What potatoes should I use for the perfect air fry french fries?

I personally love the classic flavour of russets or gold potatoes for this air fryer recipe. Also, they cream up nicely on the inside, with a crunch exterior. I don't enjoy red potatoes as they're too waxy for my taste and never get golden enough. White potatoes are okay too, but not as creamy as gold ones. Feel free to experiment with different tastes (such as sweet potato fries) and shapes (crinkle cut, curly, waffle) for your perfect fries in the air fryer.

Can I skip parboiling homemade fries in salty water?

For your crinkle-cut potatoes to maintain shape, parboil them in salty water. Through this process, thicker fries will lose some of their starch, allowing them to crisp up evenly with a light and airy interior.

How can I shape crinkle-cut fries and waffle fries?

To shape crinkle-cut fries, slice your potatoes vertically with a crinkle cutter. For waffle fries, make one vertical slice, rotate your potato 90°, and make one more vertical slice.

Can I stack multiple salty fries in the air fryer?

Your air fryer makes for an excellent tool to cook quick and healthy meals every day. Although less is more when air frying, this doesn't apply to this recipe. You don't have to add your seasoned fries in air fryer in a single layer. Even if they're overlapping on a second layer, it's fine, as long as you shake them every 5 minutes. But, if you have lots of golden fries to cook for more servings, air-fry them in batches.

How long to cook frozen french fries in air fryer

Frozen french fries will take around 15-20 minutes in the air fryer.

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

AUTHORCassie

POSTEDNovember 23, 2019

JUMP TO RECIPE

Air fryer frozen french fries are bound to become your favorite fast food fries! Extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, they're ready within minutes in your air fryer basket. Use your favourite frozen fries - seasoned or unseasoned - it all works! They only take 15 minutes and pretty much go with everything.

frozen French fries on a grey plate with a bowl of aioli.

I know it may shock you but I am totally down with frozen french fries. That's right - I'm a passionate home cook and food blogger who likes to cut corners sometimes and one of those is frozen french fries.

Making GOOD shoestring fries at home isn't as easy as chopping a potato and you're done, so I tend to avoid it and grab the frozen pack instead. I can even air fry different types of fries, such as waffle fries, crinkle-cut fries, or shoestring fries.

If you haven't tried frozen french fries in an air fryer yet, you're in for a treat! Also, these are the closest you'll get to deep-fried french fries (without actually deep-frying). Because, with a golden-brown exterior they're the perfect side dish. Also, you can eat them on their own, along with a bowl of ketchup. Yummy!

New to air frying? Be sure to get your free printable Air Fryer Cooking Chart filled with cooking times & temperatures for all your favourite foods, plus tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your air fryer.

CAN YOU COOK FROZEN FRENCH FRIES IN THE AIR FRYER?

ABSOLUTELY! Otherwise, this would be a pretty pointless side dish cuisine recipe, wouldn't it? In fact, cooking frozen french fries in the air fryer is the best way to do it. So quick and easy, and you're left with the crispiest side dish!

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COOKING FROZEN FRENCH FRIES IN THE AIR FRYER?

Here's why this dish will become your go-to everyday snack:

This snack is unbelievably easy and super fast to make. We all have our busy days when cooking seems like the last priority. Thankfully, air fryer frozen fries are a life-savour dish with delicious results. You don't even need to defrost them - simply toss them in the air fryer, and they'll cook in less than 15 minutes.
The clean-up is minimal. You know me, I am a practical cook, and I'll do anything to avoid a messy kitchen. Also, one of the reasons I LOVE my frozen french fries air-fried is that I don't have to deal with the messy oils of a deep fryer. In fact, I don't use olive oil at all when I cook french fries in my non-stick air fryer.
Air fryer fries are a healthier option. Basically, with minimal or no oil, frozen fries turn out healthy and delicious. Even if you choose to use olive oil, you'll only need a thin layer to cover your air fryer basket so your fries won't stick.
The whole family will enjoy it. I love a side dish that goes with pretty much everything and leaves everyone happy. Especially if you have picky eaters at home, crispy fries dressed up with ketchup will be your go-to recipe.
Crispy french fries are simply delicious. Pretty self-explanatory - air fryer frozen fries are simply too good to be true. Also, you can drizzle them with your favourite seasonings or load them with your toppings of preference, and they'll turn out the coziest dish.

WHAT TYPES OF FROZEN FRIES ARE THERE?

There are many different types of frozen fries to choose from. Depending on their size and thickness, they also take different cooking times. Here are the most usual ones:

Steak Fries: 12-15 minutes
Waffle Fries: 10-12 minutes
Shoestring Fries: 6-10 minutes
Curly Fries: 10-12 minutes
Crinkle-Cut Fries: 10-12 minutes

Other variations might refer to taste, such as sweet potato fries. If you cook in batches, keep in mind that later batches will need less time in the air fryer than earlier batches.

