Craving French fries but only have a frozen bag in the freezer? No problem – because air fryer frozen French fries are a crispy treat!
With just a few of your favorite frozen fries and your air fryer, you can enjoy a helping of hot and crispy fries that have been air cooked to perfection.
Cooking frozen fries in the air fryer is also a great way to whip up a quick side dish for a larger meal – or keep them as a snack with your favorite dipping sauce!
We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
Before you set out to make frozen French fries in the air fryer, have a read through these recipe tips:
- You can use any kind of cut for frozen French fries in the air fryer. We have made both crinkle cut and normal straight cut ones in around 17-18 minutes. You can also use a thicken cut (like steak fries) but keep in mind that fry thickness will impact overall cooking time.
- Adding additional oil is optional because usually frozen fries have a bit of oil in the outer coating.
- Adding salt is also optional – we’d recommend adding it at the end after cooking if you don’t add any extra oil. This is because if you add the salt to the frozen fries and place them in the air fryer, the salt might fly around in the hot air and cause problems for cleaning up later.
Step by Step Instructions
If you want to follow along with visual step-by-step instructions, have a look at the process photos in this section.
It’s a pretty easy recipe but seeing how we cooked our fries might give you some confidence and peace of mind!
If you want to add some oil for a little extra crisp, place the frozen fries (no need to thaw them first!) into a bowl and add one teaspoon of avocado oil. Toss until the fries are evenly coated.
Keep in mind that adding extra oil is completely optional since usually frozen french fries already contain some oil.
In case you decided to add oil, feel free to also add some (seasoning) salt at this stage. Otherwise, add it at the end.
Preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the air fryer is hot, place the frozen fries evenly in the air fryer tray.
Try to get the fries to take up one layer with little overlapping. If your air fryer is very small, you might have to cook them in two batches.
Cook the fries for 15-18 minutes until golden brown but not burnt at the tips. Shake them every 5 minutes to allow for even cooking.
Since every air fryer is different, your cook time may vary.
Remove the fries from the air fryer and place them in a bowl. Add your favorite seasoning salt or normal table salt – if you haven’t already done so earlier. Toss until the salt is evenly distributed.
Serve the fries with your favorite dipping sauce.
Storage Tips
When you air fry frozen French fries, you should enjoy them hot and fresh out of the air fryer. Any leftovers will get less crispy if you leave them out or in a sealed container.
If you do have leftover fries you just had to save, toss them in a sealed bag or container and store them in the fridge. Use them the next day at the latest.
What to Serve Air Fryer Frozen Fries With
It should come as no surprise that you can enjoy frozen French fries made in the air fryer on their own as a snack with a nice dipping sauce like ketchup, mayo, or even a spicy sauce (like we make for Patatas bravas).
Of course, French fries also make a great side dish to a larger meal made up of other finger foods like chicken nuggets or chicken strips. Fries are also a classic addition to a nice piece of schnitzel!
Related Recipes
Looking for more potato recipes? Check out these:
- Air Fryer Fresh Cut French Fries
- Homemade Potato Wedges
- Air Fried Tater Tots
- Air Fried Frozen Steak Fries
Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen French fries
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil, optional
- seasoning salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 385 degrees Fahrenheit.
- For a little extra crisp, add the frozen fries to a bowl, add one teaspoon of oil and toss until the fries are evenly coated. Oil is completely optional though. If you add oil, feel free to add some (seasoning) salt now. Otherwise, add it at the end.
- Once the air fryer is hot, place the frozen fries evenly in the air fryer tray. Try to get the fries to take up one layer with little overlapping.
- Cook the fries for 15-18 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes until golden brown but not burnt at the tips. Since every air fryer is different, your cook time may vary.
- Remove the fries from the air fryer and place them in a bowl. Add your favorite seasoning salt or normal table salt and toss until the salt is evenly distributed.
- Serve the fries with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- The cooking above is for normal cut/crinkle-cut frozen fries – thicker cut "steak fries" will probably need 2-5 minutes longer.
- If your air fryer is very small, you might have to cook the fries in two batches. Overcrowding the air fryer is not recommended and can keep the fries from getting crispy.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
