Air Fryer French Fries

These homemade air fryer french fries have the perfect texture with just a few simple ingredients. Air fryer recipes are some of my favorites, because they’re not only super tasty, but also incredibly quick and easy to make! (Time is such a problem these days.) I often make air fryer sweet potatoes, classic steak fries, or jicama fries, but there’s nothing like homemade fries from regular potatoes. Once you try these, you can skip the drive through for good!

Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer French Fries

• Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside
• Savory, garlicky flavor
• Only 3 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper)
• Cook fast in the air fryer
• Better for you than traditional frying
• Satisfying snack or side dish

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for making homemade french fries in the air fryer, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Potatoes – I used russet potatoes for this french fry recipe, but you can use Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, or any potatoes you prefer. Wash them well. You can decide if you want to peel them or leave the skin on — I prefer it on. You can even use sweet potatoes, but I have a separate recipe for air fried sweet potato fries if that’s what you’re using.
• Olive Oil – This adds flavor, helps the seasonings stick, and helps the fries get crispy. Avocado oil would also work.
• Seasonings – I kept it simple with just garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper, but see other seasoning ideas below if you want to get fancy.

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More Seasoning Ideas:

If you want to change it up, you can use the seasonings from my garlic parmesan fries, or simply use a tablespoon of any of these seasoning mixes below. (If the mix you use contains salt, omit the added salt in the recipe.)

• Ranch seasoning
• Cajun seasoning
• Taco seasoning (Can you say taco chili cheese fries?!)
• Italian seasoning

How To Make French Fries In The Air Fryer

This section shows how to make fries in the air fryer, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Cut. Use a sharp knife to slice the potatoes lengthwise into matchsticks, about a quarter inch thick.
2. Soak. Place the raw potato fries in a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel. When ready to cook, preheat your air fryer.

FYI: Soaking removes the excess starch and makes the fries more crispy.

You can skip this step if you’re in a rush, but the fries taste better if you do it. If you won’t be cooking them right away, you can soak overnight in the fridge.

3. Season. In a large bowl, drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.
4. Arrange. Place the fries into the air fryer basket in a single, even layer, without overlapping.

TIP: Don’t crowd the basket.

To ensure each fry gets crispy and cooks evenly, make sure each one is touching the bottom and there should be a small amount of space between them. Work in batches if they don’t all fit.

5. Air fry. Cook french fries in the air fryer, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.
6. Optional step: Once the batches are all finished, place all the fries back into the air fryer for 2-3 minutes, to reheat and crisp up again.

How Long To Cook Fries In The Air Fryer?

Air fryer fries cut 1/4 inch thick need to cook for 12-15 minutes for optimal crispiness. Thicker fries will take a bit longer.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
• Meal prep: You can store the cut potatoes submerged in water for up to 24 hours. This will prevent them from turning brown and maintains their freshness until you’re ready to cook them.
• Freeze: Let the fries cool completely, arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze until solid, and then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll stay good for up to 6 months in the freezer.

How To Reheat Fries In The Air Fryer:

Reheating fries in the air fryer is hands down the best way to do it! Simply preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F, place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket, and heat for 2-3 minutes, until they are crispy and hot.

What To Serve With Air Fryer French Fries

Not sure what to serve with these air fryer french fries? Here are some of my favorite ideas:

• Dips – You can’t have fries without ketchup, right?! Make my sugar free ketchup for a healthier twist (shown in the photos), or try my personal favorites, ranch dressing or honey mustard sauce.
• Burgers – Learn my secret to the juiciest burgers, or try lighter turkey burgers.
• Kid Favorites – Pair these homemade air fryer fries with crispy chicken nuggets, easy bacon-wrapped hot dogs, or sweet coconut chicken for a delicious and kid-approved meal.
• Fish – Want a fish and chips night?! Serve these fries alongside some tender baked cod or crunchy gluten-free fish sticks.

More Easy Potato Recipes

So many ways to make potatoes! Here are some of my other favorite potato recipes:

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Instant Pot Baked Potatoes

Greek Lemon Potatoes

Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes

Recipe Card

4.94 from 16 votes

Air Fryer French Fries (Crispy & Easy)

By Maya Krampf

Homemade air fryer french fries are crispy on the outside, soft inside, and so easy! All you need is oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Soak Time: 20 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

[ See substitutions ]

U.S. – Metric

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 1 lb Russet potatoes (washed and scrubbed, with skin on) ▢
• 2 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 2 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 1 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

[ See step photos ]

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks with a knife.

2. Add cold water to a large bowl. Add the fries and soak in the water for at least 20 minutes, or overnight if you like. Drain and pat dry.

3. Preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees F (196 degrees C) for 2 minutes.

4. Add the fries, olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper to a large bowl. Toss to coat.

5. Place the fries into the air fryer in a single layer. You will have to work in batches to avoid overcrowding.

6. Cook french fries in the air fryer for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.

7. Optional: Once the batches are all finished, place all the fries back into the air fryer for 2-3 minutes, to reheat and crisp up again.

Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/2 cup

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Air Fryer Bundle!

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 155

Fat 6.9g

Protein 2.7g

Total Carbs 21.8g

Net Carbs 20.1g

Fiber 1.7g

Sugar 0.8g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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Try More Of My Recipes

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  Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
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