Air Fryer French Fries

Yumna Jawad

5 from 17 votes

These air fryer french fries are made from scratch and oh so crispy! If you've been looking for the best homemade air fryer french fries recipe, this is it!

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Move over deep fryer- these Air Fryer French Fries are easy to make and come out so crispy and delicious! The best part is how little oil is needed to get that signature crispy fry without soaking or dredging in cornstarch like you would for baking. Everyone loves a stack of freshly cooked French fries, which is why this air fryer recipe is the best – such a fantastic side dish for just about anything!

Fries in an air fryer basket garnished with fresh parsley.
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Cooking French fries in the air fryer is so easy and quick that you may skip deep frying them ever again! The air fryer’s convection surrounds the potato sticks in concentrated indirect heat, allowing the fries to cook evenly all over. Whip up a batch of fries for any occasion, whether it is for lunch, dinner, as an appetizer, or as a quick snack to curve your hunger between meals.

Why you’ll love homemade air fryer french fries

  • Easy to make. The trick to crispy air fried French fries is to cut the potatoes thin and allow them to dry out and remove extra moisture for a delicious crispy fry.
  • Less oil than fried. While this method doesn’t eliminate oil completely, it does only use 1 tablespoon for the whole batch, and that 1 tablespoon is plenty for two large potatoes!
  • Just as tasty as baked. If you love my baked French fry recipe, then air fried French fries are sure to please. Plus, who can resist having a burger without fries?!

Ingredients to make crispy air fryer french fries

  • Potatoes: Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for air fryer French fries. I would avoid waxy potatoes as they are likely not to crisp up correctly. You could try another starchy potato like Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes.
  • Oil: I use olive oil because it has a high smoke point and is perfect for crisping up food. You can use any other high-heat oil, such as avocado oil.
  • Spices: Salt, black pepper, and paprika. Feel free to add your own spice blends!
Ingredients before prepped: oil, 2 potatoes, and spices in a small dish.

How to make the best air fryer french fries

  1. Cut the potatoes into sticks. Use this quick guide on how to cut potatoes.
  2. Toss the potato sticks with oil and spices to evenly coat them.
  3. Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer and arrange them in a single layer with a little space between each fry. You may need to cook in two batches.
  4. Cook until crispy with golden brown edges, shaking the basket halfway through.
4 image collage making recipe: 1-cutting potatoes into sticks, 2- cut potatoes in a bowl tossed in spices, 3- uncooked potato sticks in air fryer basket, 4- french fries after being air fried in basket.

Tips for making air fryer french fries from scratch

  1. Make sure to dry the potatoes. After cutting the potatoes, they may release some extra moisture. Use a paper towel to dab them dry, which will help them become more crispy in the air fryer.
  2. Don’t overcrowd the basket. You may feel the urge to toss all the fries in the air fryer at once, but if you overcrowd the basket and these air fryer potato fries overlap, you may create a steaming effect instead of a crisping effect.
  3. Don’t be afraid to add more time to the air fryer. That’s the beauty of the air fryer basket – you can easily check on the food and keep adding time until you have the perfect crispy texture.
  4. Shake the basket halfway through. For the best crispy result, toss the fries in the basket at least once while air frying. Doing so will allow all sides of the potato to crisp up and help the countertop convection oven work its magic.

What to serve with your homemade air fried french fries

How to store & reheat cooked fries

Air fried fries are best fresh, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, place back into a preheated 380ºF air fryer and heat for about 5 minutes or until just crisp.

How long will air fryer fries last in the fridge?

Store leftovers up to 4-5 days in the fridge.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my fries soggy?

There are a few reasons why your French fries may have ended up soggy when cooking them in the air fryer.
1. Too much oil will cause fries to become soggy when air frying. Just use enough to lightly coat them.
2. They were overcrowded. Make sure to add them in a single layer.
3. They weren’t tossed halfway through. The air fryer is great for frying but does require a little hands-on while cooking. Tossing them about halfway through is the easiest way to make sure they are being cooked on all sides, just like tossing oven baked fries.

What’s the best dipping sauce for fries?

You can’t go wrong with ketchup! But for some fun ideas, try French fries dipped in one of my homemade sauces:
Avocado Crema
How to Make Spicy Mayo
Creamy Feta Dip
Homemade Ranch Dip
Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Do I have to soak the potatoes first?

No! My method skips the soak and instead allows the potatoes to dry. You can layer them between paper towels to help soak up any extra moisture.

A plate of french fries garnished with parsley with a hand dipping a few into a small dish of ketchup.

These air fryer French fries are crispy on the outside with fluffy potato goodness on the inside. Fries are a staple in most households, and this recipe uses far less oil which is so good paired with your favorite meal or as an easy snack between meals.

More air fryer recipes:

If you try this feel good Air Fryer French Fries recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

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Fries in an air fryer basket garnished with fresh parsley.
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Air Fryer French Fries

These air fryer french fries are made from scratch and oh so crispy! If you've been looking for the best homemade air fryer french fries recipe, this is it!
5 from 17 votes
Author Yumna Jawad
Servings 2 servings
Course Side Dish
Calories 232
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Preheat an air fryer to 380ºF.
  • Wash the potatoes very well and keep the skin on. Use a sharp knife to cut the potatoes into thin sticks, about ¼-inch in thickness. Pat them dry with paper towels to soak up any moisture.
  • Place the potato sticks in a large bowl along with the olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
  • Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer and arrange in a single layer. You may need to cook in two batches. Cook until crispy with golden brown edges, shaking the basket halfway through, 15-18 minutes total.

Equipment

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, place back into a preheated 380ºF air fryer and heat for about 5 minutes or until just crisp.

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 593mg, Potassium: 903mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 250IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Side Dish

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Comments

    1. Hi Zouhair! I just serve them with ketchup that I purchase from my local grocery store. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply