Make perfectly crispy fries at home without any deep frying with this healthy Air Fryer Seasoned French Fries recipe!
Skip the deep fryer and put that air fryer to use to make perfectly seasoned french fries without all the grease. You can have crispy and delicious french fries using only a fraction of the oil of traditional fries!
You won’t miss the deep-frying either. These Air Fryer Seasoned French Fries taste just like the real deal! Better, I think, since you can eat them guilt-free!
This recipe is so easy to make and I love that with only a minimal amount of olive oil, we can have delicious fries that we can feel good about indulging in!
Bonus: We always have everything we need in your pantry (and I bet you do too)! Just potatoes, a little oil, and seasoning. Before you know it, you have the perfect side dish or snack.
This air fryer recipe is one of my favorites to make and on repeat in our homes along with some other favorites like my Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Shrimp, and Air Fryer Zucchini Fritters!
I’ve shared my favorite base recipe in my recipe card which uses just salt and black pepper to season the fries. I also provided you with a whole bunch of optional seasonings that can be added in. Choose your favorite seasonings and all your favorite dipping sauces for the ultimate snack!
I hope you enjoy these homemade fries as much as I do!
Tips for Making Crispy French Fries
Nobody likes soggy fries. So how do you ensure you get crispier fries? There are a few tips and tricks to help maximize crispiness.
- Soak your potatoes in water. While it’s tempting to just chop up your potatoes and toss them in the air fryer, try to resist. I soak my french fries in a large bowl of cold water for about an hour. This helps to remove excess starch from the potatoes which will help them crisp up better. For the best results, don’t skip this step.
- Pat the potatoes dry. Before you season your french fries, pat the potatoes down with a paper towel.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer. I cook two servings of french fries (2 medium potatoes) at once in my air fryer. If you are making more than 2 servings, you will need to cook them in batch. This will ensure the hot air can circulate better and crisp up the fries.
- Cook them on high heat. If you cook them too low, they won’t crisp up. I air fry the potatoes at 375 degrees F.
- Make them just before you intend to eat them. It’s no secret that potatoes left sitting around start to get soft. Making them just before you intend to serve them means they will be their crispiest.
Basic Ingredients for Air Fryer Seasoned French Fries
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes are the best for making french fries. I use about 2 medium russet potatoes to make 2 servings.
- Olive oil: This will help the seasoning stick to the french fries. It will also help the fries crisp up. A little goes a long way here. I use about 2 tablespoons. If you don’t have olive oil, you can use another cooking oil like avocado oil.
- Seasoning: salt and pepper are the basic seasonings I use for french fries. To jazz them up a bit, there are a whole variety of tasty options to add. See below.
- Optional seasonings: In addition to salt and pepper, you can add a few more seasonings such as some of the options listed here. I don’t recommend adding them all as that would be too overpowering. My favorite seasoning additions include: onion powder, garlic powder, pepper seasonings (either cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, or chili powder). Other great options include dried herbs or seasoning mixes like lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning.
How to make French Fries in the Air Fryer
- Cut potatoes into fries: Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch potato sticks. Place the potatoes into a large bowl filled with water and let them sit for 1 hour. {Note: if you wish, you could adjust the size of the fries to have thinner fries or thicker wedges if you prefer. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time if you do this.]
- Preheat the air fryer: Preheat air fryer at 375F.
- Season the potatoes: Drain the fries and pat them dry with a paper towel. Place the fries in a bowl and drizzle them with the olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper. [If adding any additional seasonings, add them to the fries in this step.] Toss to coat them evenly.
- Air fry: Transfer the seasoned potatoes to the preheated air fryer basket (carefully try to spread them out into a single layer) and cook for 13-15 minutes or until the cooked fries are golden brown, shaking the basket about half way through cooking.
Storing Leftovers and Reheating French Fries
Once cooled, leftover french fries can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Refrigerating them will make them more moist and soggy.
To reheat the fries and restore some of their crispiness, place them back in the air fryer and heat them 375F for about 5 minutes or so. You may need to adjust the cook time, since air fryer cooking time can vary depending on your model.
What to serve with this Homemade Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
There are so many options to serve with these homemade french fries. They make a great snack on their own with ketchup, mustard, Queso Blanco Dip, or your favorite dipping sauce to dip them in.
Some of my favorite things to serve these up with is:
- Air Fryer Falafel
- Oven Baked Chicken Strips
- Baked Breaded Pork Chops
- Hawaiian Turkey Burgers
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This is one of our favorite recipes and I just love that it uses much less oil than deep fried french fries! I hope you enjoy this easy recipe as much as we do!
Have fun air frying!
-Cathy
You may also like these other Healthy Air Fryer Potato Recipes:
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Crispy Air Fryer Greek Potatoes
Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes
Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
Air Fryer Seasoned French Fries Recipe
Ingredients
Simple Seasoned French Fries:
- 2 medium russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Other optional seasonings: (Use some or a combination of several if you desire)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or garlic powder (optional)
- pinch cayenne pepper, chili powder, or chipotle powder (adjust to suit heat preference)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika smoked or regular
- 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (e.g. dill, oregano, thyme, or Italian seasoning)
- seasoning mixes (e.g. lemon pepper, cajun seasoning)
Instructions
- Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Place the potatoes into a bowl filled with water and let them sit for 1 hour.
- Preheat air fryer at 375F.
- Drain the fries and pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Place the fries in a bowl and drizzle them with the olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper. [If adding any additional seasonings, add them to the fries in this step.] Toss to coat them evenly.
- Transfer them to the preheated air fryer (carefully try to spread them out into a single layer) and cook for 13-15 minutes, shaking the basket about half way through cooking.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
