The Ultimate Guide to Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
Are you wondering, “Do air fryers cook frozen french fries?” The answer is a resounding yes! And not just any fries – we’re talking about perfectly crispy, golden, and utterly delicious fries every single time. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from making your own healthy frozen french fries from scratch to achieving restaurant-quality results with store-bought options in your air fryer. Say goodbye to soggy fries and embrace the convenience and superior texture that only an air fryer can deliver.
Transforming ordinary frozen potatoes into an extraordinary side dish or snack has never been easier. With an air fryer, you don’t need to defrost your fries beforehand, saving you precious time and effort. Whether you prefer the control of making your own healthy, additive-free fries using olive oil or the sheer convenience of a store-bought bag, the air fryer is your secret weapon for crispy perfection. This method is not only simple but also offers a healthier alternative to deep-frying, significantly reducing oil content without compromising on taste or texture.
Why Choose the Air Fryer for Your Frozen French Fries?
The air fryer has revolutionized the way we cook many foods, and frozen french fries are no exception. Its unique rapid air circulation technology ensures that fries cook evenly and develop a delightfully crispy exterior, mimicking the results of deep-frying but with far less oil. This makes air fryer french fries a healthier option for families looking to enjoy their favorite comfort food with fewer calories and less fat.
Beyond health benefits, the air fryer offers unparalleled convenience. There’s no messy oil to dispose of, and cleanup is a breeze. Plus, the quick cooking time means you can have a batch of hot, crispy fries ready in minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights or impromptu snack cravings. This simple method is also naturally vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free, catering to a wide range of dietary preferences and allergies.
🍟 Crafting Homemade Frozen French Fries for Your Air Fryer
Making your own frozen french fries from scratch offers several advantages. You control the ingredients, avoiding unwanted additives, preservatives, and excessive sodium often found in commercial brands. Plus, there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing exactly what goes into your food. This recipe focuses on three simple ingredients (plus your favorite dipping sauce) to create wholesome, delicious fries.
Essential Ingredients for Homemade Air Fryer Fries
- Russet Potatoes: These are ideal for french fries due to their high starch content, which results in a fluffy interior and crisp exterior.
- Olive Oil: A healthy fat that helps achieve that desired crispiness and adds flavor.
- Sea Salt: To season your fries perfectly.
- Cooking Oil Spray: A non-aerosol spray is recommended for best results and to avoid damaging your air fryer’s non-stick coating.
For a look and texture closer to classic store-bought fries, consider peeling your potatoes. This also works wonders if your potatoes have blemishes you’d prefer to remove, breathing new life into older produce. While a potato peeler and a sharp knife are essential, specialized french fry cutters can ensure uniform shapes for even cooking, a worthwhile investment if you frequently make fries.
Necessary Equipment
You’ll need more than just an air fryer for this homemade adventure. A sharp knife for cutting (or a french fry cutter for precision), a large pot for parboiling, a colander, clean paper towels for drying, and quart-size freezer bags for storage are all crucial. As for the air fryer itself, any model will do! Whether you have a large air fryer oven, a compact basket-style air fryer, or popular brands like Ninja or Cosori, the principles remain the same. Remember that cooking times can vary slightly between models, so be prepared to make minor adjustments to achieve optimal results with your specific appliance.
➕ Step-by-Step: Making and Freezing Your Own French Fries
Creating your own stash of frozen french fries is a simple process that guarantees fresh, high-quality ingredients and incredible flavor. Here’s how to do it:
Prepare Your Potatoes
Begin by selecting two medium-sized russet potatoes (approximately 12 ounces or 340 grams). Peel them if desired, then carefully cut them into uniform ½ to ¾-inch thick fry shapes. Consistent thickness is key to ensuring that all your fries cook evenly. While special cutters exist for this purpose, a sharp knife works perfectly well, lending a charming rustic appeal to your homemade fries.
The Secret to Superior Frozen Fries: Parboiling
To achieve the best possible texture for your frozen fries, a brief parboiling step is recommended. This process involves partially cooking the potatoes in boiling water before freezing. While soaking potatoes in cold water is sometimes suggested, our experiments (and family taste tests!) consistently show that parboiling yields a superior crispy result when air fried. It’s a technique often used for freezing fresh vegetables, and it works wonderfully for potatoes, ensuring they retain their shape and structure.
Parboil and Dry the Fries
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over medium heat. Carefully add your cut potatoes to the boiling water and let them cook for exactly three minutes. Promptly drain the parboiled fries in a colander, then rinse them thoroughly with cool water to stop the cooking process. The next crucial step is drying: spread the fries out on several layers of clean paper towels. Pat them vigorously with more paper towels to remove as much surface moisture as possible. Excess moisture is the enemy of crispiness, so take your time with this step.
