Air Fryer French Fries Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak potatoes in water before air frying? ›

While it may seem like a pain, soaking the potatoes in hot water for 10 minutes prior to cooking them in the air fryer is essential. The water removes excess starch, allowing the fries to be their crispiest. Instead of soaking them in large bowl of cold water, I like to use hot water to cook the potatoes slightly.

Soak your potatoes before air frying to help remove any starch for about 30 minutes. If you are short on time, use the method in my recipe to help remove some starch to help crisp them up. Place the fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket so they cook evenly.

Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Place the potatoes in the air fryer basket in a single layer so that the potatoes are not touching each other. You will have to work in batches. Air fry for 12 to 15 minutes*, flipping halfway, or until crispy.

French Fries

The French fries in the air fryer cooked faster and were definitely crispier than in the oven—but if I had to make a whole bag, I'd use the oven so I didn't have to make two batches. USE: Both the air fryer and convection oven.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

Do not line your air fry basket with foil or anything else. Air fried foods need airflow to crisp up.

Yes, butter can replace oil in an air fryer. Use melted butter, brushing it lightly on the food you're cooking. Butter enhances flavor, making dishes richer and juicier, and helps with heat transfer as the air fryer's fan circulates air. However, butter's lower smoke point means it burns quickly and may produce smoke.

Crispy foods: If you're hoping for super crispy results, you generally want to preheat the air fryer. Shah points to examples like french fries (fresh or frozen) and chicken wings. When in doubt, preheat: If you're still unsure if you should preheat your air fryer, then go ahead and preheat.

Then I spent months testing them, and part of that test was making batch after batch of our Air-Fryer French Fries. My mind was changed. These fries are crispy, fluffy, and salty in the best way, and they taste just like they came out of a deep fryer.

It cuts calories by 70% to 80% and has a lot less fat. This cooking method might also cut down on some of the other harmful effects of oil frying. The reaction that happens when you fry potatoes or other starchy foods makes the chemical acrylamide, which research links to greater chances of getting cancer.

When making French fries What is the best potato to use? ›

High starch potatoes like Idaho potatoes (also called Russet potatoes) are best for French fries. This variety is denser and they have the least amount of moisture in them. Avoid waxy potatoes, a category that includes any with red skin, new potatoes, and fingerling potatoes.

Soaking the potatoes does something magical with the starches—it helps achieve the coveted French fry crispiness and prevents the fries from sticking together. This is what I did for the air fryer, too. I soaked these potatoes for about an hour or so, but I've also soaked them for up to 24 hours with no ill effect.

Summary: Good news for chips lovers everywhere -- new research in the journal Science of Food and Agriculture shows that pre-soaking potatoes in water before frying can reduce levels of acrylamide.

Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.) When you're ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels.

If you're pressed for time, the slightly sticky, cut potatoes should be soaked for a minimum of 15 minutes. However, a longer soak time may allow more starch to be removed. So, if you can prep the fries ahead of time, a few hours of soaking can help make them even crispier.