These crispy air fryer french fries are so delicious you won’t ever want to deep fry potatoes again. The air fryer uses a lot less oil, but produces the same delicious results that we love. Here are tips on how to cook fresh or frozen fries in the air fryer, so you can eat them to your heart’s content! Perfect as snacks, appetizers or a side dish. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
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French fries for the win!
Juan and I love our fries, and we like them extra crispy (because nothing’s worse than soggy fries!). However, making crispy fries usually requires deep frying the potatoes in plenty of oil.
And deep-frying in my house is a no-no, simply because of the smell that lingers after deep-frying anything, and the insane amount of oil required to do so.
The Air Fryer is a Game Changer
If you haven’t tried cooking with an air fryer before, it’s about to change your life. It’s basically a smaller version of a convection oven, and cooks food by circulating hot air around the surface of the foods to create a crispy final product.
In fact, one of the main reasons (or probably THE reason) why we bought an air fryer was because we wanted to eat crispy fries in the comfort of our home (without cooking them in copious amounts of oil), and we figured that even if we were to only use the air fryer to cook fries, it would still be totally worth it.
These crunchy french fries make the perfect snack, appetizer, or even a great side dish, so what’s not to love about them?
Why This Recipe Works:
- Basic Ingredients: You literally only need a few simple ingredients to make this easy recipe (nothing fancy required)!
- Little Oil Required: Compared to deep frying, the air fryer method uses just a tiny bit of oil, which makes it a healthier option.
- No Oil Splatters: Since the cooking is done with the air fryer closed, there won’t be any oil splatters (unlike using a deep fryer or a large pot of oil) which makes clean up so much easier.
- Amazing Crispy Texture: These air fryer french fries have a crazy crispy exterior, even without all the extra oil, which never ceases to amaze me every time!
- Totally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan: The best part is that these fries are 100% gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, which means that even those who have Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances, or those simply on a gluten-free or vegan diet can still enjoy them without issues!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required to make this air fryer french fries recipe.
(For exact measurements and quantities, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
Ingredient Notes/Substitutions:
- What Kind of Potatoes to Use: I used medium yukon golds in this case, but you can also use medium russet potatoes or other types of potatoes if you prefer.
- Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it around. Alternatively, you may use another vegetable oil of your choice, such as olive oil or avocado oil.
How to Cook Air Fryer French Fries (Dish by Dish):
1. Preheat the Air Fryer
A tip I learnt early on in our air fryer journey was to preheat the air fryer for at least 3 to 5 minutes to the temperature you want to cook your food at.
Just like you would preheat your oven before baking anything, make sure you preheat your air fryer too so it’s primed for cooking once you place the food inside (in this case, fries).
2. Peel and Cut Potatoes
Peel the potatoes before cutting them into evenly thin strips.
(Note: I personally always prefer to use fresh potatoes to make our homemade french fries, because it’s so easy and there aren’t any preservatives that usually comes with frozen fries.)
3. Toss Potatoes in Oil:
While you can technically cook the potatoes without any oil in the air fryer, I find that tossing them with a little oil in a large bowl produces the best results (and a crispy golden brown texture) that we usually associate with restaurant-served French fries.
Tossing the cut potatoes with a bit of oil literally takes all of two seconds to do so, and the results make it all worth while.
4. Transfer Fries to Air Fryer Basket
Place potatoes in the air-fryer basket in a single layer (or two layers max).
You want to make sure that you do NOT overcrowd the basket so that there is enough space for the hot air to circulate.
If there isn’t enough space to cook all the potato sticks at once, don’t worry. Simply cook them in small batches until all are ready.
5. Cook Fries Until Golden Brown
The way to ensure the fries turn out beautifully crispy and golden are to toss them every 5 minutes so that they cook evenly on all sides. Make sure you toss them, because this is the trick to perfect air fryer french fries!
How long should you air fry french fries? Each batch of fries cooks up in just 15 minutes at 400F, so you’ll only need to toss them a few times.
6. Serve and Enjoy!
Sprinkle the french fries with a little salt before serving with our homemade sriracha or 5-minute garlic aioli.
Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
- Skin On or Off? Whether you leave the potato skin on or off is a matter of personal preference. I like peeling the potatoes when cooking french fries, and prefer leaving the skin on when making potato wedges. Either way, the fries are going to taste delicious!
- Don’t Overcrowd Your Basket: It’s super important that you don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket. (Tip: A rule of thumb that I use is to leave it at 1/3 full, so that the fries have plenty of room to cook and crisp up all over. My air fryer is 3-quart in capacity and this recipe works perfect for one batch, if you have a bigger air fryer, you can cook more potatoes at one shot.)
- Cooking in Batches: If you plan on making more than one batch of these fries, simply place the cooked fries one side as you cook the rest. Just before serving or eating, return the fries to the air fries and let them crisp up and warm up again for 2 minutes at 400F.
- Optional Seasonings: If you would like to season these fries, just make sure to toss the fries in the seasoning along with the oil before air frying them. Some seasoning options would be ground paprika, ground black pepper, ground cayenne powder, chili powder or even garlic powder or onion powder. Have fun and play around with the seasonings according to your personal preferences!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes you can! If you’re using frozen french fries, simply follow the instructions but cook the fries for 25 minutes instead. Toss the fries every 5 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown all over.
Sure, if you have leftover french fries, you can store them in the refrigerator overnight and then crisp them up for 5 minutes in the air fryer at 400F before eating.
