These homemade air fryer French fries are easy to make from scratch, and they’re just as crispy as regular fries with a fraction of the time and oil! You can customize the seasonings any way you’d like.
Whether I’m grilling hamburgers or looking for a quick side for chicken tenders, my air fryer frozen French fries are almost on weekly rotation. And when time allows, I love making homemade air fryer French fries! These air fryer French fries are as crunchy and crispy as regular fries without tons of oil, and they’re ready in half the time. I’ll show you how to make fries at home the easy way using only 3 ingredients!
Reasons I’m Obsessed With Homemade Air Fryer French Fries
Fast to cook. Cooking fries in the air fryer takes minutes, and they always have plenty of crunch.
Less oil. Clean up is just as quick, and there’s no mess from spattering oil. There’s hardly any oil in general. These fries are extra crispy without the grease!
Golden outside, fluffy inside. I share my easy pre-soaking method for the crispiest homemade French fries. Combined with the air fryer, they taste even better than regular fries.
The Best Potatoes for Making French Fries
I use Russet potatoes in this recipe, and they’re my personal favorite for making French fries. Russet potatoes are starchy, so they crisp up with a golden crust and tender, fluffy insides. Yukon Golds, another starchy potato, are also a good option if you can’t find Russets.
Choose Your Seasonings
I recommend seasoning the fries before you cook them. For this recipe, I use a simple combination of olive oil, salt, and pepper. There are loads of options, though, and you can use any combination of spices you’d like. Here are some other easy ways I’ll change up the seasonings for these air fryer French fries:
Dried herbs
Italian seasoning
Cajun seasoning
Fajita seasoning (or taco seasoning)
Garlic powder
Chili powder or cayenne
How to Make Homemade French Fries in the Air Fryer
I use the potato cutter pictured here to cut my fries, and it’s the best! Super easy to use and easy to clean, and you can use it for more than just slicing potatoes, including cutting onions, apples, and more.
Wash and scrub the potatoes before you start. I usually don’t bother peeling my potatoes, but you can if you prefer them without skins. In this case, you can skip the scrubbing step.
Cut the potatoes into fries. You can do this using a knife, mandolin, or vegetable chopper. Cut the potatoes into fries, and try to get them as similar in size as possible. I also have a separate recipe for air fryer potato wedges if you prefer thicker fries.
Soak. Next, add the potatoes to a bowl and cover them with cold water. Leave them to soak for about 1 hour. You can even move them to the fridge to soak overnight. When you’re ready to fry them, drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels. Do your best to remove as much moisture as possible.
Season the fries. Add the fries to a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat.
Air fry. Add the fries to the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for another 8-10 minutes until they’re golden and crispy. Be sure to work in batches, arranging the fries in a single layer.
Why Do You Soak Potatoes Before Air Frying?
Soaking the potatoes in cold water removes some of the excess starch, resulting in crispier French fries. It’s an important step for making restaurant-style fries at home. Ensure the potatoes are thoroughly dried before frying.
If you’re short on time, you can par-boil the potatoes instead, which still helps the French fries crisp up in a shorter cooking time. Be sure to adjust the air frying time accordingly.
Why Didn’t My French Fries Get Crispy?
It’s possible that your fries need more time to cook, or the air fryer basket is overcrowded. Make sure to air fry in batches, so the potatoes fry and don’t steam.
Can I Bake These Fries In the Oven Instead?
Absolutely. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can make crispy baked French fries instead.
Prep. Soak and season the fries as directed, and arrange them on a baking sheet.
Bake. Bake your homemade fries at 450ºF for 15-20 minutes, then flip the fries and bake for 10 minutes more, until they’re crispy on all sides.
Recipe Tips
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook the fries in a single layer, with plenty of room for the hot air to circulate inside the fryer. If you overcrowd the basket, your fries will steam instead, and they won’t be crispy.
How long to cook them: These homemade air fryer French fries usually take between 18 to 20 minutes to get crispy in the air fryer. The exact cooking time depends on your model, though, so check them at the earliest suggested time and adjust as needed.
Keep the French fries warm. While you’re cooking your air fryer French fries in batches, keep the finished batches warm by spreading the fries out on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Place the fries into a 200ºF oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining batches.
Change up the seasonings. Season your homemade French fries with Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or any spices you’d like. Or, make homemade truffle fries with truffle oil.
Serving Suggestions
I’ll often make a batch of air fryer hamburgers or chicken burgers while the air fryer is preheated. But the meal options are endless when it comes to serving homemade fries as a side! These are just some of my favorite ways to serve them:
Sandwiches. Crispy French fries are the perfect side to a BLT sandwich, an easy turkey club sandwich, or a crispy Buffalo chicken wrap for a pub-style lunch or dinner.
With steak. Serve your fries with grilled steak for homemade steak frites! These air fryer steak bites are also a quick, kid-friendly shortcut.
Kid-friendly. Serve with chicken nuggets, hot dogs, or corn dogs, with a side of air fryer carrots.
Add toppings. Make carne asada fries topped with tender bites of Mexican beef, melted cheese, and guacamole.
Dipping Sauce Ideas
Ketchup is a classic choice, or you can serve your air fryer French fries with one or more of these tasty homemade dipping sauces:
Cane’s sauce (my family’s favorite!)
Homemade mayonnaise or garlic aioli
Ranch dressing
Big Mac sauce
Cajun dipping sauce
Storing and Reheating Leftover Fries
Refrigerate. Store any leftover homemade French fries in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat. You can reheat these fries in the air fryer at 400ºF for about 5 minutes, until they’re crispy and warmed through again. Another option is to use the oven or toaster oven.
Freeze. Freeze leftover fries in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. You can reheat them from frozen following the directions above, adding an extra minute or two to the reheating time.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
Air Fryer Tater Tots
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Print
Homemade Air Fryer French Fries
Homemade air fryer French fries are just as crispy as regular fries! Make them from scratch with a fraction of the time and oil, and customize the seasonings any way you’d like.
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade air fryer french fries
Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 177kcal
Author Erin Sellin
Equipment
Potato Cutter
Ingredients
2 large russet potatoes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Instructions
Wash potatoes and scrub well.
2 large russet potatoes
Using a knife, mandolin, or vegetable chopper, cut potatoes into French Fries, making sure they are close to the same size.
Place potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let the potatoes sit for about an hour.
Drain the water, pour the potatoes onto a clean towel, and pat dry.
Place in a bowl and toss potatoes with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
1 Tablespoon olive oil, Salt & Pepper
Preheat air fryer to 370ºF.
Add about half of the potatoes to the air fryer and spread them into a single layer. Cook for 10 minutes, stir the potatoes well to flip them, and cook for another 8-10 minutes until crispy.
Serve immediately or pour onto a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and place in the oven at 200ºF to keep warm while you cook another batch.
Notes
Do not crowd the basket, or your fries will steam instead of being crisp.
Season with any of your favorite spices.
Don’t skip soaking the potatoes in water; it removes some of the starch and makes the fries crispier. Make sure to dry the potatoes well.
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 769mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg
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