My Easy Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries Recipe is the ultimate solution to your hot and crispy french fry dreams.
Craving your favorite fast food fries but want the easiest and guilt-free way to enjoy them? Look no further than this easy recipe!
Say goodbye to the hassle of deep fryers and greasy splatters. With this simple step-by-step recipe, I’ll show you how to transform a humble bag of frozen french fries into golden brown perfection rivaling your favorite fast food fries.
In just 15 minutes, using your trusty air fryer, you will be able to savor the taste of crispy, golden fries with a tantalizingly savory aroma, a crunchy exterior, and a tender, fluffy interior with rich potato flavor in the comfort of your own home.
Jump to:
- Reasons to love this recipe:
- Ingredient notes:
- How to cook frozen french fries in an air fryer:
- Serving suggestions:
- Recipe variations:
- How to store and reheat leftover fries:
- Approximate air fryer cooking times and tips for different types of frozen fries:
- Recipe FAQs:
- Expert tips and tricks:
- More air-fryer recipes:
- 📋 Recipe:
Reasons to love this recipe:
- Crispy and Crunchy: Like my recipe for Air-Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, this recipe offers the best way to achieve the crispiest food, ensuring a delightful crunch in every bite.
- Easy to make: It is an easy recipe with four ingredients, including salt and pepper, and a few simple steps, making it easy for anyone to make.
- Guilt-free: Enjoy the satisfaction of indulging in a better way to enjoy fries, prepared with less oil for a guilt-free treat.
Ingredient notes:
- Frozen french fried potatoes – I used Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries for this recipe, but you can use your favorite brand and cut or whatever brand you have on hand. You can also substitute fresh potatoes. (See below)
- Peanut oil – or avocado, canola, sunflower, or another high-smoke point oil, is used to coat the air fryer basket to prevent the potatoes from sticking and to lightly coat them to make them extra crispy.
- Salt and pepper – Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, accentuating the potatoes’ natural flavors. Ground black pepper adds a subtle spiciness.
Complete measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to cook frozen french fries in an air fryer:
**Air fryers are not created equal and come in many different sizes and shapes. Refer to your manufacturer’s guidelines and adjust the cooking times and amount of fries you can cook at one time as needed. This recipe was made using a Cosori Pro III 6.8qt, and it only took two batches to make the entire bag.
- Lightly coat the basket with a high smoke point oil such as vegetable or peanut oil using a non-aerosol spray bottle or a silicone brush, or wipe the oil on with a paper towel. I do not recommend using PAM or another aerosol non-stick spray.
- Preheat your appliance to 400°F. This should take about 5 minutes. Toss the fries with 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
- Add the potatoes into the basket, being careful not to overcrowd the basket. Spread them out, leaving a bit of space between them.
- Working in batches, air fry the fries for 12-15 minutes, giving the basket a good shake halfway through the cooking time. They are done when they are golden brown and crispy. Repeat the process for subsequent batches.
- Remove the fries from the basket, season with salt and pepper or optional seasonings, and serve immediately while they are still hot.
- If working in batches, add the potatoes that have already been cooked to your last batch in the basket when they are done. Shake the basket and air fry for about two minutes to reheat the earlier batches so all will be hot and crispy when you are ready to serve them.
Serving suggestions:
Serve ketchup, tomato jam, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, fry sauce, or honey mustard on the side for dipping. To get fancy, top them with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon for loaded fries.
Air fryer fries are the perfect side dish for any meal or snack. I like serving them with seafood main dishes such as Fried Oysters, Buffalo Shrimp, Pan-Fried Shrimp, Fried Crab Claws, Fried Fish, and Fried Grouper.
In addition, these frozen air fryer french fries are a must-have with my Homemade Shrimp Burgers, Southern Crispy Fried Chicken Burgers, Smoked Burgers, and Pimento Cheese Burgers.
Recipe variations:
- This is a simple recipe, but you can change up the taste of your fries by adding a sprinkle of smoked salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cajun seasoning, taco seasoning, seasoning salt, truffle salt, or just a touch of truffle oil.
