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Air Fryer French Fries, Extra Crispy

These Air Fryer French Fries are fresh, crispy, and healthy. Here are the secrets for making extra crispy, flavorful French fries using only 3 basic ingredients.

Air Fryer French Fries with ketchup on plate
Extra Crispy Air Fryer French Fries

Air Fryer French Fries

Guilt-free fried food? Yes, please. You don’t have to choose between greasy, deep fried French fries vs. no fries at all. It’s absolutely not an all or none predicament. It’s possible to enjoy golden, crispy, delicious French fries you feel great about.

Once you’ve tried these air fryer French fries, you’ll discover a whole new world:

  • These air fryer fries are surprisingly healthy, with only 2 tablespoons of oil
  • By oil, we mean extra virgin olive oil
  • You can use organic potatoes
  • These fries cook up wonderfully golden and crispy
  • You can season your fries exactly the way you’d like

How to make extra crispy fries in an air fryer

There are a few tricks to achieving French fries that are both healthy and crispy, using an air fryer:

  • 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.
  • 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 around fries, so don’t overcrowd.
  • As always, you’ll enjoy the crispiest French fries when served immediately.

Choose your flavors

We all know French fries are irresistible with just a sprinkle of salt. That said, here are delicious options for your homemade fries experience:

Reheating French Fries

  • 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.
  • Place fries in an even, single layer in basket of air fryer at about 350F, for 3-5 minutes.
Air Fryer French Fries with ketchup on plate
Yes, these homemade french fries can be reheated to their crispy original state!

Air Fryer french fries
Common questions

Q: Which type of potatoes are best for French fries?
A: Russet potatoes are ideal for French fries, as they’re high in starch and low in moisture, which enables them to crisp up nicely.

Q: Do I have to preheat my air fryer?
A: 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.

Q: Why do I have to soak the sliced potatoes?
A: Soaking helps to draw out some of the starch from the surface, which helps with browning evenly. Don’t forget to rinse after soaking.

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Air Fryer French Fries with ketchup on plate

Air Fryer French Fries, Extra Crispy

4.74 from 15 ratings
These Air Fryer French Fries are fresh, crispy, and healthy. Here are the secrets for making extra crispy, flavorful French fries using only 3 basic ingredients.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

  • 2 large russet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • teaspoon table salt, fine salt
  • Optional Seasonings: 1/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Old Bay, or 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. 
  • Dry: Drain and rinse potatoes well. Using paper towels or clean absorbent cloths, pat-dry all excess moisture from potatoes. 
  • Season: In a bowl, gently toss potatoes with olive oil and salt. Add pepper and any other seasonings, if desired. 
  • Cook: 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.) While fries are cooking, set your oven to warm setting if you won't be serving the first batch immediately.
  • Keep Warm: If not serving first batch right away, place them on a baking sheet in warm oven; repeat cooking the remaining fries. As always, fries are best served immediately after cooking. 

Equipment

Notes

  • You can use peeled or unpeeled potatoes; either is fine. 
  • Fully submerging sliced potatoes in water removes excess starch, which helps browning and crisping. It’s important to pat dry all excess liquid after draining and rinsing. 
  • There may be variation in cook time depending on air fryer models. Watch carefully so your fries don’t burn.
  • If your air fryer requires specific heat setting, cook at 380F. 
  • This Instant Vortex Air Fryer is super popular among home cooks. 
  • If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ❤️

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
Course: Side
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Method: air fryer

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Recipe Rating




24 comments

    • Lisle Keith Moore
    • 1 star

    No temperature setting in the recipes, only cooking time . What is dthe temp. 360, 380, 400? need to know that

      • Amy Dong

      If your air fryer requires specific heat settings, use 380F. Enjoy!

    • Margaret C
    • 5 stars

    Excellent! This is a keeper. Crispy strips, just salty enough. Used mandoline with large julienne blades. A perfect shoestring size! I used temp of 350.

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, so happy you enjoyed it, Margaret!

    • CO Sue

    What temp is the air fryer?

      • Amy Dong

      If your air fryer requires you to input temperature, I’d suggest 380F.

    • amanda
    • 5 stars

    These fries turned out so good! Super crispy and delicious!

    • rika
    • 5 stars

    I’ve been making my own fries using an air fryer too. I am going to try the seasoning recommendations next time.

      • chewoutloud

      Awesome, Rika!

    • Catalina
    • 5 stars

    wow! These fries look very crispy! I am so glad that I can make them in the Air Fryer!

      • chewoutloud

      It works really well!

    • marysa

    I would love an air fryer for this reason! These fries sound delicious and I like that they aren’t super greasy.

    • Mama Maggie’s Kitchen
    • 5 stars

    Wow! We love French Fries and this Air Fryer French Fries sound so perfect! We love it crispy!

    • Lavanda Michelle
    • 5 stars

    I got an air fryer about a year ago and its on of my best purchases. I love making my fries and other sides with it all the time. Thanks for posting!

    • Tammy
    • 5 stars

    My guilty pleasure is French fries but I don’t eat them because of the fat from frying. Now that I know I can get crunchy fries in the Air Fryer is a game changer.

    • Kita Bryant
    • 5 stars

    These look so amazing! I love making fries in the air fryer.

      • chewoutloud

      They’re so good!

    • Monica Simpson

    One of my favorite ways to use my air fryer is to make fries.

      • chewoutloud

      So good, right? 🙂

    • Lynndee

    We love french fries but haven’t tried cooking them in an air fryer. I need to get me an air fryer.

    • Briana Baker
    • 5 stars

    My toddler will only, for sure, eat fries and this is the ONLY way I make fries now! Soaking beforehand is a MUST!

      • chewoutloud

      So happy you like this, Briana!

    • Nikki Wayne
    • 5 stars

    Thanks for the idea. Can’t wait to try this on my air fryer.

      • chewoutloud

      Hope you love it!

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