Crispy Air Fryer French Fries (Printable)
Golden, crispy fries finished with flaky sea salt, made quickly and healthily in the air fryer.
# What You'll Need:
→ Potatoes
01 - 4 large russet potatoes, peeled (optional) and cut into 1/4-inch sticks
→ Seasonings & Oil
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for finishing
04 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (193°C) for 3 minutes.
02 - Rinse the potato sticks in cold water to remove excess starch, then drain and pat completely dry using paper towels.
03 - In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper if using, ensuring an even coating on all fries.
04 - Place fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding.
05 - Air fry for 18 to 22 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking, until fries are golden and crispy.
06 - Transfer fries immediately to a serving bowl and sprinkle with additional sea salt to taste. Serve hot.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- You get restaurant-quality crispiness without the oil splatters and kitchen smell that lingers for days.
- It's genuinely faster than waiting for a traditional fryer to heat up, and you can make dinner without feeling like you're doing something heavy.
- There's something deeply satisfying about the sound of the air fryer basket rattling and that first peek at golden fries emerging perfectly cooked.
02 -
- Overcrowding the basket is the number one reason homemade fries disappoint—I learned this the hard way on my second attempt when I tried to make four servings at once and got half-soft fries.
- Soaking cut potatoes in cold water for thirty minutes before cooking transforms them from good to genuinely extraordinary, drawing out extra starch so they crisp up in a way that feels almost impossible.
03 -
- If your air fryer basket has a non-stick coating, you can skip the oil entirely and just rely on the circulating heat—you'll get fries that are a shade less rich but still perfectly crispy.
- Cutting fries by hand versus using a mandoline changes the game—hand-cut fries have slightly uneven edges that crisp up differently, creating more texture variation and making them taste homemade in the best way.