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These air fryer French fries are incredible! They’re super easy and require just 3 pantry staple ingredients—though you can fancy them up and season them further however you please. These are the perfect side for my popular turkey burger recipe, or any of my sandwiches & wraps!
Table of Contents
The air fryer has proven itself over and over when it comes to delivering on our favorite fried foods. We’ve seen it with air fryer Buffalo wings, air fryer chicken nuggets, and even breaded air fryer mushrooms! Now, French fries.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They taste like restaurant fries—these spuds have the same crisp texture and warming flavor as pub fries.
- Less mess—with the air fryer, you’re not dealing with grease splatters or the smell of fried food lingering through your home for hours.
- You can get creative—I’ve kept this recipes really easy with just 3 ingredients. They’re incredibly tasty as is, but you can get as creative as you’d like with seasoning! See my recipe variations & modifications below.
Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Potatoes—Russet or Idaho potatoes are the best choices when it comes to homemade fries. They’re dense and contain less moisture, so you can avoid a soggy outcome!
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Get creative with your seasoning—I’ve kept things simple with this recipe by using garlic salt and cracked pepper. They’re great as is, but you can get creative and add smoked paprika, seasoning salt, dill pickle salt, or my homemade Italian seasoning!
How to Make Air Fryer French Fries
A printable recipe card can be found at the end of this post.
Step 1. Give the potatoes a good wash, then pat them dry. Place one onto a cutting board and cut it in half lengthwise, then cut the halves in half lengthwise. Cut them into 1/4″ strips.
Step 2. Then cut the strips lengthwise in the width you want your fries to be.
Step 3. When done, your strips should look like uncooked fries! Take a look at them and be sure that they are mostly the same size to ensure even cooking. (They obviously don’t have to be perfect.)
Step 4. When you’re done cutting the potatoes, pop them into a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes, though you can let them soak for a few hours.
Step 5. After soaking, strain the potato strips in a colander, shaking them dry; give them a quick pat with paper towels.
Step 6. Transfer the fries to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle them with 1 TBSP olive oil; toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle the seasoning over them and toss to evenly coat again.
Step 7. Preheat the air fryer to 380º F. When done, spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray, then place as many potato strips into it as you can without overcrowding them. You don’t want any of them to be touching if you want them crispy!
Step 8. Air fry the potatoes for 10 minutes. Open the air fryer basket when they’re done and check them out. If they’re how you like them, transfer them to a bowl and continue on with the next batch. If you want them crispier, shake the basket and cook them for another 3-5 minutes. (You can remove any smaller fries that crisped up more quickly after the first 10 minutes.) Continue in batches until you’re done.
Pro Tip
I highly recommend soaking the potatoes for at least 15 minutes in cold water prior to cooking. This removes excess starch and it prevents the sugar in the potatoes from browning before they’re cooked.
How to Serve These French Fries
This recipes pairs perfectly with burgers, of course. You’ll love them with my turkey burger recipe, my chicken burger, or my easy salmon burger. They also make a great side for a BLT sandwich, egg salad sandwich, or Buffalo chicken wrap. For dipping, we love them with my homemade ketchup or dill pickle buttermilk ranch dressing.
Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, pop them onto a baking sheet in a single layer and place in the freezer until they’re about half frozen, which should only take an hour or two. Then place them into a freezer-friendly bag and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Place them in the fridge the night before the day you want to eat them.
- To reheat, pop the fries into the air fryer and heat them at 350º F for 3-5 minutes or until warmed through. This will also crisp them back up, so you aren’t stuck with soggy fries!
Frequently Asked Questions
With this recipe, at 380º F, they take 10-15 minutes depending on your preference of crisp.
This process removes extra starch and extra sugars to prevent soggy, overly browned fries.
Homemade do require being tossed in oil, and I recommend a bit of oil to be sprayed or brushed over the bottom of the air fryer basket to prevent sticking.
More Air Fryer Favorites…
If you try this Air Fryer French Fries recipe, or any other recipe here at Killing Thyme, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating! And let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Best Air Fryer French Fries (3 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs Russet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes)
- 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- Cracked black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and pat them dry. Place one onto a cutting board and cut it in half lengthwise, then cut the halves in half lengthwise. Then, cut the potato pieces into into 1/4″ strips. Turn the strips sideways and slice them lengthwise to the width you want your fries to be. Repeat this with the other potato.
- When you’re done cutting the potatoes, pop them into a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes or up to a few hours.
- When done with the soaking process, strain the potato strips in a colander and shake them dry. Then give them a quick pat with paper towels.
- Transfer the fries to a large mixing bowl and drizzle them with 1 TBSP olive oil; toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle the seasoning over them and toss to evenly coat once again.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380º F. When it's ready to go, spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray, then place as many potato strips into it as you can without overcrowding them. You don’t want any of them to be touching if you want them crispy!
- Air fry the potatoes for 10 minutes. Open the air fryer basket when they’re done and check them out. If they’re how you like them, transfer them to a bowl and continue on with the next batch. If you want them crispier, shake the basket and cook them for another 3-5 minutes. (You can remove any smaller fries that crisped up more quickly after the first 10 minutes.)
- Continue this in batches until all of your fries are cooked, then serve with your favorite French fry dipping sauce.
These are delicious! Never thought air fryer french fries could be as crispy as restaurant french fries but this recipe totally works!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Helen! It’s quite impressive, isn’t it?
Wowowow! Never thought air fryer french fries could compare to actual restaurant fries but these are it folks. I’ve bookmarked this recipe and printed it so I never lose it. Our new burger night pairing!
Isn’t it crazy how nicely these come out? Glad you found the recipe!
These turned out so crispy, we were floored! Honestly we wanted fries with our burgers tonight and thought we had some in the freezer but didn’t. Found this recipe, we were hesitant, but we figured why not. WOW. So good! Saved and printed to add to my collection. I need to try your turkey burger next!