The Ultimate Guide to Air Frying Frozen French Fries

How to Air Fry Frozen French Fries

Air fryers have revolutionized how we prepare our favorite frozen foods, and french fries are no exception. Here’s why air frying is a game-changer:

• Speed: You can get perfectly crispy fries in just 8-12 minutes.
• Superior Results: Say goodbye to soggy takeout fries! Air frying delivers consistently crispy results that are often better than restaurant quality.
• Less Oil: Achieve that perfect crunch with significantly less oil than if you deep fry.
• Easy Clean-up: Eliminates having to deal with messy oil disposal or greasy stovetops.
• Customization: It’s easy to create your perfect fries with endless seasoning and topping options.
• Convenience: There’s no need to wait for the oven to preheat or deal with hot oil with an air fryer.

 Air Fryer Fries Instructions:

While specific cooking times may vary by brand and type, these general instructions will help you achieve perfectly crispy frozen fries every time. Remember to always check your package instructions for manufacturer-specific guidelines.

1. Preheat your air fryer on the Air Fry setting at 390F for 3 minutes.
2. Optionally, while your air fryer preheats, you may add light seasoning of your choice to your frozen fries before adding them to the air fryer.
3. Add your unseasoned or seasoned frozen French fries into the air fryer basket but do not overfill; no more than ½ to ¾ the basket. The key to crispy French fries is allowing adequate surface area for the fries to have circulating heat.
4. Air fry at 390F for 8-12 minutes. Check every 4-5 minutes to shake the basket thoroughly. Add increments of 2 minutes for additional frying time until preferred crispiness.
5. Remove from the air fryer once preferred crispiness is achieved and add them to a paper towel lined bowl to absorb any residual grease.
6. Remove paper towel from bowl after 1-2 minutes. Add optional seasonings of your choice and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Depending on how thick your frozen French fries are, how full your basket is, and how crispy you like your fries, total air frying time may vary.

Cooking Times by Fry Type:

• Regular Cut: 8-12 minutes
• Shoestring/Thin Cut: 5-9 minutes
• Steak Fries: 10-14 minutes
• Waffle Fries: 10-14 minutes
• Sweet Potato Fries: 8-12 minutes

Tips:

• Avoid any lids or putting french fries into a container while warm. This will result in soggy french fries.
• The key to achieving maximum crispiness is not overcrowding the basket. Give your frozen french fries in the air fryer plenty of space for hot air to circulate around them.
• To keep leftover fries crispy, you can set your oven to the lowest temperature and spread the leftover fries on an oven sheet until ready to eat.

Optional French Fry Seasoning Recipe

Start with ½ tablespoon of each ingredient and adjust to taste. Remember to go easy on the seasoning if your frozen fries are pre-seasoned!

• Table salt
• Black pepper
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Dried parsley

You may also prefer no seasoning, plain salted, or Old Bay seasoned French fries. Be careful of adding too much additional seasoning to pre-seasoned French fries. Always check your ingredients before adding too much of your own seasoning.

If you’re celebrating game day with family and friends, this famous stadium-style french fry seasoning recipe is sure to be a hit.

French Fry Sauces, Dips and Meal Ideas

Whether you need classic dipping sauces, loaded toppings, or want to transform your fries into a meal, we’ve got endless inspiration to take your fries from side dish to main dish.

Best French Fry Dipping Sauces:

• Ketchup
• Ranch
• Malt vinegar
• Sriracha and mayonnaise
• Honey mustard
• Melted cheese or queso

Easy Dips for French Fries:

• Warm and Creamy Bacon Dip: Rich and indulgent, this warm dip combines crispy bacon with creamy cheese for the ultimate french fry companion that’s great for game day gatherings!
• Castle-Con-Queso Dip: A smooth queso dip with a zesty kick, inspired by your favorite slider spot. This crowd-pleasing dip will have everyone coming back for more.
• Cheddar Fondue: Classic Swiss-style fondue gets an American twist with sharp cheddar cheese that’s perfect for dipping fries, bread, and vegetables.
• Cheeseburger Dip: All the flavors of your favorite burger in a creamy, dippable form that’s loaded with ground beef, cheese, and classic burger toppings.

Ideas for Loaded French Fry Toppings

• Mexican Sweet Potato Cheese Fries: Sweet meets heat in this fusion dish, featuring crispy sweet potato fries topped with Mexican-inspired cheese sauce and fresh garnishes.
• Loaded BBQ Fries: Smoky, sweet, and savory come together with tender BBQ-seasoned meat, melted cheese, and fresh toppings over crispy fries.
• White Castle Personal Poutine Skillet: A creative spin on Canadian poutine with slider-inspired flavors, rich gravy, and melty cheese curds.
• Waffle Fry Skillet Chicken Nachos: Crispy waffle fries replace traditional tortilla chips in this loaded nacho creation, topped with seasoned chicken and all the fixings.
• Loaded Kimchi Fries: An Asian-fusion masterpiece made with spicy kimchi, melted cheese, and traditional Korean-inspired toppings over crispy fries.

Easy French Fry Meals:

• Butter Chicken Loaded Fries: Indian-inspired comfort food featuring creamy butter chicken sauce over crispy fries, garnished with fresh herbs and yogurt drizzle.
• BBQ Chicken Waffle Sliders: Crispy waffle fries add crunch to these creative sliders, packed with tender BBQ chicken and topped with coleslaw.
• Sriracha Shrimp Po’Boy: A spicy twist on the New Orleans classic, that had crispy fries alongside sriracha-glazed shrimp and zesty cilantro-lime slaw.
• Waffle Fry Chicken Bake: A hearty casserole combining crispy waffle fries with tender chicken, cheese, and vegetables for the ultimate comfort food experience.
• Lomo Saltado: A Peruvian-inspired stir-fry made with tender beef, colorful vegetables, and crispy fries, all tossed in a savory Asian-influenced sauce.

How to Reheat French Fries in the Air Fryer

Air Fryer Fries Instructions:

1. Preheat your air fryer on the Air Fry setting at 375F.
2. Add your leftover French fries to the preheated air fryer. Avoid overfilling.
3. Air fry French fries for 3-5 minutes, depending on how many fries and additional toppings are added to the basket.