Fries are easily one of the most popular guilty pleasures in the world.
Even though you might think that fast-food fries are the closest to whole vegetables you’ll find, there are ways to make them at home with fewer calories and fats.
By learning how to use air fryer for fries, you will be able to make restaurant-quality fries with little effort and without the use of oil, unless, of course, you decide to use it for seasoning.
How to Use Air Fryer for Fries
Are you in love with french fries but afraid they will all end up on your thighs? In this guide, we will discuss our favorite tricks for using an air fryer for fries as well as our favorite recipe to get the ideal plate of flavorful fries, minus the extra calories and fats.
Step 1: Prepare the air fryer.
The first thing you’re going to want to do is to get your air fryer ready for the task. This means ensuring that it is thoroughly cleaned and dried. For the best crisp, we’d recommend avoiding using aluminum foil or baking paper to catch any messes, as you’ll want to make sure that your fries are as crispy as possible.
Once the air fryer has been dried, it’s time to start the preheating cycle while you begin preparing your fries. We’d recommend setting the air fryer to 360 degrees.
Step 2: Prepare the fries.
Now that the air fryer is working towards getting to the perfect temperature for frying, it’s time to prepare your fries. For the healthiest meal possible, we recommend making your own fries out of real potatoes.
First, you’re going to want to slice your potatoes into thin, fry-like shapes (approximately half an inch thick). Then, add them into a bowl of warm water, allowing them to soak for 10 minutes. Once that’s done, drain the potatoes and put them back in the bowl without the water, as you’re going to begin the seasoning process.
Step 3: Season the fries.
Seasoning your fries is all up to personal preference. There is an assortment of flavors ranging from garlic parmesan to spicy Cajun that you can choose from. Our personal favorites for learning how to use air fryer for fries are spicy Cajun. This will result in fries that have a brilliant kick that will engage all of your taste buds.
To do this, you would want to drizzle the freshly cut fries with about a teaspoon of olive oil and then add your dry seasonings on top. We recommend using paprika, salt, pepper, chili powder, and Cajun seasoning. You can then toss the fries in the bowl to ensure that every side is covered to perfection.
Step 4: Fry the fries.
For the fourth step, it’s time to add the fries to your air fryer. This can be done by removing the basket using the front-facing handle, depending on the fryer model you have.
Next, ensure that you line all of the fries in a single layer, and if you have too many, it’s best if you do a second batch rather than try to make them all fit. Remember, the more evenly they are spaced, the crispier they will be.
Once in the frying basket, slide it back into place and allow the fries to cook for 15 minutes. As soon as the cooking time is finished, you can remove them with a spatula and serve them with a sauce of your choosing. For our spicy Cajun fries, we love a chipotle-mayo dip as it helps to soothe the heat and add a little bit of tangy flavoring.
The Best Tricks for Air Frying Fries
As with anything, the more that you practice, the easier it will become. The same theory applies to the use of an air fryer. Even though they are relatively simple enough for beginners, you’ll soon realize the level of crispness that tastes best. This will allow you to create customized recipes for the perfect taste.
Here are a few tricks that you can use to your advantage to get more out of making fries in your new fryer.
Always soak your fries.
Soaking your fries gives them the perfect amount of moisture to where they can stay moist on the inside yet still become crispy on the outside without overcooking. Simply soaking them for 10 minutes before seasoning and frying will make a whole world of difference.
Less oil is better.
Remember, the main purpose behind an air fryer is to give you a crispy texture with fewer calories. For this, we recommend using as little oil as possible when seasoning your fries. After all, the dry seasonings that you add are what will give them the flavor, not the oil.
In fact, in time, you might even find that with more experience, you won’t need oil at all. Now, that is something to look forward to, isn’t it?
Reheat the fries with the air fryer.
In the event that you have leftover fries, you can easily store them in an airtight container for up to four days at a time. However, be prepared for them to return to their soggy state. Instead of microwaving them, it’s best if you reheat them in the air fryer so that they can get crispy again.
Final Thoughts
The air fryer is one of our favorite appliances and learning how to use it for cooking fries is easier than you might have thought. In fact, the majority of the work goes into preparing the fries more than figuring out how to use your air fryer, especially since most models are designed to be easy for first-time users.
With the ability to transform an ordinary meal into something extraordinary, we recommend investing in an air fryer sooner rather than later. Do you agree?