Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by Harry & Johan. This post may contain affliate links, see privacy policy
Make perfectly cooked frozen French fries in your air fryer in just 25 minutes! Crispy on the outside, soft inside, perfect French fries every time!
I know, I know, making French fries in your air fryer is way too easy, something that doesn't even call for a recipe!
However, for many first-time air fryer owners, popping in some frozen fries they have lying around is the first thing they think of! It's the perfect way to test out your shiny new kitchen appliance.
Also, there are a few tricks and tips to making the perfect batch of golden, crispy air fryer French fries. An air fryer can:
- easily overcook French fries or
- undercook them if overcrowded.
Use my tips and tricks to get a basketful of lightly seasoned, crispy French fries every time! They make a great quick snack or snappy side dish for hamburgers.
For another super quick and easy side dish recipe, try my 30-minute Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Skin! For an even quicker side dish recipe, my Air Fryer Corn on the Cob is ready in 20 minutes!
Jump to:
🥬 Ingredients
This recipe is very simple. You just need your preferred frozen French fries, vegetable oil in an oil spray bottle, and some salt and pepper.
You can also adjust and try out new seasonings with these French fries, they're almost impossible to get wrong!
See the recipe card for precise quantities and instructions.
📖 Instructions
Step 1: Place French fries in your air fryer basket. Spray a few times with the vegetable oil sprayer and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Toss the French fries with tongs or by hand until evenly coated with oil and seasonings. Arrange the French fries roughly in a single layer.
Step 3: Air fry the French fries for 12 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C). Then shake the French fries or toss with the tongs and arrange in a single layer again.
Step 4: Air fry for another 12 minutes at 400 °F (200 °C) until golden and crispy.
Hint: After shaking the fries, check on them every 3-4 minutes so that they don't overcook. Air fryer cooking times vary by model, location, and other factors so checking your French fries often will make sure they come out perfectly!
Step 5: Serve the French fries with ketchup, mayonnaise, or your favorite dipping sauce. Or serve it as a side to the main dish, like with hamburgers. You can also eat them all on their own as a quick snack!
❓FAQs
24 minutes was the total amount of air frying time to get these golden, crispy fries.
400°F (200 °C) is the best temperature for making frozen French fries in the air fryer. It's a high temperature which cooks the fries quickly and crisps them up evenly.
Yes, I sprayed vegetable oil on my frozen French fries before air frying. I find the light, even spray of oil helps make the fries crispier and taste better too.
You can make frozen French fries in the oven, air fryer or deep fry them. I think air frying frozen French fries is the best way to cook them. There is less hassle, cleaning up is quick and the fries taste the best too! An air fryer is also super cheap to run.
I use a light spray of vegetable oil as well as some salt and black pepper to make the frozen French fries taste better. The oil makes the fries super crispy and the salt and pepper make anything taste better!
No need to thaw the fries before air frying! In fact you will get the best results if you air fry the French fries straight from the freezer.
🍶 Substitutions
Here are some suggestions for substitutions based on what you have in your pantry:
- Different oils to use - you can use canola oil, avocado oil, and olive oil for this recipe. They will all work well in this recipe in the air fryer.
- Different types of frozen fries - I used normal French fries for this recipe. You can also use skinny fries, crinkle-cut fries, thick-cut fries, or steakhouse fries. They will all come out nicely, you will just have to adjust the air frying time depending on the thickness of your fries. Skinny American-style fries cook for a total of 20 minutes. If using thicker cut fries, cook for closer to 30 minutes.
- Seasonings - salt and pepper are great seasonings to start with for this recipe. If you want to try some new seasonings, try Italian seasoning, cumin, paprika, and coriander. They're delicious seasonings that will work well for this recipe!
🥘 Variations
If you want to make this recipe your own or spice it up after making it a few times, here are some variation ideas for how to make frozen French fries in the air fryer even better!
- Make it spicy! - Season the French fries with a spicy seasoning or a dash of cayenne pepper or chilli powder for spicy fries.
- Cheesy Chips - After air frying, sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese over the fries and place them back in the warm air fryer. Leave for 3 minutes and serve your cheesy fries!
- Greek-style fries - after air frying, garnish your French fries with dried oregano and crumbled Danish feta for a delicious, Greek-style fries snack.
⏲ Equipment
This recipe has been developed and tested using a Cosori Max XL Large Cooker. It has a capacity of 5.8 quarts.
I love making quick lunch and dinner recipes in the air fryer - it uses so little oil and all the food comes out crispy and delicious every time! Cleaning up is a breeze, and I can stick it in the dishwasher too!
🥣 Storage
I would recommend making just enough French fries at a time that you need. This avoids food waste as French fries aren't the best leftover food. It also makes sure you don't over-crowd the air fryer basket and undercook your fries!
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
❗️ Top tip
Keep the fries in a single layer as best you can when first air frying them. Also, after shaking them halfway through, make sure they are in a rough single layer again.
Overcrowding your air fryer basket makes the food take longer to air fry and the food generally comes out less crispy. Rather make French fries in two batches if you need to make a lot at a time.
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How to Make Frozen French Fries in the Air Fryer
Equipment
Ingredients
- Frozen French fries enough to lie in a single layer in your air fryer basket
- Vegetable oil in a oil sprayer bottle
- ½ tsp. Sea salt
- ½ tsp. Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200 °C).
- Place French fries in your air fryer basket. Spray a few times with the vegetable oil sprayer and season with salt and pepper.Frozen French fries, Vegetable oil, ½ tsp. Sea salt, ½ tsp. Black pepper
- Toss the French fries with tongs or by hand until evenly coated with oil and seasonings. Arrange the French fries roughly in a single layer.
- Air fry the French fries for 12 minutes at 400°F (200 °C). Then shake the French fries or toss with the tongs and arrange in a single layer again.
- Air fry for another 12 minutes at 400°F (200 °C) until golden and crispy.
- Serve the French fries with ketchup, mayonnaise, or your favorite dipping sauce. Or serve it as a side to the main dish, like with hamburgers. You can also eat them all on their own!
Notes
This recipe was tested with these air fryers:
🍳 Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings
Anita
Came out nice and crispy as promised! Thank you for your tips