🥶 Freezing Your Homemade French Fries
Proper freezing techniques are vital for ensuring your fries don’t stick together and maintain their quality in the freezer. Follow these steps for perfectly frozen fries:
Arrange for Initial Freeze
Line a large baking tray with either freezer paper or parchment paper. Arrange the dried, parboiled potato sticks in a single layer on the prepared tray. Ensure there’s enough space between each fry to prevent them from freezing into a solid block. This single-layer freezing method is key to maintaining individual fry integrity.
Freeze Overnight
Place the tray of arranged fries into your freezer and allow them to freeze solid overnight. This ensures each fry is individually frozen. Once completely frozen, they can be transferred without clumping.
Package for Long-Term Storage
The following day, gather your individually frozen fries and transfer them into quart-sized freezer bags. Remove as much air as possible before sealing and return them to the freezer for long-term storage. With this preparation, your homemade frozen french fries are now just as convenient to use as store-bought varieties, ready for air frying without the need for thawing.
🔥 Air Frying Homemade Frozen French Fries: Achieving Peak Crispy Perfection
Once your homemade fries are frozen and ready, the air frying process is quick and simple, delivering incredible crispiness every time. Remember, there’s no need to thaw them – they go straight from the freezer to the air fryer!
Prepare for Air Frying
Your air fryer frozen french fries will cook for a total of 25 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200°C). Begin by lightly misting your air fryer trays or basket with cooking oil spray. In a medium bowl, combine your 12 ounces of frozen fries with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ensuring each fry is lightly coated. Season with ½ teaspoon of sea salt, or to taste.
Crucially, spread the seasoned fries in a single layer on your air fryer trays or in the basket. For larger batches or smaller air fryers, you may need to cook in batches. Overcrowding the air fryer prevents proper air circulation, which is essential for achieving that sought-after crispiness. If using an air fryer oven with multiple trays, utilize both for optimal results.
Cook in Stages for Maximum Crispness
Place the trays into your air fryer. Air fry for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C). After the first 10 minutes, carefully flip the fries and, if using multiple trays, switch their positions (top to bottom, bottom to top) for even cooking. Continue to air fry for an additional 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
For the final stage, flip the fries once more and switch tray positions again. Air fry for a final 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C). This staggered cooking and flipping ensures every fry gets perfectly golden and crisp. Always remember that cooking times can vary by air fryer model, so keep an eye on your fries and adjust as needed. Serve immediately with your favorite ketchup or dipping sauce!
🥔 Nutritional Breakdown: Calories in Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
A generous serving of these homemade air fryer frozen french fries (approximately half of the recipe, or 6 ounces of cooked potatoes) contains around 258 calories. The exact calorie count will, of course, depend on the specific potato size, the amount of oil used, and any additional seasonings. When comparing to traditional deep-frying, air frying significantly reduces the fat content, making it a generally healthier choice. However, it’s important to note that air frying doesn’t drastically reduce calories or fat compared to oven-baked fries, as a little oil is still needed for that signature crispness.
Does air frying frozen french fries reduce the fat and calories?
Air frying frozen french fries does not dramatically reduce the fat and calories compared to oven baking frozen french fries. While a small amount of oil may drip away during air frying, it’s generally not enough to significantly alter the nutritional information compared to other non-deep-fried methods.
Watch How to Make It!
Air Fryer Frozen French Fries (Healthy Recipe with Calories, Nutrition Info)
Summer Yule
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
25 minutes
25 minutes
Snack
American, Belgian
2
258
kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces russet potatoes (340 grams; about 1-2 potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- cooking oil spray (non-aerosol)
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Instructions
- Set a large pot of water to boil over medium heat.
- Peel your potatoes using a potato peeler and cut them into ½-¾-inch (1.27-1.9 cm) thick fry shapes. Cutting them to an even thickness will help ensure more even cooking.
- When the water in the pot is boiling, drop the fries in the pot and boil for 3 minutes. Then drain the fries and rinse them in cool water.
- Spread the fries out on clean paper towels. Pat them dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible from their surfaces.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or freezer paper. Put the fries in a single layer on the tray. Freeze the fries on the tray overnight.
- The next day, put the fries in a quart-sized baggie for long-term freezer storage. They are now ready to use whenever you want to make frozen fries in the air fryer.
How to Air Fry Frozen Fries:
- Mist your air fryer baking trays with cooking oil spray.
- Put the frozen fries in a medium-sized bowl. (Do not thaw the fries.) Stir in the oil. Sprinkle with salt.
- Spread the fries in a single layer on your air fryer trays. I used two trays for this recipe.
