If you’ve ever been halfway through making dinner and realized you still need a side, this recipe is about to be your new best friend. Air fryer French fries are the ultimate “took no time” side dish. In fact, ever since I started making these, I’ve basically stopped buying frozen fries. Now I just keep a few potatoes in the pantry, and boom—I’m ready for fries any night of the week.
These homemade fries take around 10 minutes of hands-on time (aka cutting and seasoning), and the air fryer does all the rest. You don’t even have to babysit them—just shake the basket halfway through and you’re golden. The result? Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and way more satisfying than a bag of frozen fries.
They’re thicker than fast-food fries (think steak fries but a little lighter), which makes them perfect for dipping, loading up with toppings, or just eating straight from the basket if that’s your style.
Why Make Fries in an Air Fryer?
I’ll admit, I was skeptical about air fryer fries at first. Could they really be that good without a vat of oil? The answer is yes. Big yes. Air fryers work some kind of magic that gets the outside crispy without overcooking the inside. And since you only use a tablespoon of oil, you don’t have to deal with greasy messes or that heavy, fried aftertaste.
Also, air fryers are fast. You don’t have to wait for an oven to heat up for 20 minutes or preheat a gallon of oil. You cut, season, toss in, and in less than 30 minutes, you’ve got fries. Perfect for nights when dinner is happening now and you don’t want to overthink it.
What You’ll Need
This is one of those recipes where the ingredient list is short and sweet. You probably have most of these on hand already.
- 2 medium or large potatoes
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper (if you prefer white pepper, use a little less—it’s stronger)
That’s it. Five pantry ingredients and potatoes. Nothing weird, nothing fancy.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Prep the Potatoes
Wash and peel your potatoes (or don’t, if you like the skins on—totally up to you). Then cut them into strips about ¼ inch wide. Basically, you’re aiming for the width of your pinky finger. The more uniform you make them, the more evenly they’ll cook, but don’t stress about perfection here.
Toss the cut potatoes in a big bowl with the oil, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. You can use a spoon to mix, or if your bowl has a lid, shake it up. Shaking is more fun. Either way, make sure every fry gets a little coating of seasoning.
Cook in the Air Fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (if your model has a preset for fries, you can just hit that). Once it’s ready, dump in the fries in a single layer. Don’t pack them too tightly—if you’ve got a smaller air fryer, you may want to do this in two batches.
Cook for 17 minutes, shaking the basket about halfway through. That shake makes sure they crisp up evenly. If you check them at 17 minutes and they’re not quite crispy enough for your liking, give them another 2–3 minutes. Different air fryers and different potato thicknesses vary, so trust your eyes.
How to Serve (and Store!) These Fries
Hot out of the air fryer, these fries are a dream with ketchup, ranch, aioli, or whatever your fry-dipping preference is. I’ve used them as:
- A quick side for sloppy joes
- Fries for burgers or chicken nuggets (yes, sometimes, most of the time, frozen)
- A base for Pollo Saltado (Peruvian Chicken Stir-Fry)
- A “snack dinner” when I’m just not in the mood to cook anything else
If you want them extra crispy, you can sprinkle on a little extra salt right when they come out, while they’re still hot.
These fries are at their very best fresh out of the air fryer. That said, if you happen to have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat them in the air fryer for a few minutes at 375°F, and they’ll crisp back up pretty nicely.
Tips and Variations
- Season however you want. Paprika, chili powder, Cajun seasoning, rosemary—go wild.
- Cut thinner fries. If you prefer shoestring-style fries, cut them thinner and reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.
- Double up on batches. If you’re cooking for a crowd, keep the first batch warm in a 200°F oven while the second batch cooks.
Final Thoughts
Air fryer French fries are one of those simple things that just make life easier. They’ve become a staple in my house because they’re quick, customizable, and they taste so much better than frozen. Plus, there’s something a little fun about pulling a basket of golden fries out of the air fryer and serving them up like you’re running your own little fry shop.
So grab a couple of potatoes, plug in your air fryer, and make yourself a batch. Whether you’re pairing them with a weeknight dinner or just craving a fry fix, you’ll be so glad you did.
Air-Fryer French Fries
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 medium or large potatoes
- 1 tbsp canola oil any neutral flavored oil will work
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper for white pepper, you may want to do a bit less
Instructions
Prep Work
- Cut the potatoes into strips about ¼ inch wide (about the thickness of a pinky finger). They don't have to be perfect, but thicker fries will take longer to cook through.
- Put the cut potatoes in a large bowl/container and add the oil and spices. Stir the spices and potatoes together to coat evenly. If your container has a lid, you might find it easier to shake everything together.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 ℉ and set the time to 17 minutes (if your airfryer has a french fry setting, you can probably just use that).
Cooking
- Once the air fryer is preheated, add the seasoned potato wedges and cook, shaking the air fryer basket half-way through. If your fries are underdone or not as crispy as you would like, add up to 3 more minutes of time.
Notes
- If you feel like your potatoes might need more seasoning, you can always add it once they are cooked! Err on the side of caution before you can taste them.
- Obviously if you go through the 20 minutes and your fries still aren’t cutting it, keep cooking! However, as a tip, if you run out of time on your air fryer you will either need to pout the fries out so that you can preheat it and cook again or, if your air fryer has a “reheat” setting, you can cook it on the “reheat” setting with a higher temperature.
- If two potatoes are not enough for your cooking needs, I have successfully cooked up to four, but you will need to double the recipe and increase the cooking time to around 25-30 minutes.
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