What to eat with these air fryer fries:
I love serving these absolutely crispy french fries with sauces that are big on flavor, such as:
- Homemade Sriracha Chili Sauce
- 5-minute garlic aioli
- Mayonnaise
- Honey Mustard
- BBQ sauce
- Ranch sauce
- All of the above! That sure sounds fun!
If you enjoyed this, you’ll also love:
- Air Fryer Diced Potatoes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Air Fryer Kale Chips (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Air Fryer Chickpeas (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Crispy Baked Yuca Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Easy Stovetop Popcorn (With Microwave Option)
- Easy Creamy Hummus (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cornbread (Dairy-Free)
- Easy Maple Coconut Chips (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Other Gluten-Free Air Fryer Recipes:
P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!
PrintCrispy Air Fryer French Fries (Fresh or Frozen)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These crispy air fryer french fries are so delicious you won’t ever want to deep fry potatoes again. The air fryer uses a lot less oil, but produces the same delicious results that we love. Here are tips on how to cook fresh or frozen fries in the air fryer, so you can eat them to your heart’s content! Perfect as snacks, appetizers or a side dish. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Yukon gold or russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt, for sprinkling
- Sriracha chili sauce or garlic aioli, for accompanying
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the air fryer to 400F.
- Peel and Cut Potatoes: Peel the potatoes before cutting them into evenly thin strips.
- Toss in Oil: Toss the cut potatoes evenly with oil in a mixing bowl.
- Transfer Fries to Air Fryer Basket:Transfer the oil-coated potatoes to the air fryer basket place them in a single layer (or two layers at the maximum).
- Cook Until Golden Brown: Cook the fries for 15 minutes, tossing the fries every 5 minutes to ensure they cook evenly and crisp up on all sides.
- Serve and Enjoy! Salt the french fries before serving with our homemade sriracha or 5-minute garlic aioli.
Notes
Potatoes: I used Yukon gold potatoes in this case, but you can also use russet potatoes or other types of potatoes if you prefer.
Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it around. Alternatively, you may use another vegetable oil of your choice, such as olive oil or avocado oil.
Skin On or Off? Whether you leave the potato skin on or off is a matter of personal preference. I like peeling the potatoes when cooking french fries, and prefer leaving the skin on when making potato wedges. Either way, the fries are going to taste delicious!
Frozen french fries: If you’re using frozen french fries, simply follow the instructions but cook the fries for 25 minutes instead. Toss the fries every 5 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown all over.
Don’t Overcrowd Your Basket: It’s super important that you don’t overcrowd your air fryer basket. A rule of thumb that I use is to leave it at 1/3 full, so that the fries have plenty of room to cook and crisp up all over. My air fryer is 3-quart in capacity and this recipe works perfect for one batch, if you have a bigger air fryer, you can cook more potatoes at one shot.
Cooking in Batches: If you plan on making more than one batch of these fries, simply place the cooked fries one side as you cook the rest. Just before serving or eating, return the fries to the air fries and let them crisp up and warm up again for 2 minutes at 400F.
Optional Seasonings: If you would like to season these fries, just make sure to toss the fries in the seasoning along with the oil before air frying them. Some seasoning options would be ground paprika, ground black pepper, ground cayenne powder, chili powder or even garlic powder or onion powder. Have fun and play around with the seasonings according to your personal preferences!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Bill says
I do make my first like you do but use a small convection oven .good stuff.we have one of those insta pots with air frier on it.cant wait to try it with fries.ive been gluten free and dairy free for a year now.its not too difficult to eat gluten free but bread is a problem.guess I need to forget what wheat tastes like lol.
Felicia Lim says
Hope you enjoy these air fryer fries Bill! Also, yes, I think after a while you kinda forget what wheat tastes like. My husband has been Celiac for 6 years and think sometime during year 4 he forgot what normal wheat bread tastes like!
Grace Lim says
Hello Felicia,
These Air Fried French Fries taste best when served immediately after removing them from the Air Fryer. It’s crispiness is so additive that a batch of french fries can be consumed in no time.
Love from all of us in SG,
Mum
Felicia Lim says
Agreed that these fries taste best when you eat them straight out of the air fryer : )
Benjamin williams says
It seems delicious. Can we handle crispy fried chips like well known fastfoods companies? Do you know what is key point of them?
Felicia Lim says
Hi Benjamin! Yes you can use frozen chips as well, if that’s what you’re asking! What do you mean by the key point? Do you mean the temperature? In the recipe card you’ll find notes for using both fresh or frozen fries 🙂
Order Food Online says
It looks delicious I loved it Thanks for sharing I will try it at home
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Thank you! 🙂
Frances says
I am planning to buy an air fryer. I hope to use it to make sweet potato fries using the orange sweet potato and the purple Hawaiian potato. Variety! Thanks for your tips.
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hi Frances! I hope you’ll enjoy your air fryer as much as we do! I’ve never tried the purple hawaiian potato, but that sounds delicious as well! Perfect for variety like you said! 😉 I made the orange sweet potato last night in the air fryer – somehow sweet potatoes don’t crisp up as much as potatoes, and I think it could be due to their water content (potatoes are starchier).
Sai Fong Cheng says
Good morning Felicia,
Yes, this is a great and healthy snack to enjoy as only a little oil and salt is used.
I am glad you are using your air fryer to cook more yummy and healthy food for your enjoyment!
Looking forward to more of your sharing of recipes using your air fryer for healthy cooking 🙂
Love and blessings always!
Mum
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hi mummy! Yes, we love the air fryer! It’s been fun trying to think of new recipes to use it with! Amalia saw this recipe and she just bought an air fryer too 😉