Air Fryer French Fries Recipe

French fries are a classic American side dish that we all know and love. They are salty, crispy, and go well with just about anything. Sometimes, you just don't feel like settling for drive-thru options, but don't want to break out the dust-covered deep fryer. If you have hopped on the air fryer train, we are here to tell you that you can easily make your favorite fried spuds at home. 

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for air fryer french fries and says, "These french fries are every bit as good as the deep fried version, and actually offer quite a few health benefits. Potatoes are high in potassium, Vitamin C, and are full of fiber to keep us full for longer. I like to keep the peel on, which contains some of the vitamins, and also saves a step in preparing the fries" (via Healthline). Read on to learn how to make these delicious french fries in your air fryer.

To make this recipe, we'll need some russet potatoes. Hahn says, "I like using russet potatoes because they tend to get the crispiest, and the size lends itself to long french fries like you would get at a restaurant." We'll also need some avocado oil; Hahn chooses this oil because it has a high smoke point, and it's one of the healthiest to use when cooking at a high temperature. Then for our spices, we'll need some garlic granules, onion granules, salt, smoked paprika, and pepper.

Our first step is to cut the potatoes into our french fry shape. "I always buy organic potatoes, and leave the skin on," Hahn remarks. "But if you if you prefer to peel them, that won't affect the end result." Once they are cut, put them in a bowl, and cover them with ice and water. Let sit for 30 minutes — this pulls the starch out, which helps achieve the crispy texture we are going for.

Drain the potatoes when they are done soaking, and dry with paper towels or a clean tea towel. Put them back in the bowl, and add the oil, garlic granules, onion granules, salt, smoked paprika, and pepper. Toss to coat all of the fries.

Lay the seasoned fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You will most likely have to cook these in batches based on the size of your air fryer. "I love to use parchment sheets that are cut to air fryer size when I cook these because it makes clean up super quick. You can find them online, and they are very inexpensive." Hahn shares. Set the temperature to 400 F, and the time to 20 minutes, or until crispy. You'll want to give the air fryer basket a few shakes about halfway through cooking. Your steamy hot, crispy french fries are ready to serve. They will last several days in the fridge in a sealed container, and Hahn says to just heat them up in the air fryer for a few minutes to get crispy again.