Air Fryer French Fry Secrets: Crispy, Golden, Perfect!

French fries are a beloved snack and side dish, but the process of deep-frying them can be messy and unhealthy. Fortunately, air fryers offer a convenient and healthier alternative to enjoy crispy and crunchy fries without the grease. Here's an introduction to making real French fries in an air fryer.

Choosing the right potato

The type of potato you use is crucial in making perfect French fries. You should aim for high-starch potatoes such as Idaho or russet potatoes. These potatoes are denser and have less moisture, which is key to avoiding soggy fries. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes, which are an all-purpose potato that can be used for frying and will give you a creamier centre.

You should avoid waxy potatoes like red-skinned, new, or fingerling potatoes. Their high moisture and sugar content make them unsuitable for deep frying as they will hollow out when you fry them. The resulting fries will be limp and soggy and can darken too quickly.

If you are making a large batch, you can keep your cut potatoes in cold water in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them. Just be sure to dry them thoroughly before adding them to the air fryer.

Preparing the potato

Selecting and Cleaning the Potatoes:

Start by choosing the right type of potatoes. Russet potatoes are the most recommended variety for French fries due to their thick skins and starchy, fluffy flesh. This helps them maintain their shape and provides a soft, tender inside. You can also use Yukon Gold potatoes for a creamier centre. Make sure to scrub and clean the potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt. You can choose to peel the potatoes or leave the skin on for added texture and flavour.

Cutting the Potatoes:

Cutting the potatoes into evenly sized pieces is crucial for even cooking. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into halves, then lay each half cut-side down and slice them into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Stack the slices and cut them lengthwise again into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick fries. Aim for similar-sized fries, as this will ensure they cook at the same rate.

Rinsing and Soaking the Potatoes:

After cutting, rinse the potatoes in cold water to remove excess starch. This step is important to ensure crispy fries. For even crunchier fries, you can soak the cut potatoes in cold water for an hour or even overnight in the fridge. Soaking helps remove excess starch and will result in fries that are crispier on the outside.

Drying the Potatoes:

Once you've rinsed or soaked the potatoes, it's essential to dry them thoroughly. Use paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to pat them dry. Removing as much moisture as possible is crucial for achieving crispy exteriors.

Seasoning the Potatoes:

Place the cut and dried potatoes in a bowl and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add other seasonings like Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder to enhance the flavour. Make sure all surfaces of the potatoes are evenly coated with oil and seasonings.

Air Frying the Potatoes:

Preheat your air fryer to 380°F or follow the instructions for your specific model. Place the seasoned potatoes into the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring they don't overlap. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, as this will result in soggy fries. Air fry for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the fries are golden brown and crispy.

Reheating and Serving:

If you're making a large batch, you can reheat the fries in the air fryer. Simply add all the cooked fries back into the air fryer for 1 to 2 minutes to warm them up and make them crispy again. Serve your air fryer French fries with your favourite dipping sauces, such as ketchup, fry sauce, garlic aioli, or chilli powder. Enjoy!

Adding flavour

The great thing about making French fries in an air fryer is that you can experiment with different seasonings and spices to find your favourite flavour combinations.

Seasoning

The most basic seasoning for French fries is salt and pepper. However, you can also add paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chilli powder, or dried herbs such as rosemary or thyme. If you want to make San Francisco-style garlic fries, swap the salt for garlic salt. You could also try adding Parmesan cheese, or a teaspoon of dried oregano and topping with feta cheese for a Greek-style fry.

Dipping Sauces

French fries are often served with a variety of dipping sauces. Ketchup and mustard are classic choices, but you can also try something different like chipotle sauce, chimichurri, vegan cheese, fry sauce, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, aioli, or cheese sauce.

Oil

The type of oil you use can also add flavour to your fries. While olive oil is the most commonly used, you could also try vegetable oil, canola oil, garlic oil, or chile oil.

Other Ingredients

Before cooking, you can toss your fries in a mixture of oil and spices, or even butter, diced garlic, and parsley for a rich, sinful treat. You can also try coating your fries in a mixture of spices and flour before air frying to make them extra crispy.

Cooking the fries

Prep

Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes into fries. Don't worry too much about making each fry the same size—a bit of variety is fine! If you don't have a mandoline, you can cut the potatoes manually.

Soak

Place the cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water and leave them to soak for an hour. This helps to remove excess starch, which will improve the crispiness of the final fries.

Preheat

Preheat your air fryer to 375–380°F (190–200°C).

Season

After an hour, drain the water and pat the potatoes dry with a paper towel. Then, toss them in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add other seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, or Cajun seasoning.

Air Fry

Place the fries in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are all on the same level and not stacked on top of each other. Cook for 13–20 minutes, until crispy and golden brown, tossing halfway through. You may need to work in batches to avoid overcrowding the basket, which can make the fries soggy.

Reheat

If you are cooking the fries in batches, add all the cooked fries back into the air fryer for 1–2 minutes at the end to reheat and recrisp.

Serving suggestions

Air fryer French fries are a fun and delicious snack, side dish, or appetizer. They can be served simply with salt and pepper, or dressed up with fresh herbs, spices, or dipping sauces. Here are some ideas for serving your air fryer French fries:

Dipping Sauces

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• Chipotle sauce
• Ranch dressing
• BBQ sauce
• Fry sauce
• Cheese sauce
• Aioli
• Garlic aioli
• Skillet queso
• Comeback sauce
• Spicy whipped feta
• Chimichurri
• Vegan cheese
• Onion ring dipping sauce
• Homemade ranch
• Buttermilk ranch
• Onion ring sauce
• Burger sauce

Seasonings and Herbs

• Salt and pepper
• Fresh herbs
• Chili powder
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Herbs de Provence salt
• Cajun seasoning
• Garlic butter
• Parsley
• Lemon zest
• Parmesan
• Paprika
• Chili powder
• Oregano
• Feta
• Garlic salt
• Italian seasoning

Sides and Meals

• Veggie burgers
• Salads
• Corn on the cob
• Portobello mushroom burger
• Crispy cauliflower Po' Boy sandwich
• BBQ jackfruit sandwich
• Crispy roasted chickpeas
• Baked sweet potato fries
• Chicken wings
• Crispy air fryer bacon
• Juicy burger
• BLT sandwich
• Chicken drumsticks
• Chicken fried steak
• Chicken tenders
• Salsa chicken thighs
• Bacon
• Fish and chips
• Chicken nuggets

Drinks

Milkshakes

Other Tips

• Work in batches to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
• Cut potatoes into similar sizes, about 1/4-inch thick, for even cooking.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket to allow hot air to circulate and crisp up the fries.
• Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.
• Soak the potatoes in cold water to remove excess starch and help them crisp up.
• Pat the potatoes dry after soaking to remove moisture and ensure crispiness.
• Reheat fries in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes before serving to maintain crispiness.

Frequently asked questions