Air Fryer French Fries - 2 Ways

air fried french fries in a green fast food serving basket, with a small bowl of ketchup on the side

Air Fryer French Fries - 2 Ways

crispy homemade french fries using Phillips Air Fryer & Mealthy CrispLid

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 230kcal

Author Shantala Shenoy Nayak

Equipment

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes total weight 1 pound
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prepping the Potatoes

Peel the potatoes, and cut them lengthwise into ⅜th inch thick slices. Then cut each slice into ⅜th inch thick sticks to get an even 3/8th inch thickness of the french fry.
Rinse the potato sticks well to remove all the excess starch, and then soak them in cold water for 5 mins, followed by soaking them in hot water for 10 mins.
Once done, drain, and pat dry.
When the potato sticks have cooled down to room temperature, add 1 tablespoon oil, and try to coat it lightly over all the sticks.

Air Frying using Phillips Air Fryer

Air Fry @ 390 F for 20-25 minutes, flipping once at the 10 minute mark.
At the 10 min mark, also add ½ teaspoon salt to the fries in the air fryer basket, and give them a good toss.
Keep a close watch after the 20 minute mark, checking in every couple of minutes, and stop air frying when the fries are done to your preferred texture and crunchiness.

Air Frying using Mealthy CrsipLid

Air Fry @ 400 F for 20 minutes, flipping once at the 10 minute mark.
At the 10 min mark, also add ½ teaspoon salt to the fries in the air fryer basket, and turn them over.
You can air fry for a few more minutes after the 20 minute mark, till the fries are done to your preferred texture and crunchiness.
Serve hot and crispy with a dip. You can choose to season with pepper powder, chilli flakes, garlic powder or grated parmesan before serving.

Video

Notes

Kind of Potatoes - Idaho or russet potatoes work best because they are denser, with less moisture, and have a high starch content.
Size of French Fry - This depends on personal preference of-course, but I've found that fries that are cut ½ or ⅜ th of an inch thick work best with an air fryer.
Cold Vs Hot Water Soak - Either will work. Soak for 30 minutes in cold water or 5 minutes in cold water followed by 10 minutes in hot water. The important thing is to soak before frying. I just prefer the texture of fries after the double soak in cold & hot water.
Time to Salt - You can add salt before you put the fries in the air fryer, at the halfway mark in the air fryer, or after the fries are fully done, and are still hot. I find adding salt at the halfway mark the best, but you can add salt at any of these 3 times, depending on the texture you prefer (because it will vary).
Air Fry Batch Size - As a general rule, it's always best to air fry in small batches. The exact batch size will depend on the size of your air fryer. For my Phillips Air Fryer - the ideal batch size is fries from 2 medium potatoes ( or 1 pound of potatoes). The Mealthy CrispLid holds a little lesser than that, mostly because I prefer to not stack in the CrispLid basket.

Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition