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!
The very first recipe I set out to master in my air fryer was the ultimate fried food favorite: Air Fryer French Fries.
One of the biggest appeals of an air fryer for me (and most people, I imagine) is that it can crisp food fast, with very little oil.
ThAn air fryer makes it easy to create healthy versions of foods that are usually cooked by 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 FAST. Most heat up in around 3 minutes and use convection cooking which is quicker than a traditional oven and doesn’t heat up my kitchen. (It’s why I love making an Air Fryer Baked Potato too.)
What is an Air Fryer
For 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).
5 Star Review
“Tried these for the first time tonight and they turned out perfectly. They were really crispy and tasted great.”
— Heidi —
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 French 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 four components:
- Selecting the best potato for French fries
- Correctly cutting potatoes for fries
- Soaking – a crispy essential
- How many layers of fries are cooked at one time
The Best Potato for French Fries
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 result in fries that are crispy outside, drier inside, and taste most similar to fries you would eat in a restaurant.
- Yukon gold potatoes result in fries that are equally crispy outside, but that have a firmer, creamier inside. Thanks to their naturally buttery taste, the French fries made with Yukon gold also have 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.
To Peel or Not to Peel
When 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 Roasted Fingerling Potatoes). If you prefer the skin off, you are welcome to peel them as you like.
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 soaking them in large bowl 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 or twice 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 seasoning for a bold, lightly spicy flavor.
- Taco. Try a blend of chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano (or your favorite taco seasoning).
- 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 ultimate flavor. Omit the kosher salt, as seasoning salt is already salty.
- Curry. For warm and richly-spiced fries, try a shake or two of curry powder over the freshly cooked fries.
- Parmesan Truffle. Enjoy an elegant, restaurant-worthy spin by adding truffle salt and topping your finished fries with freshly grated Parmesan.
Easy Air Fryer French Fry Sauces
One of the best parts of french 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
- 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.
What to Serve with Air Fryer French Fries
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Easy-To-Use Air Fryer
This extra-large air fryer achieves maximum crispiness, is easy to use, and holds more than its smaller-sized counterparts.
This recipe serves 3 to 4, but trust me—you’ll want the whole batch to yourself!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, can make air fryer French fries with no oil at all. They will be less crisp and satisfying but still yummy. Be sure to spray your basket with nonstick spray.
The rule of thumb is that for maximum crispiness, 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.
In my experience, I found 375 degrees F to be the perfect temperature to cook air fryer French fries. You will see some recipes prepare air fryer French fries at 400 or 425 degrees F, but for my model of air fryer and preferred method, I found that to be a little too high.
Yes! 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.
- 1 large or 2 small/medium russet potatoes* or Yukon gold potatoes, about 1 pound
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil**
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- OPTIONAL: ½ teaspoon dried dill weed Italian seasoning, or dried herbs of choice (see blog post above for more ideas)
- OPTIONAL: pinch cayenne pepper see blog post above for more ideas
- Toppings optional fresh parsley, chives, freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast)
-
Scrub the potatoes and peel if desired (I leave the peels on). Slice in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices (a mandoline is the best way to get even fries; watch your fingers!). Turn the slices on their sides and cut into 1/4-inch sticks. If the sticks are long, cut them in half so that your fries are about 3 to 4 inches.
-
Place the potatoes in a large bowl, then pour very hot tap water over the top so that it covers the potatoes by at least 1 inch. Let sit 10 minutes. <—Must do! If you skip the soaking step, the fries will not be as crisp.
-
If you’d like to keep the fries warm between batches, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and keep a baking sheet handy.
-
Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (For my air fryer, that is 3 minutes of preheat time).
-
Drain the potatoes, then transfer them to a clean towel and dry as completely as you can, changing the towel as needed. Rinse and wipe out the bowl you soaked the potatoes in, then return the potatoes to the bowl.
-
Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and any other desired seasonings. Toss to coat, making sure the spices and oil are well distributed.
-
FOR FAIRLY CRISPY, SATISFYING FRIES IN FEWER BATCHES: Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket, doing no more than two layers (my air fryer is 5 1/2 quarts and I can add about 1/3 of the fries). Make sure the fries are not completely packed together so that the air has plenty of room to circulate. Cook the fries for 5 minutes. Slide the basket out and use tongs to toss the fries. Return to the air fryer and continue cooking for 3 to 7 additional minutes, until crispy and golden brown. The time can vary by several minutes based on your air fryer model. Check on them a few times during the last few minutes to make sure they don’t burn and make note of the time for future batches.
-
FOR MAXIMUM CRISPY FRIES IN MORE BATCHES: Place the potatoes in just one layer in the basket, being careful that they don’t touch much or overlap. Cook for 4 minutes, slide the basket out and flip with tongs, then continue cooking for 4 to 8 additional minutes, until the fries are as crispy as you would like (again, the time will vary based on your model, so check them several times during the last few minutes and adjust as needed).
-
Remove the fries to a baking sheet or serving plate and immediately sprinkle with kosher salt.
-
Repeat with remaining potatoes, keeping the cooked fries warm on a baking sheet in the oven between batches as desired. Discard any liquid the potatoes have given off that has collected at the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle with any extra desired toppings. Enjoy!
- *INGREDIENT NOTE: Russet potatoes are drier inside and give you a fry more similar to what you’d have in a restaurant. Yukon golds will give you fries with firmer, creamy insides and crispy outsides. We love both! Feel free to use your favorite or try them both ways.
- **NO OIL OPTION: You also can make air fryer fries with no oil. Coat the air fryer rack with non-stick spray to prevent sticking.
- 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.
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 recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite projects and tutorials.
