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Air Fryer French Fries (Fresh or Frozen)

Here’s how to make delicious and perfect Air Fryer French Fries from fresh or frozen. These fries are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Follow this guide to make perfect french fries in your Air Fryer.

air fryer french fries in basket


 

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I’ve been on an air fryer craze for quite a while now. As you can see, my Air Fryer recipes have grown and grown over the past year. Who would have thought that my obsession with this device would have started over a pregnancy craving for french fries?

I wanted fried foods but needed a healthier alternative and the air fryer came in handy. French fries and potato wedges are my go-to sides to make in the Air Fryer. Here’s how I make perfectly delicious and healthy french fries from fresh or frozen. 

How to make Air Fryer Fench Fries (Fresh)

First, you’ll want to grab 1-3 russet potatoes and cut them into equal sizes. I aim for about ½ inch in size. Cutting them into equal portions will ensure they will cook evenly.

knife cutting potato

Soak your Potatoes

Then, you’ll need to soak them. You’ll hear some people say they don’t soak their potatoes. I swear by it and do the same method for my Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes. It removes the excess starch and you’ll notice a difference in taste or texture.

I soak for a whole hour. However, if you don’t have time for all that, a two-minute rinse in a colander with high pressured water does the trick. That’s how my husband does it and it yields great results.

cut fries in bowl of water

Dry your Potatoes and Toss in Oil

Once the starch has been removed from your potatoes, drain them and dry them with a paper towel or kitchen towel. Then place them in a dry bowl and add oil. I know, some people feel that Air fryers need no oil. For delicious crispy fries, you need a little oil. Whichever kind of oil you decide to use is fine as long aa it is an oil with a high smoke point

Air Fry

Set your Air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and Air fry for 22-30 minutes. Shake and toss the fries every 5 minutes. This step is of prime importance. If you forget to shake or wait until your fries are halfway done, you’ll end up with partially done fries. I set a timer to make sure I remember to shake.

Different Air fryers cook at different temperatures depending on the wattage of the air fryer, the basket type, and how many fries you place in the basket, so the cooking time will vary from machine to machine. 

Special Note: If making one potato in a single layer, cook for about 12-15 minutes as fries in a single layer cook and crisp even faster. Cooking longer may result in burnt fries.

Other special note: Fresh fries are crispy while warm but do become softer if they get cold.

Once your fries are done, remove the basket and season the fries.

How to make Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

There’s a whole different technique when it comes to making frozen fries.

First, place the frozen fries in the Air Fryer basket. DO NOT ADD OIL. Frozen french fries already have oil added and are generally partially cooked. This is why they are able to stay so crispy, even when they get cold. 

Air Fry on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 8 minutes. Some frozen French fries, like the Great Value brand from Walmart, will have air fryer directions on the back. Despite that, I still always check at the 8-minute mark.

Just like the fresh, you will want to shake your frozen fries every few minutes until they are done. Frozen fries generally will take anywhere from 8-12 minutes, depending on your Air Fryer brand as well as how many fries you place in the basket.  

And there you have it, perfectly cooked french fries made in your Air fryer from fresh or frozen.

If you’re looking for more Air Fryer recipes to serve these fries with, try these out:

cooked air fryer fries
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5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer French Fries (Fresh or Frozen)

Here’s how I make Crispy Air Fryer French Fries from Fresh or Frozen. Fries made in the Air Fryer are known to be healthy, crispy, and delicious. Whether homemade or previously frozen, you’ll be hooked on air frying fries.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer french fries, air fryer frozen french fries
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Soak Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 27 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 104kcal
Author Tanya

Ingredients

Fresh Fries

  • 1-3 medium sized russet potatoes cut into 1/2 inch fries
  • 2 Tablespoon olive oil

Frozen French Fries

  • 1-2 lbs Frozen French Fries

Instructions

Fresh Fries

  • Soak the cut potatoes for 1 hour in a bowl of water.
  • Drain the potatoes and dry them with a paper towel or kitchen towel. Then place them in a dry bowl and add oil.
  • Set your Air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and Air fry for 22-30 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes.

Frozen Fries

  • First, place the frozen fries in the Air Fryer basket. DO NOT ADD OIL. Air Fry on 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-12 minutes.

Suggested Tools

Notes

  • Nutrition info calculated and provided is for fresh fries, not frozen. 
  • Different Air fryers cook at different temperatures depending on the wattage of the air fryer, the basket type, and how many fries you place in the basket, so the cooking time will vary from machine to machine.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
5 from 1 vote
Recipe Rating




Erin

Tuesday 9th of March 2021

What about making homemade fries and freezing them and then cooking in the air fryer? I can’t find any info about frozen homemade fries.

Werra Watson

Wednesday 6th of January 2021

They were a little soggy and needed more cook time after my first attempt. These are thicker cut fries 1/8 due to the size of my cutter. Any other tips to get them crispy and not soggy appreciated. I did soak them for an hour first. Going to try them again tonight.

Tanya

Thursday 7th of January 2021

Hi Werra, a few things...the kind of potato is important. Russets works best for me. Also, making sure the potatoes are really really dry before adding the oil.

jo reeves

Thursday 3rd of September 2020

what about sweet potatoe fries. We love them in the oven but would like to try them in the air fryer.

Lance R Foeller

Sunday 8th of November 2020

@Tanya, I use the hamilton beach air fryer and did sweet potato fries tonight. After cutting, I tossed them in olive oil and added seasoning salt. Baked for 40 minutes on 375, tossing them half way through the cook. They came out delish!

Tanya

Friday 4th of September 2020

Hi Jo Reeves, If using frozen sweet potato fries, you would use the same method for the frozen fries listed here. As far as fresh, I'm still trying to figure out the best way to get them nice and crispy.

Mei

Tuesday 21st of July 2020

What happens if you don’t wash the starch out of the potatoes?

Tanya

Tuesday 21st of July 2020

They won't be as fluffy on the inside and with the nice golden crisp.

Donna Federico

Wednesday 11th of March 2020

What is the best way to keep the fries warm while cooking another batch.

Tanya

Thursday 12th of March 2020

The oven on 200 degrees fahrenheit would keep it warm if you need to make more than one batch.