How to make frozen french fries in the air fryer

These Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries couldn’t be easier! They’re seasoned to perfection and golden-brown, just like restaurant fries, but much healthier! Plus, they’re super simple to make in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Table of Contents

• The Best Way to Make Crispy French Fries!
• What You’ll Need
• How to Make Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
• Tips for Successful French Fries
• Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
• Get the Recipe
• More Air Fryer Snacks

The Best Way to Make Crispy French Fries!

Okay, can we talk for a minute about potatoes? If there’s anything in this world that inspires me to try new things, it’s gotta be the humble potato. There’s nothing potatoes can’t do or be! 

Kidding, of course. But still, from soup to gnocchi to mash to salad to chips to VODKA!, potatoes are basically the can-do, little-engine-that-could of the vegetable world. And, above all, let’s not forget french fries!

Yes, my favorite version of potato goodness might just be classic seasoned fries! Golden-brown and crispy on the outside, soft and steamy on the inside, with just the right amount of seasoned salt, they’re like the best addictive chips and the most nourishing baked potato, all in one. And, let me tell you, when I make fries at home, they disappear within minutes. Seriously, you have to grab them, or they’re gone!

For a long time, I was fairly happy with baking my fries, but since I got my Air Fryer, I am obsessed with how perfectly they turn out in there! While you can make your own fries from scratch, on a busy day or night, I like to just toss in a bag of good ol’ Ore Ida fries. 🍟 Easy. Peasy.

What You’ll Need

To make these fries, you only need a few simple ingredients. You can pull them together on the fly, anytime you need a quick, indulgent snack!

• French Fries: This recipe makes one 16 ounce bag of frozen french fries. You can make extra batches easily, though, if you want to.
• Cooking Oil Spray: Make sure to use a non-aerosol cooking oil spray to avoid damaging the finish on your air fryer basket.
• Seasoned Salt and Pepper: I love using plenty of seasoned salt and pepper on my fries, but you could also use any seasoning blend you like: Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, Montreal steak seasoning, or just plain salt!

How to Make Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

Making air fryer frozen french fries is so quick and simple! To make sure that you get the crispiest result, be careful not to overfill the air fryer basket. If the basket is too full, the moisture from the fries will cause them to steam and soften!

1. Prep the Air Fryer and Basket. Before you add the fries, make sure to preheat the air fryer to 400˚F. Then spray the air fryer basket with your choice of cooking oil. (Again, be careful to use non-aerosol spray! A little bit of high-heat oil like avocado oil works well in a spray bottle.
2. Add the Fries and Season Them. Add your frozen fries to the basket, being careful not to overcrowd it. Spritz the fries with a bit more, oil and season with seasoning salt and pepper. 
3. Air Fry the Fries. Cook the fries for 12 minutes. When that time is up, shake the basket,  and continue to cook the fries for 10 more minutes, or until the fries are all browned and crispy.
4. Enjoy! Serve the fries hot, with your favorite dipping sauce.

Do you have to preheat the air fryer for frozen french fries?

• While it’s true that there are a lot of things you can make in the air fryer without preheating it, I think it makes a difference in the case of frozen fries. Since they’re going into the fryer very cold, having the air fryer preheated helps make up for that and get the fries crispy.

Tips for Successful French Fries

So there you have it: perfectly seasoned air fryer frozen french fries, made in a jiffy with no need for excess oil. Read on for my top tips for making sure your fries turn out fantastic!

• Keep the Fries Warm: If you are working in batches, remove the fries from the air fryer basket and set them aside as you work through each batch. You can keep them warm on a cookie sheet in a low oven (250°F), until all of them are cooked. 
• Be Frugal with the Oil: While a little oil does help the fries turn out more crispy, it’s best to spray too little oil rather than too much. If you use a lot of oil, the fries will turn out greasy and not crispy.
• Keep the Fries Frozen Until the Last Minute: You may think that thawing the fries or leaving them out on the counter for a bit would make them cook faster—and that is true, technically. But, it also allows the fries to soak up more oil and turn out mushy. Frozen fries soak up less oil, so keep them frozen until you’re ready to add them to the basket.

Variations

You can also use this basic method to cook lots of other frozen potato goodness! While each brand and type of “fry” cooks differently, here’s a basic list of cooking times. Be sure to shake the basket, and avoid overloading it.

• Tater Tots: 12 to 14 minutes
• Curly Fries: 10 to 12 minutes
• Waffle Fries: 10 to 12 minutes
• Potato Wedges: 12 to 15 minutes

Serving Suggestions

To serve these fries, I like to have a special dipping sauce. Ketchup is fantastic, but since the fries are so simple to whip up, that leaves a little extra time for making a festive, homemade sauce! Here are some easy, flavorful sauces to make when you’re in the mood.

• Ranch: Fries and ranch are seriously a match made in heaven. This easy homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe hits the spot!
• Honey Mustard: This easy Honey Mustard Sauce is so sweet and scrumptious, I could eat it by itself! But it’s also wonderful with hot, golden-brown french fries.
• Chili Yogurt: The sauce in this recipe for Baked Chicken Tenders with Chili Yogurt Dipping Sauce is amazing on fries, too! In fact, for an easy dinner, you could make the fries along with the chicken tenders and the sauce. A fast-food feast without the guilt!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

It’s important to note that fries have a relatively short “shelf life,” so don’t try to make extra batches ahead. Instead, make as many as you think you’ll need, plus a tiny bit extra in case someone’s extra hungry (me! 🤚 ). From there, store the fries within 2 hours of cooking them.

• To refrigerate, pop the fries into airtight food storage containers or bags, with a clean paper towel to absorb any moisture as the fries cool. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.
• To reheat, place the fries back in your preheated air fryer (400°F) for a few minutes, shaking the basket every minute or so, until hot. You can also pan-fry the french fries over medium-high heat until crispy.

ENJOY!

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 22 mins

Total Time 27 mins

• Preheat air fryer to 400˚F.

• Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil.

• Add fries to the basket; spray the fries with cooking oil and season with seasoned salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

• Cook for 12 minutes; shake the basket and continue to cook for 10 more minutes, or until browned and crispy.

• Remove fries from basket and serve.

Calories: 197 kcal | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g | Sodium: 370 mg | Potassium: 325 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Vitamin C: 5 mg | Calcium: 7 mg | Iron: 1 mg | Net Carbs: 20 g

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Take a pic and let us know how it was!

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