Air Fryer French Fries (Extra Crispy)
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Jan. 8, 2025
These Air Fryer French Fries are fresh, extra crispy, and healthy. Learn the secrets for making extra crispy, flavorful French fries using only 3 basic ingredients.
In This Article
- Video: watch us make this Recipe
- Why This Recipe Stands Out
- Key Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions And Variations
- Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- How To Prep Ahead
- What To Serve With Air Fryer French Fries
- Commonly Asked Questions
- Did you make this?
- Air Fryer French Fries (Extra Crispy) Recipe
- More to Cook And Eat
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Video: watch us make this Recipe
Why This Recipe Stands Out
Who doesn’t love a plate of crispy French fries? They’re the ultimate comfort food, and these extra crispy air fryer fries are the best of the best. Here’s why:
- Guilt-Free: You don’t have to choose between greasy, deep-fried French fries vs. no fries at all. These air fryer fries are surprisingly healthy, with only 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Golden and Crispy: These fries cook up wonderfully golden and crispy, just like they would if they were deep-fried, just like our Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
- Quick and Easy: The air fryer is like a speedy little convection oven for your countertop, and it makes these fries with a fraction of the fat and calories of deep-fried versions.
- Customizable: You can season your fries exactly the way you’d like for the perfect party appetizer or healthy snack.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes – These are the best potatoes for making French fries in the air fryer. They have a high starch content that helps achieve a fluffy interior and a crispy exterior.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – We use this to help the seasonings stick to the potatoes and to promote browning in the air fryer. Feel free to use your favorite oil, but make sure it has a high smoke point.
- Table Salt – This is the main seasoning for our fries and helps to bring out the natural flavor of the potatoes.
Substitutions And Variations
We all know that French fries are irresistible with just a sprinkle of salt. That said, here are some delicious options for your homemade fries:
- Pepper: For a spicy kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or freshly ground black pepper to your fries before air-frying them.
- Garlic or Onion Powder: They’ll add a delicious savory flavor to your fries, as they do in our Sweet Potato Fries Recipe.
- Dried Herbs: Any variety of dried herbs will work well with these fries. We recommend trying a combination of rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
- Paprika: For a smoky flavor, add a sprinkle of paprika or smoked paprika to your fries before air frying.
- Old Bay: This classic seafood seasoning is also delicious on fries.
- Ranch Seasoning: If you love the flavor of ranch, sprinkle some ranch seasoning on your fries before air frying.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Wash and dry potatoes. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, slice them into strips of even thickness.
- Immediately place them into a bowl of cool water so that they’re fully submerged for about 60 minutes or overnight.
- Pat the sliced potatoes completely dry using paper towels or clean cloths.
- Gently toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, and any other seasonings, if desired.
- Place the seasoned fries in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp.
- If not serving immediately, keep the first batch warm in the oven and repeat cooking the remaining fries.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Take a look at our best prep-ahead tips for this recipe:
- Soak the Potatoes: Wash, dry, and slice the potatoes into strips, and then soak them in a bowl of cool water overnight. Doing this in advance will help remove excess starch from the potatoes, resulting in crispier fries.
- Make Ahead and Reheat: As unlikely as leftover fries are, it’s easy to reheat them in your air fryer. If needed, dab away any excess moisture on fries, and then place them in an even, single layer in the basket of your air fryer at about 350F, for 3-5 minutes.
What To Serve With Air Fryer French Fries
Burgers and Sandwiches
- We love having these extra crispy fries with our Cabernet Burgers with Blue Cheese. These burgers are packed with flavor and are delicious with air-fried French fries.
- Our Teriyaki Burgers are another delicious option that works great with these fries.
- You can also go for our Turkey Panini with Spinach and Roasted Garlic Butter. This scrumptious sandwich is the perfect main dish to serve with fries.
Other Mains
- French fries and chicken wings are the perfect combination. We particularly love them with our extra crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
- These Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders pair perfectly with our extra crispy air fryer French fries.
