Making frozen french fries in your air fryer is a total breeze! Just one bite of these perfectly crispy fries is like a trip to your favorite burger joint!
Overview
Name-brand fries, store-brand fries, it doesn’t matter. Any type or brand of frozen fries can be made in the air fryer.
That’s it! There’s no oil required, and you don’t even have to season them!
Of course, you are welcome to add a shake of your favorite seasoning salt, or simple salt and pepper, before or after cooking if you like, but it’s not a deal-breaker!
Either way, these frozen french fries in the air fryer will hit the spot! They’ll be ready in minutes to make the perfect snack or easy dinnertime side dish.
How to air fry Them
- Choose your favorite brand of french fries from your preferred grocer’s frozen foods aisle.
- Pour the frozen french fries into the basket of your air fryer. They don’t need to be in a single layer, but be sure not to crowd the basket so that the fries will cook evenly!
- Give the air fryer basket a gentle shake to spread the fries out as much as possible.
- Air Fry at 400°F/200°C for 12 minutes then serve and enjoy.
A note on cook time
Cook time depends on the style and thickness of the frozen french fries.
- For shoestring fries: Cook for 12 minutes in the air fryer.
- For crinkle cut and standard-sized fries: Increase the air fryer cooking time to 18 minutes. This amount of time should work for spiral or curly fries, and waffle fries too.
- For thick frozen fries, follow my instructions for making Steak Fries in the air fryer.
tips and tricks
- Shake Them! Be sure to remove the air fryer basket halfway through cooking to move the fries around. This will allow them to cook to their crispiest potential! Shaking also keeps the fries from sticking together.
- Avoid Overfilling The Basket. This is true for every air fryer recipe. Without enough space around your food, the hot air from the air fryer won’t be able to cook it properly.
- Check the fries frequently as they are cooking in the air fryer. It’s possible that you may need to remove them early or add a few minutes to get them to the perfect level of crispiness.
how to get maximum crispness
Here you go. Here are the top things to remember when making frozen french fries in the air fryer. If you can remember these four things, you can’t go wrong!
- Don’t thaw frozen french fries.
- Cook at high heat.
- Don’t overfill the air fryer basket.
- Shake to make sure everything gets crispy.
FAQs
No! Thawing your frozen fries will cause that moisture to seep out and your fries will get soggy and won’t crisp up properly.
Nope! Frozen potato products like fries, tater tots, and hashbrowns are processed with an amount of oil already on them. This is why you can bake them in the oven on a cookie sheet and they don’t stick!
I don’t recommend pre-heating the air fryer for cooking frozen foods like french fries. I haven’t found it to be helpful or needed, and it just makes the process take longer.
Air Fryer French Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bag Frozen French fries
Instructions
- Pour your frozen french fries into the air fryer basket. Be sure not to crowd the basket. Give the basket a gentle shake to even out the fries.
- Place air fryer basket into air fryer unit.Set temperature for 400 degrees F. If you are cooking shoestring fries, cook for 12 minutes.
- After 6 minutes have passed remove the air fryer basket and shake it gently to move fries around. Return air fryer basket to air fryer unit and continue cooking.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure that you do not crowd the basket with too many fries. The fries will not cook evenly. Work in batches if needed.
- You may need to adjust the time if your are using different types of fries.
- For shoestring fries – cook for 12 minutes
- For crinkle cut and regular Fries – cook for 18 minutes
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
Love the air fryer so much, it makes life so easy!
Yes, the air fryer does make life so much easier! We love these air fryer french fries!
Thanks for sharing tips and tricks. Would love to try french fries this way soon.
You are very welcome! We love these air fryer french fries!
I made your recipe for a gathering the other day and everyone kept asking for the recipe. It was totally a hit!
Thanks! So glad the air fryer french fries were a hit. They are pretty easy to make!
Oh wow! I have had an air fryer on my wishlist for a while now, but these fries may be the final push I need. They look wonderful.
You will have so much fun with your air fryer Tara! Take the plunge and make these air fryer french fries as your first thing!
Well it sure doesn’t get easier than this! I love the tips and tricks you’ve included here…takes away the intimidation factor from air fryer cooking. Thanks!
You are so welcome Traci, I hope that you enjoyed the air fryer french fries!
My wife has been trying to teach me how to use the air fryer. Imagine the look on her face when I served her some of the chips I’d made in it!
Thanks for the recipe (and for making me look good!) – the chips were perfectly crispy and delicious!