Perfect Air Fryer French Fries
Three non-negotiables separate crispy fries from sad ones: soak out the surface starch, dry completely, and never stack. Do all three and the basket delivers.
Fries at a glance
40 minPrep + soak
18 minCook
400°FTemp
2–3Servings
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes (starchy = crispy)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
Steps
- Cut evenly. 1/4-inch fries, as uniform as you can. Even cuts cook evenly — thick-thin mixes give you burnt-and-raw.
- Soak 30 minutes. Cold water pulls surface starch that would otherwise glue and brown unevenly. Rinse after soaking.
- Dry completely. Towel-dry until no surface shine remains. Then toss with oil and half the salt.
- Single layer, 400°F, 10 minutes. One layer with air gaps. Two potatoes need two batches — accept it.
- Shake hard, 6–8 more minutes. Until deeply golden at the edges. Salt immediately so it sticks.
Frozen fries adjustment
Frozen fries skip the soak: 400°F for 12–15 minutes with one shake, no added oil needed. They will not match fresh — factory par-frying trades peak crispness for convenience — but they beat oven fries on speed every time.
Why fries fail (and the fixes)
- Limp centers: stacked basket or skipped soak. Single layer, full 30-minute soak.
- Uneven browning: waxy potatoes (red/yellow) or uneven cuts. Use russets, cut carefully.
- Salt slides off: salted after cooling. Salt within 30 seconds of the basket, while oil glistens.
Batch math: a 5-qt basket crisps about 2 potatoes per 18-minute round. Feeding four? Run two batches and hold batch one in a 200°F oven — it stays crisp for 20 minutes.