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Home Blog Cooking Method Air Fryer

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 03/24/20 Updated: 11/22/22
5
/5
32 Comments
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DF Dairy Free GF Gluten Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian

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Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries
Pin graphic for air fryer frozen french fries

Bye bye, fast food! You won’t need the drive-thru anymore if you have a bag of frozen french fries and an Air Fryer! The Air Fryer crisps up ready-made french fries better than anything, and they truly taste deep-fried. If you’re looking for homemade air fryer french fries, you’ll love our crispy fast-food style recipe!

Overhead, closeup photo of various styles of frozen french fries on an oval shaped platter with a ramekin of ketchup

❓What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • Air frying french fries is perfect because there’s no messy oil to deal with like when you deep fry them, but they’re also amazingly crispy, which is not always the case if you bake fries in the oven. Light and simple, with really incredible results. What could be better?
  • Not only is this method unbelievably easy, and the results are unbelievably perfect, but it’s also a super fast way to get a batch of your dream french fries. You don’t even need to defrost the fries first – just take them right out of the freezer and plop them right into the air fryer basket. The cook times will vary a little based on a few factors (more on that below) but most types of french fries will be ready to eat after 10-12 minutes.
  • Don’t be afraid to get a little creative! Frozen french fries make a great base for a variety of things. If you want to enjoy the fries on their own, you can still dress them up with any of your favorite seasonings. Try garlic or onion powder, seasoned salt, or even chipotle powder for fries with a kick. If you want to take them to the next level, though, then load the cooked fries up with your favorite condiments and toppings. Like nachos, but with fries! We did a fun twist on that with our Baked Brie and Steak Cheese Fries and oh, man, are they good.

Serve Them With…

Keto Ketchup

Whole30 Ranch Dressing (“Dump Ranch,” Paleo, Dairy-Free)

Smoky Chipotle Mayo

see all condiments

🍟 Key Ingredients

Frozen French Fries – You can cook any type, any flavor, any cut, and any number of frozen french fries in the air fryer. Seasoned fries? Check. Curly fries? YES, PLEASE. Steak fries? You bet! Shoestring fries? As long as they’re not so small they fall through the basket. You’ll just need to adjust a little as far as cook time and number of batches depending on the size, thickness, and number of fries you’re making. I included time suggestions on the recipe card below so be sure to check that before you get started!

💭 Chef’s Tips

  • You most likely will NOT need to cook your fries a full 25 minutes! That’s why we have you check on the fries every 5 minutes. We also included a list of estimated cook times for a variety of different types and styles of frozen french fries. Most types of fries will be ready after 10-12 minutes in the air fryer.
  • Adjust the cook time depending on how crispy you like your fries or how thick they are. For softer or thinner fries, decrease the time. For crispier or thicker fries, increase it.
  • If you’re using an air fryer that doesn’t rotate, toss your fries very, very well every 5 minutes. Make sure the fries that are sitting on the bottom of the bowl are scooped up to the top. If your air fryer rotates, be sure to check on the fries every 5-6 minutes to judge how thoroughly cooked they are.
  • Be careful not to overdo it with the spray oil. Too much oil and you’ll end up with mushy, soggy fries. A light spray is all it takes to get deliciously crispy air fryer frozen french fries.
Overhead photo of various styles of frozen french fries on an oval shaped platter with a ramekin of ketchup

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Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Overhead, closeup photo of various styles of frozen french fries on an oval shaped platter with a ramekin of ketchup
5 from 22 votes

Perfectly Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

Prep:5 minutes
Cook:15 minutes
Total:20 minutes
Forget the drive-thru. All you need for perfectly crispy fries in no time at all is a bag of frozen french fries and your handy air fryer.
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6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 bag frozen french fries
  • salt or other seasonings, optional

Equipment

  • Air fryer basket-style or oven-style
  • neutral spray oil must be safe for air fryers

Instructions 

  • Preheat air fryer to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Once air fryer is preheated, lightly spray basket with neutral oil. Add frozen french fries to basket and lightly spray tops of fries with additional oil. Sprinkle salt or other seasoning over fries if desired, then place basket in air fryer.
    Frozen waffle fries in air fryer basket
  • Cook fries 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove basket from air fryer. Shake basket well to toss fries, and check doneness of fries. If desired doneness is not yet achieved, return basket to air fryer.
  • Cook fries another 5 minutes, then remove basket from air fryer. Check doneness of fries. If desired doneness is not yet achieved, shake basket again to toss fries. Return basket to air fryer and cook another 2 to 5 minutes.
  • Repeat steps 3 and 4 of cooking instructions as needed until desired doneness is achieved. Be sure to check doneness of fries and shake basket to toss fries every 3 to 5 minutes, or fries will overcook. See Notes below for suggested cook times.
  • Once desired doneness is achieved, remove basket from air fryer. Transfer prepared french fries to plate or bowl. Repeat entire process with any remaining fries until desired number of fries has been cooked. Serve fries hot with desired condiments and/or toppings.
    Cooked frozen waffle fries in air fryer basket

Notes

❗️Important: You MUST shake the basket every 5 minutes! This helps the fries cook evenly, which will also reduce the chances of them overcooking. Taking the basket out of the air fryer also gives you a great opportunity to check the doneness of the fries, so you can be sure they’re not getting crispier than you like.
 

