Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
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These Air Fryer Frozen French Fries come out perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside! It’s a really easy side dish that both kids and adults love! Keep reading to learn how to cook frozen fries in your air fryer!
Easy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
French fries are literally everybody’s favorite side dish. But here’s the rub: They have to be nice and crispy! And if you’re like me, the faster they can get in my mouth, the better.
Well, French fries made in the air fryer cook faster than in the oven, and they’re perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, every single time! Plus, air fried fries don’t require any extra oil.
If you like to serve fries with burgers, ribs, sandwiches, and more, this recipe will definitely be on repeat.
Learn how to cook anything in your air fryer with our free cook time chart!
I always keep a bag of French fries in our freezer for when dinnertime hits and we need an easy, delicious, kid-friendly side dish to go with our meal. It’s so much easier and less expensive than fast food fries!
Make sure you go get my free Printable Air Fryer Cooking Chart!
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my best mom tested cooking tips for making fries in your air fryer!
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. The air inside the air fryer needs to circulate in order to cook evenly. It’s best to spread your fries in a single layer and cook in batches rather than to overfill your air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer. Just as you preheat your oven before cooking, preheat your air fryer, too! If your model doesn’t have a preheat setting, simply turn it on and wait about 5 minutes.
- Cook directly from frozen. You do not need to thaw frozen french fries before cooking. They go straight from the freezer to the air fryer!
- Know your air fryer. Air fryers cook differently based on their size, power, and the mass of their contents. Use the times listed in this post as a guide but know that there may be some minor adjustments needed to get your fries exactly how you like them.
Ingredients
- Frozen French Fries: Any store brand will work great, so long as they’re relatively the same size. Alexia is probably my favorite brand, but whatever you like is great.
- Salt and Pepper, optional. Most frozen fries are already seasoned, but if you like a little extra, season to taste!
Step by Step Instructions
- First, preheat the air fryer. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, set it to your desired temperature and wait about 5 minutes.
- Place the fries in the air fryer basket, arranging them in a single, even layer. It’s important not to overfill the basket. Close the basket to cook.
- Halfway through cooking, open up the air fryer and shake the basket well, rotating and turning the fries. Close and continue cooking until they’re perfectly crispy and ready to enjoy!
Air Frying Times and Temps
Once you’ve got your air fryer preheated, it only takes between 15 and 18 minutes to cook them, depending on the type of fries you’re cooking.
- Regular Frozen French Fries: 15 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
- Waffle Fries: 18 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
- Crinkle Cut Frozen Fries: 17 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
- Frozen Steak Fries: 18 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
Frozen French fries come already parcooked, or partially cooked, and just need to be finished by you. They cook faster than fresh cut potatoes.
What are the best dips for French fries?
Serve fries with your favorite ketchup brand, or make my homemade Special Sauce or Chick Fil A Sauce for some extra deliciousness!
FAQs for Air Frying Frozen French Fries
Frozen fries are already coated in oil and seasonings, so you only need to air fry them! You may spray the basket with oil if you’re worried about sticking, but it’s not necessary if your basket has a non-stick coating.
Allow the fries to cool completely to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container or zip top bag. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA guidelines. Reheat in the air fryer set to 400°F for 4-5 minutes, just until heated and crispy.
I'd love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Frozen french fries
- Salt and pepper to taste
Video
Instructions
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 400°F (204°C).
- Once preheated, add the frozen french fries directly to the air fryer basket. Do not defrost the french fries first. Space the fries out evenly in a single layer as much as possible. If necessary, cook the fries in batches to avoid overcrowding the basket.
- Close the air fryer and set the timer to 15 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, shake or toss the fries inside the basket to allow for even cooking. 2-3 minutes before the end of cook time, open the air fryer basket and check to make sure no ends are getting too dark. Continue cooking to your desired crispiness.
- Once the fries are done cooking, carefully remove them from the basket and assemble on a plate. Season to taste and serve!
Notes
- Regular Frozen French Fries: 15 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
- Waffle Cut Frozen Fries: 18 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
- Crinkle Cut Frozen Fries: 17 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
- Frozen Steak Fries: 18 minutes at 400° F, tossing or shaking once halfway through.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Air fryer fries are such a versatile side dish. Try them paired with:
- Burgers and sliders: I love these Hawaiian burgers! They're a favorite at our house for both the adults and the kids. Fries are so yummy paired with buffalo chicken cheddar sliders, too.
- Sandwiches: A dill pickle chicken salad sandwich is the perfect accompaniment to a crispy, salty dishes of fries.
- Wraps: Try making a wrap with this air fryer grilled chicken and lots of fresh cut veggies!
What an amazing and easy cooking frozen fries! Before reading this article that was really difficult for me. The 46-sec video teaches us how to do it?!
Thank’s Laura for share this awesome technique!
Can I add a little baking powder to the fries before I air fry them…to add crispiness?
Hi Bill! That’s a great idea! Some store bought fries are already coated with corn starch or something else to crisp them, so just check the ingredient list to see if that’s the case. Let me know how it turns out! -Laura
Can I use one rack/basket for fries and another for chicken tenders?which would be better on the top basket? Thanks
Hi Lynne, That’s a great question! I haven’t tried that myself, but I’d imagine as long as there was room for air to circulate between the racks and the cook time of your chicken and fries was similar, it would would work okay. It may take some experimenting. My guess would be to put the fries on top. Please let me know how it works out for you! -Laura