INGREDIENTS FOR DELICIOUS AIR FRYER FRIES

This simple recipe requires hardly any ingredients. I suggest you store a couple of bags of your favourite french fries in the refrigerator so they are readily available. Also, here's all you'll need:

Frozen french fries (a 16oz bag is more than enough. Also, for larger bags, I suggest you air fry your frozen fries in a few batches.)
Salt to taste
Olive oil cooking spray (optionally)

HOW TO COOK FROZEN FRENCH FRIES IN AN AIR FRYER?

Cooking frozen french fries in your air fryer could not be easier. But, here’s what you’ll need to do…

Preheat air fryer to 200°C/390°F. Then, toss your frozen french fries into the air fryer basket and cook for 15 minutes or until the fries are crispy and golden.

frozen french fries in an air fryer basket.

Shake the basket every 5 minutes to ensure the fries cook evenly

Once ready, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately with your favourite sauce, like this spicy mayonnaise or bang bang Sauce!

Cooking frozen fries never looked easier!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST AIR FRYER FRENCH FRIES

Should I use oil? I have never used extra oil to make fries in my non-stick air fryer basket and have found they crisp up perfectly without it. If you have an air fryer that isn't non-stick or tends to have food stick to it, you can spray lightly with olive or coconut oil on the bottom before adding the french fries.
Don’t overcrowd the basket. You don’t need to have a single layer on the bottom of the basket – a few overlapping into a second layer is fine. I generally use half a packet (500g / 17oz) in my 3.2 litre / 3.3 quarts air fryer. So, you may need to air fry in batches if this isn't enough to cover the amount of people you're serving.
Shake the basket. Give the basket a good shake every 5 minutes to ensure all the french fries cook evenly.
Cook until crispy. Similar to ovens, air fryers can have different cooking times so if 15 minutes isn’t enough to get the french fries nice and crunchy feel free to leave them on for another 5 minutes or so.

CAN I MAKE HOMEMADE AIR-FRIED FROZEN FRIES?

It's definitely possible to cook fries from scratch at home, but the process takes a bit more time.

You'll need to peel and slice the potatoes yourself and then parboil in salt water for 5-8 minutes. This helps the potatoes maintain their shape. After that, let them cool for a while.

Once cool, spray oil and make sure they're nice and coated. At this point, you can add your seasoning, be it onion powder, garlic powder, or any spices you want.

Add your fries to the lined air fryer basket (you can use a sheet of baking paper). Then, air fry the same way we described the air fryer frozen french fries above.

Once ready, remove from the air fryer and serve immediately with your favourite sauces. Enjoy!

HOW TO SERVE AIR FRYER FRENCH FRIES?

These air fryer french fries are so tempting they won't even reach the table. But if you manage to keep your fingers out of them, they go really well with other air fryer recipes, such as:

CRISPY FRENCH FRIES SERVING VARIATIONS

Once your fries crispy to perfection, it's time to serve them with your favourite seasonings and sauces. Here are my top suggestions:

Seasonings:

Salt
Chili powder
Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Cajun seasoning

Sauces:

Ketchup
Parmesan cheese sauce
Ranch dressing
BBQ sauce
Spice mayonnaise
Greek tzatziki
Garlic yoghurt sauce
Peanut hoisin sauce

Toppings:

Fresh parsley
Chives
Parmesan cheese

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT AIR FRYER FROZEN FRENCH FRIES?

Storage: If you don't want to use all your frozen fries at once, you can transfer them to an airtight container and store them in your freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftover fries: If you have leftover fries, place them in an airtight bag and store them in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Nothing can replace the taste of freshly cooked fries. However, if you need to reheat any leftovers in the air fryer, simply repeat the cooking process, but cut the cooking time to 5 minutes.

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RECIPE

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

20 minutes

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries are the very best way to make french fries! Extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Use your favourite fries - seasoned or unseasoned - it all works! It's so easy to make frozen french fries in the air fryer and it only takes 15 minutes.

0 Stars (17 Reviews)

servings

Scale

Ingredients

Salt

TO SERVE

Aioli

Ketchup

BBQ Sauce

Instructions

Pour your fries into the basket, and cook on 200C / 390F for 15 minutes, or until the fries are crispy and golden, shaking the basket every 5 minutes to ensure the fries cook evenly. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately with your favourite sauce.

Notes

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST AIR FRYER FRENCH FRIES

Should I use oil? I have never used oil to make fries in my non-stick air fryer and have found they crisp up perfectly without it. If you have an air fryer that isn’t non-stick or tends to have food stick to it, you can spritz a light layer of olive or coconut oil on the bottom of the basket before adding the fries.
Don’t overcrowd the basket. You don’t need to have a single layer on the bottom of the basket – a few overlapping into a second layer is fine. I generally use half a packet (500g / 17oz) in my 3.2 litre / 3.3 quarts air fryer. You may need to cook in batches if this isn’t enough to cover the amount of people you’re serving.
Shake the basket. Give the basket a good shake every 5 minutes to make sure all the fries cook evenly.
Cook until crispy. Similar to ovens, air fryers can have different cooking times so if 15 minutes isn’t enough to get the fries nice and crunchy feel free to leave them on for another 5 minutes or so.