- Air fry the fries for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Then flip the fries over, switch the position of the trays in the air fryer, and air fry an additional 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Flip the fries again, and switch the position of the trays in the air fryer once more. Air fry for 5 more minutes at 400°F (200°C). (That’s a total of 25 minutes of air frying.)
- Serve immediately with your favorite ketchup or dipping sauce for fries. Enjoy!
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Equipment
- Peeler
- Knife
- Air Fryer
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 3 recipe (weight maintenance and active lifestyles). Fries, even baked or air fried fries, do not tend to be a low-calorie side dish. A reasonable portion of these fries (not the silly tiny portion listed on fry packaging) will set you back over 250 calories.
You could create a low calorie meal with these using a lean protein (like white fish) and non-starchy veggies. However, most of us are going to pair fries with a burger, fried seafood, or steak. These classic pairings will likely add up to a meal that is quite high in calories.
One thing you could do for a lighter burger meal that includes fries is serve the burger in a lettuce wrap, not a bun. You’re already getting plenty of carbs from the fries. There’s really no need for most sedentary adults to add the bun on top of that.
Store-bought frozen fries don’t fit many special diets because of the assortment additives and flavorings included. (BTW, did you know that McDonald’s fries in the U.S. are not vegetarian-friendly due to beef flavoring?) As a result, many special diets (vegan, low-carb, soy free, etc.) automatically cut out many ultra-processed foods.
Cutting ultra-processed foods largely out of your diet may lead to positive health benefits, including weight loss. This may lead some to conclude that their special diet has some magical weight loss or curative powers. In truth, these diets are often beneficial because they force adherents to eliminate ultra-processed foods and some other less healthful choices.
Nutrition information below is for one serving of the recipe without ketchup or other dipping sauces.
🍟 Cook Frozen French Fries from Store in Air Fryer
- 12 ounces frozen french fries (340 grams; I used Great Value thin cut fries from Walmart)
- Dipping sauce (ketchup, BBQ sauce, fry sauce, etc.)
Place the fries in your air fryer basket. It’s ok if they aren’t all in a single layer. Air fry for 9-10 minutes at 400F (200C). (No preheating necessary!)
Next, flip and shake the fries in the basket. Air fry for 5 minutes more, and then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition information is for one serving of the fries recipe. Check the packaging of store bought fries for specific nutrition info for that product.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
Calories:
258
kcal
Carbohydrates:
30.7
g
Protein:
3.6
g
Fat:
14.1
g
Saturated Fat:
1.7
g
Sodium:
589.9
mg
Potassium:
709.4
mg
Fiber:
2.2
g
Vitamin C:
16.2
% DV
Calcium:
2.6
% DV
Iron:
8.1
% DV
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🍔 What to Serve with Your Crispy Air Fryer Fries
French fries are the quintessential side dish, elevating any meal from ordinary to extraordinary. While delicious on their own, they truly shine when paired with classic companions. Here are some perfect pairings for your freshly air-fried crispy fries:
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers with Sriracha Mayo: A healthier twist on a classic, these turkey burgers are juicy and flavorful, complemented by a zesty sriracha mayo.
- Smoked Burgers (on a stovetop smoker): For a gourmet experience, smoked burgers offer a depth of flavor that pairs wonderfully with the simple crispness of fries.
- Air Fryer Stuffed Burgers with Cheese: Imagine a juicy burger with a molten cheese center! These are a must-try alongside your homemade or store-bought air fryer fries.
- How to Make a Healthy Burger: Learn tips for crafting a more nutritious burger that still satisfies your cravings, making for a balanced yet indulgent meal.
Don’t forget classic dipping sauces like ketchup, mayonnaise, or a homemade fry sauce to complete your perfect french fry experience!
👩🍳 Explore More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If the speed and convenience of air frying have won you over, you’re in luck! The air fryer is a versatile appliance capable of creating a wide array of delicious meals and snacks with minimal effort and oil. Dive into these other incredibly easy and popular air fryer recipes:
- Air Fryer Chicken Fries: Crispy chicken fries, perfect for a quick snack or kid-friendly meal.
- Popcorn in the Air Fryer: A fun and healthy way to make popcorn without special equipment.
- Air Fryer Jicama Fries: A unique, low-carb alternative to potato fries, offering a delightful crunch.
- Home Fries Air Fryer Recipe: Perfect for breakfast or brunch, these home fries are wonderfully seasoned and crispy.
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Nuggets: The easiest way to get perfectly cooked, crispy chicken nuggets from frozen.
- Air Fryer Potato Skins: Indulgent and flavorful potato skins, cooked to perfection in the air fryer.
Each recipe utilizes the air fryer’s capabilities to bring you flavorful results quickly and efficiently, making weeknight dinners and snack times a breeze.
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