Regarding Cook Times & Temperatures

This method was tested and perfected using both a Chefman basket-style air fryer and a Cosori basket-style air fryer. In both, we cooked our fries at 400°F for 20 minutes total.
Every air fryer behaves differently, though – even two of the exact same model. Be sure to keep an eye on the fries the first time or two you cook them this way, and make any adjustments to the cook time or the temperature that you need to make based on your specific air fryer!
Toaster-oven-style air fryers tend to take a little longer than basket-style. The age of your air fryer can affect the results, too. Newer air fryers can cook hotter and faster than older ones.
 

Suggested Cook Times

Different types of fries will cook differently. For example, shoestring fries would not need the same cook time as steak fries since they’re much smaller and thinner.
In general, start with the cook times below and adjust as needed. If you’re cooking multiple batches of fries, keep in mind that the later batches will need less time to cook than the earlier batches.
  1. Shoestring Fries: 6-10 minutes
  2. Waffle Fries (a.k.a. Lattice Fries): 10-12 minutes
  3. Crinkle-cut Fries: 10-12 minutes
  4. Curly Fries: 10-12 minutes
  5. Steak Fries: 12-15 minutes
Note: total cook time for one batch of fries should not exceed 25 minutes.

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 393kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 741mg, Potassium: 650mg, Fiber: 7g, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 2mg, Net Carbs: 39g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

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Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

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  1. Matt Freund says

    Posted on 12/17/20 at 11:39 am

    I made this. It is really good.5 stars

    Reply
    • Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 12/20/20 at 12:11 pm

      Thanks for the awesome review!5 stars

      Reply
  2. Matt Freund says

    Posted on 12/17/20 at 11:30 am

    I love these fries. I make them all the time. They are delicious.5 stars

    Reply
  3. FOODBINOD says

    Posted on 11/30/20 at 6:14 am

    I always follow your recipes. Made this last night. Really like it

    Reply
    • Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 11/30/20 at 11:53 am

      Glad you liked it!5 stars

      Reply
  4. Chris says

    Posted on 11/2/20 at 6:16 pm

    Just came across this recipe via Google and gave it a shot. Fries came out great. Thank you 😊5 stars

    Reply
    • Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 11/3/20 at 9:26 am

      Thanks for sharing!5 stars

      Reply
  5. Renée says

    Posted on 8/25/20 at 9:31 am

    I had already preheated my air fryer (Crux AirPro Macy’s edition) before I found your page by Googling “frozen fries air fryer”. I followed your instructions for spraying the basket and the fries. I sprinkled salt on the fries. I only cooked one batch so 10 minutes was enough time. They turned out top notch.5 stars

    Reply
    • Amelia Camurati says

      Posted on 9/30/20 at 10:59 am

      So happy you liked them, Renée!5 stars

      Reply
  6. ReBecca says

    Posted on 8/9/20 at 9:30 pm

    Do you NEED to spray them with oil (meaning I don’t have any spray oil)?

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 8/10/20 at 8:01 am

      I like to so they cook well and don’t get too dried, but you can also brush them or toss them in a little oil.5 stars

      Reply
  7. Kathy Soule says

    Posted on 7/25/20 at 4:54 pm

    The best frozen French fries! Why bother cutting the potatoes, rinsing them, drying them and waiting for them to cook. Takes to long and inferior results. I don’t play around with friescanymore just buy them at the frozen counter.

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 7/26/20 at 5:08 pm

      Right?? Sometimes I love homemade french fries, but these are so easy, especially for my kids!5 stars

      Reply
  8. Ali says

    Posted on 6/27/20 at 9:47 pm

    Perfect! Made this for the first time today in my power air fryer 360, used krinkle cut Oreida fries straight from frezer to basket. Used spray canola oil, sprinkled salt, set air fryer for 30 mins. Fries turned out rated perfect by kids, teens and adults.

    Reply
    • Amelia Camurati says

      Posted on 8/13/20 at 11:44 am

      It’s amazing how much crunchier they are!!

      Reply
  9. Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

    Posted on 6/4/20 at 12:19 pm

    Yep, that’s why we say to check on them! Each air fryer is different. 🙂5 stars

    Reply
  10. Chris says

    Posted on 3/29/20 at 2:17 pm

    Made these last night and they were perfect5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 3/29/20 at 2:29 pm

      YAY! I am so happy to hear that5 stars

      Reply
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