick.  Place the fries in a large bowl of cold water as you go to remove the excess starch.  Then let them soak for 2 hours up to overnight in the fridge.  Now drain and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Now add the potatoes to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and toss to coat. 

Now preheat the air fryer for about 5 minutes, then add the fries in a single layer to the air fryer basket. Work in batches cooking for about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until desired crispiness.  If they are not crispy enough, cook them longer.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• I prefer Russet Potatoes because they are denser and they have the least amount of moisture.  Yukon Gold Potatoes work well too, but they do not crisp up quite as much or as easily.
• You can peel the potatoes if you prefer. It is simply a matter of personal preference. 
• To achieve crispy fries, you need to soak them in cold water for at least 2 hours. Putting the bowl in the fridge ensures that the water stays cold.
• It is very important to dry the potatoes thoroughly before tossing them with the oil and seasoning.  I use paper towels for this task.
• For added flavor, try Cajun or Creole Seasoning.
• Always preheat the air fryer for at least 3 minutes.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer. 
• To reheat and re-crisp the fries, put them back in the air fryer for a couple of minutes.  This is one of the best things about an air fryer.  They are great at re-crisping pizza, fries, Toasted Ravioli, chicken fingers, Potato Wedges, and Mozzarella Sticks.
• To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes flipping halfway through the baking time.

How to get air fryer fries crisp

• Don’t crowd the fryer – work in small batches and single layers.  After cooking in batches you can put them all back together in the air fryer at once and re-crisp.
• Use Russet potatoes – they are denser and have less moisture than other potatoes.
• Soak in cool water for a while – don’t skip the soaking step.  Soak them in cool water for at least 2 hours up to overnight.  Put the bowl in the fridge to keep the water cold.
• Preheat the air fryer – always preheat your air fryer for at least 3 minutes up to 5 minutes.  The airflow and the temperature will be correct before you start cooking.
• Test the fries – don’t rely on appearance alone to tell when the fries are crispy. Taste them to see if they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  If not, air fry them for another 1-2 minutes. 

Can you cook store-bought frozen French fries in an air fryer?

This is the best way to cook frozen French fries. They cook up quickly and crispy and taste just as good as deep fried without all the calories and fat. So skip the deep fryer and the oven. Grab that air fryer every time.

Try them with some of my favorite dipping sauces.

• Southern Comeback Sauce
• Yum Yum Sauce
• Boom Boom Sauce
• Honey Mustard Sauce

More air fryer recipes to try!

Air Fryer French Fry Recipe

Perfectly crispy and easy Air Fryer French Fries are always a hit.  Enjoy all the taste of fried taters without the added fat and calories.

5 from 22 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: side

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 148kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium Russet Potatoes peeled or unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and black pepper
• chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Slice the potatoes into fries that are 1/4 inch thick.  Place the fries in a big bowl of cold water as you go.  Soak for 2 hours up to overnight in the fridge.
• Dry them completely and thoroughly with paper towels and place them back in the dried bowl.  Add the oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the bowl. Add the potatoes and toss to coat.
• Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees for 3-5 minutes.  Working in batches, add the fries in a single layer.  Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes or until desired crispiness. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and black pepper to taste. 

Notes

• I prefer Russet Potatoes because they are denser and they have the least amount of moisture.  Yukon Gold Potatoes work well too, but they do not crisp up quite as much or as easily.
• You can peel the potatoes if you prefer. It is simply a matter of personal preference. 
• To achieve crispy fries, you must soak them in cold water for at least 2 hours. Putting the bowl in the fridge ensures that the water stays cold.
• It is very important to dry the potatoes thoroughly before tossing them with the oil and seasoning.  I use paper towels for this task.
• For added flavor, try Cajun or Creole Seasoning.
• Always preheat the air fryer for at least 3 minutes.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the air fryer. 
• To reheat and re-crisp the fries, put them back in the air fryer for a couple of minutes.  This is one of the best things about an air fryer.  They are great at re-crisping pizza, fries, Toasted Ravioli, chicken fingers, Potato Wedges, and Mozzarella Sticks.
• To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes flipping halfway through the baking time.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

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