Air Fryer Frozen French Fries are the ultimate easy side to accompany burgers and sandwiches. They’re done in 10 minutes and turn out far crispier than they do in the oven!
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The air fryer is the best way to cook frozen French fries.
Don’t get me wrong—I love Air Fryer French Fries and Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries. But sometimes I want to hit the easy button on dinner. Frozen French fries in the air fryer mean there’s no scrubbing potatoes clean, no cutting them into sticks, and no seasoning either.
Open bag. Dump into basket. Wait. ENJOY.
I know this isn’t really a recipe, per se, but it is a fail-proof method and it’s one that I arrived at through a lot of trial and error. I tried different types of frozen French fries in the air fryer, and also different temperatures and cooking times. It was like America’s Test Kitchen all up in here figuring out the BEST way to achieve crispy fry perfection. Hard work but someone has to do it!
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Frozen French Fries. Any type: straight or crinkle cut, steak fries, waffle fries, and even shoestring fries. I tested with Alexia Foods, Cascadian Farms, and Ore-Ida brands. Alexia’s seasoned waffle fries, and the Alexia and Ore-Ida straight-cut fries were our favorites.
- Optional: Nonstick Cooking Spray and Kosher Salt. Most fries are already coated in oil and seasoned, so these are only necessary if yours aren’t. (Look at the ingredients on the package to see.)
How to Make Frozen French Fries in the Air Fryer
Arrange the Fries in the Basket. Coat the basket with nonstick spray if you need to. Arrange the fries in an even, single layer—as always with the air fryer, it’s better to cook in batches than crowd them because they need room for air circulation to get crispy. (If you’re cooking in batches, you can keep the first batch warm in the oven at 250ºF while the next batch cooks.)
Air Fry. Waffle or shoestring fries should be cooked at 360 degrees F for 8 to 11 minutes; everything else at 375 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes. Shake the basket a few times during the cooking process for even crisping.
Finish. Once your air fryer frozen fries are as crispy as you want them, season them with a pinch of salt (if they’re unseasoned) and keep them warm in the oven or serve them immediately. ENJOY!
What to Serve with Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
If you’re looking for some good pairings with frozen French fries, here’s some inspiration.
- Burgers. This Smash Burger recipe is my current fave.
- Sandwiches. A Spicy Chicken Sandwich would be perfection.
- Steak. For a steak and frites vibe, make shoestring fries in the air fryer, then keep them warm in the oven while you make Air Fryer Steak.
- ALL the Toppings. We’re talking Chicken Bacon Ranch Fries, Carne Asada Fries, and Chili Cheese Fries. YES!
Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen French fries straight cut, crinkle, steak, waffle, or thin cut/shoestring
- Nonstick cooking spray optional as most frozen fries come pre-oiled
- Kosher salt optional as most frozen fries come pre-seasoned
Instructions
- Coat your air fryer with nonstick spray (if using). Place the fries in a single layer in your air fryer basket—they can touch at the sides a bit but shouldn’t be piled on top of each other; if needed, cook them in batches. If you’d like to keep the fries warm in the oven between batches, preheat your oven to 250°F.
- For straight cut, crinkle cut, or steak fries: Air fry at 375°F for 9 to 11 minutes. For waffle or shoestring fries: Air fry at 360°F for 8 to 11 minutes. Shake the basket a few times throughout, and cook until the fries are hot and crisped to your liking. The time will vary depending upon the thickness of the fry, your air fryer model, and the brand of fries (keep an eye on them towards the end—I found crinkle fries didn’t darken much and got over cooked the most easily).
- Keep the air fryer frozen fries warm on a baking sheet in the oven, or enjoy them immediately with a pinch of salt to taste.
Notes
- For the most accurate nutritional information, consult your package of frozen French fries.
- TO STORE: Transfer leftover fries to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (I don’t recommend re-freezing leftover fries.)
- TO REHEAT: Reheat the fries in the air fryer at 375ºF until they’re warmed through. This should take just a few minutes.
Nutrition
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My sister and I ended up making three batches of these fries last night! We were having a girls’ movie night, and fries seemed like the perfect fit. We didn’t even need to add oil, and they were still amazing! Thank you!
Love that and SO FUN! Thanks Terra!
Super simple! I used my Ninja air fryer to make these fries, and they turned out perfectly. I gave the frozen fries a light brush of oil before cooking, then seasoned them with a pinch of salt and a bit of garlic powder afterward.
Great to hear, Gianna!