One of the biggest questions the ELLE Gourmet audience asks is how to make air fryer French fries. Making French fries in an air fryer is much easier than you’d think, and only requires three ingredients: potatoes, salt, and a touch of vegetable oil. It’s also is quick and easy: Once you prep and cut the potatoes, you’re looking at a maximum of 30 minutes in an air fryer.
To learn how to right way to make air fryer fries, we went to Poppy O’Toole (@PoppyCooks) for her masterclass.
Crispy Air Fryer Fries
Ingredients
- 6–8 large potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 1 tsp fine salt
Instructions
- Peel and cut your potatoes into thin French Fries shapes, about the length of your index finger.
- Heat the air fryer to 180°C/350°F.
- In a bowl, toss the potatoes, oil and salt and mix well, then put them into the air-fryer basket.
- Cook for 10 minutes, give them a mix and then return to the air fryer and cook for a further 15 minutes, until golden.
Notes
How to make Loaded Chilli Cheese Fries:
Loaded chips or fries are The One, so try these with a classic chilli con carne, smoked cheddar and soured cream combo. For the chilli, fry 250g of lean ground beef in a super-hot pan, until browned.
Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Add a chopped onion and brown off, then add in 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of tomato purée/paste, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 2 teaspoons of ground coriander, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, and mix well. Add the ground lean beef back to the pan, just cover with beef stock and leave to cook on a medium heat until the liquid has almost all been absorbed. Add in a drained tin of red kidney beans, season and serve on top of your chips. Grate over cheese and dollop on soured cream.
How to make British-style Cheesy Chips and Gravy:
Poutine (fries, cheese curd, gravy) is amazing but in the UK we do it better – and it’s called ‘cheesy chips and gravy’! Just grate some of you favourite cheddar on top of your hot, cooked chips, then pour over a beef gravy (just the one you mix with boiling water will do). It really is that easy to have one of the best meals in all the land.
How long does it take to cook French fries in an air fryer:
Surprise! It’s cooking French fries in an air fryer only takes 25 minutes. 10 minutes to cook the potatoes, then 15 minutes to make them crispy. If you want to make wedges, it will take 15 minutes to cook and 15 minutes to get crispy.
Wondering what air fryer to buy?
We know everyone loves the Ninja Air Fryer but there are lots of great options! Check out Poppy’s six air fryer picks.
More great air fryer recipes from Poppy O’Toole
Air Fryer Honey Soy Salmon
Poppy O'Toole's recipe for sweet, sticky marinated salmon cooked to perfection in an air fryer.
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Air Fryer Veggie Spring Rolls
Poppy O'Toole's customizable recipe for perfectly-crispy air fryer spring rolls.
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Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers
Poppy O'Toole's air fryer recipe for tuffed peppers with a muhammara-inspired vegetarian filling.
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