- It’s also a classic combination with some Beer Battered Fish or Chicken Shawarma.
Condiments
- For a simple and delicious snack or appetizer, serve them with a dollop of ketchup or draped in melty nacho cheese.
Commonly Asked Questions
Which type of potatoes are best for French fries?
Russet potatoes are ideal for French fries, as they’re high in starch and low in moisture, which enables them to crisp up nicely.
Do I have to preheat my air fryer?
Because air fryers are much smaller than typical ovens, they heat up quickly and do not require preheating. We’ve always had great results without preheating, which is consistent with general consensus for most air fryers.
Why do I have to soak the sliced potatoes?
Soaking helps to draw out some of the starch from the surface, which helps with browning evenly. Don’t forget to rinse after soaking.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Air Fryer French Fries (Extra Crispy)
These Air Fryer French Fries are fresh, extra crispy, and healthy. Here are the secrets for making extra crispy, flavorful French fries using only 3 basic ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅔ teaspoon table salt, fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, optional, or garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Old Bay, ranch seasoning
Instructions
- Do Ahead: Wash and dry potatoes. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin, slice potatoes into strips of even thickness (thinner fries will turn out crisper than thicker ones.) Immediately place sliced potatoes into a bowl of cool water so that they're fully submerged, about 60 minutes to overnight.
- Drain and rinse potatoes well. Using paper towels or clean absorbent cloths, pat-dry all excess moisture from potatoes.
- In a bowl, gently toss potatoes with olive oil and salt. Add pepper and any other seasonings, if desired.
- Working in batches, place fries in a single/even layer on rack of air fryer. Be sure fries are not overlapping. Cook 15-20 minutes* or just until golden and crisp – cook time depends on thickness of fries.
- If not serving first batch right away, place them on a baking sheet in the oven set on "warm." Repeat cooking the remaining fries. As always, fries are best served immediately after cooking.
Equipment
Notes
- Use a sharp knife or mandolin to slice potatoes into even slices.
- Thinner fries will naturally cook up crispier than thicker ones – we recommend slicing them on the thin side.
- You can use peeled or unpeeled potatoes; either is fine.
- Immediately after slicing, submerge potatoes in cool water. The soaking removes excess starch from the potatoes, which helps them crisp up.
- Fully pat-dry potatoes after soaking. This step is important not only for crispness but also for seasonings to adhere. I use absorbent flour sack cotton cloths.
- Arrange potato slices in an even, single layer on the rack of your air fryer. Hot air needs to circulate fries, so don’t overcrowd.
- This Instant Vortex Air Fryer is super popular among home cooks.
- There may be variations in cook time depending on air fryer models. Watch carefully so your fries don’t burn.
- If your air fryer requires a specific heat setting, cook at 380F.
- As always, you’ll enjoy the crispiest French fries when served immediately.
- This recipe is part of our Air Fryer Recipes Collection.
- Serve them alongside some Beer Battered Fish or Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders for a delicious family meal.
Nutrition (per serving)
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 26.7g | Protein: 3.2g | Fat: 5.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Sodium: 317.6mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 0.9g
More to Cook And Eat
- Instant Pot Baby Potatoes – This Instant Pot Baby Potatoes Recipe results in a supremely flavorful, tender potato dish. You’ll have saucy, garlicky, potatoes with just 10 minutes of cook time.
- Air Fryer Broccoli – This Air Fryer Broccoli recipe cooks in just 6 minutes. Learn the secret to gaining tender and roasted edges, just like oven roasted broccoli.
- Homemade Mozzarella Sticks – These Homemade Mozzarella Sticks are the perfect finger food. You will love the extra crispy coating that gives way to melted mozzarella cheese encased by a beautifully crisp exterior.
- Crispy Toasted Ravioli Recipe – This Crispy Toasted Ravioli is oven baked, not fried. Panko breadcrumbs provide extra crunch. Dip your baked ravioli in plenty of marinara sauce for a standout appetizer.