- My favorite combination is truffle salt and grated parmesan cheese.
- This recipe calls for shoestring fries, but you can also use the same recipe for crinkle-cut, sweet potato, waffle, curly fries, or tater tots. Just keep in mind the cooking times may vary according to the size of the potatoes
How to store and reheat leftover fries:
French fries should be eaten hot immediately after air-frying for the best taste experience. Leftovers will never be quite as good as freshly cooked ones.
However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can reheat leftovers in a preheated 400°F air fryer for three to five minutes or until they are warmed through and crispy.
Approximate air fryer cooking times and tips for different types of frozen fries:
Start with the lower time range and check a few minutes early to ensure you don’t burn them. Don’t forget to remove and shake the basket halfway through. This ensures that they cook evenly.
- Shoestring Fries: 12-15 minutes.
- Crinkle Cut Fries: 10-12 minutes. Crinkle-cut never get perfectly crispy and tend to burn if you leave them in too long. Check them often to avoid burning.
- Sweet Potato Fries: 15-18 minutes. Pat them dry before frying for a crispier exterior.
- Waffle Fries: 15-18 minutes. The hollows may stay a bit soft.
- Curly Fries: 12-14 minutes.
- Tater Tots: 10-12 minutes. These tend to get nice and crispy in the air fryer.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes. It’s recommended to preheat to 400°F for 5 minutes before adding in the potatoes; this will help promote even cooking and give you crispy french fries.
You don’t need to defrost frozen French fries before cooking them in an air fryer. They are designed to cook frozen food efficiently.
For the best results, I recommend cooking frozen fries at 400°F for 12-15 minutes. Be sure to shake the basket midway. Keep in mind that the thickness of the potatoes will determine the cooking time.
For a 26-ounce bag of frozen fries, you will want to toss them with 1-2 tablespoons of oil before air frying. This step is optional but provides a light coating, which helps with browning and crisping.
You can substitute fresh potatoes for purchased frozen potatoes in this recipe.
Peel and cut the potatoes into ¼-inch strips to ensure even cooking.
Parboil or soak them for 10 minutes in hot water to remove excess starch, pat them dry with paper towels and coat them with oil before air frying for approximately 15 minutes.
Remove and shake the basket about halfway through.
Expert tips and tricks:
- Avoid overcrowding your basket if you’re going for that crispy, crunchy texture for which air fryers are famous.
- Opening your air fryer while it’s on to check on your fries is fine. Unless you have a clear window, there is no other way to monitor the cooking process.
- Use a timer to keep track of the cooking time and be sure to shake the basket halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- Season the fries immediately with your favorite seasonings after removing them from the air fryer. This will allow the seasoning to stick to the potatoes better.
- Adjust the amount of salt and pepper according to your taste preferences and the amount of fries you are seasoning.
- Start with the lower time range and check a few minutes early for your preferred level of doneness.
More air-fryer recipes:
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Easy Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 26 ounces frozen french fried potatoes, I used Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries.
- 1 ½ tablespoons peanut oil, or other high smoke point oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Lightly coat the air fryer basket with a high smoke point oil such as vegetable or peanut oil using a non-aerosol spray bottle or a silicone brush, or wipe the oil on with a paper towel. I do not recommend using PAM or another aerosol non-stick spray.
- Preheat your appliancer to 400°F. This should take about 5 minutes. Toss the fries with a small amount of oil for extra crispy fries.
- Add the fries into the basket, being careful not to overcrowd them. Spread them out, leaving a bit of space between them.
- Working in batches, air fry the fries for 12-15 minutes, giving the basket a good shake halfway through the cooking time. Your potatoes are done when they are golden brown and crispy. Repeat the process for subsequent batches.
- Remove the fries from the basket, season with salt and pepper or optional seasonings, and serve immediately while they are still hot.
- If working in batches, add the fries that have already been cooked to your last batch in the basket when they are done. Shake the basket and air fry for about two minutes to reheat the earlier batches so all will be hot and crispy when you are ready to serve them.
Lara
This idea blows my mind, I’ve gotta try it. Very eager to see if it works!