How To Make Crispy Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

by Kayla Berman on December 15, 2023 0 comments

Once you air fry frozen french fries, you will never prepare them a different way! These french fries are crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and fast food level delicious – all in under 15 minutes. Check out the full post for the exact times and temperature to air fry any style of fry: waffle fries, shoestring fries, crinkle cut fries, and more!

If you love your air fryer as much as I do, check out How To Air Fry Chicken Sausage, Baked Apples in Air Fryer, and Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls next.

Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Frozen Fries

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries were truly a life changing discovery for me! As with almost any food I prepare in the trendy appliance, frozen fries come out AMAZING when made in an air fryer.

Besides being a healthier option than using the deep fryer, and just plain better than oven baked … these air fried fries are also:

French Fry Perfection: Seriously the air fryer must be a magic appliance because frozen fries enter and come out crispy, crunchy, fluffy, soft, and golden all at the same time. Truly the best “homemade” fries I’ve ever had. They’re hot, fresh, and fast food level good!
Convenient: I love having a bag of fries stashed in my freezer to whip up in the air fryer as an easy salty snack or simple side to any main meal! They’re ready in no time, with barely any clean up. Definitely no deep frying oil to worry about.
Quick & Easy: Preparing fries in the air fryer is SO quick and easy. Simply toss ’em in and cook for about 10-12 minutes! Read on below for the exact instructions.
Crowd Pleasing: I mean who doesn’t love fries!?! Kids and adults alike will go crazy for these. They’re the best way I’ve ever seen frozen fries prepared!

Ingredients

The ingredient list to crispy french fries in the air fryer is short and sweet: a bag of frozen french fries! Do not worry if you are a fry connoisseur and love to experiment beyond the classic cut – this is a one stop shop for air fryer frozen french fries.

The instructions below will work for all different types of fries:

Curly Fries
Shoestring Fries
Waffle Fries
Steak Fries
Fast Food Style Fries
Crinkle Cut Fries

If you can buy it in the store, you can make it in your air fryer!

Equipment Needed

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Air Fryer – I use and love the Instant Slim 6QT Air Fryer Oven
Tongs

How To Air Fry Frozen French Fries

Preparing frozen fries in the air fryer is a foolproof, easy side dish! You pretty much can’t get it wrong no matter what you do.

However, I have done my fair share of research on the art of air frying french fries and discovered the best way to do it. Here are the simple step-by-step instructions for you to follow:

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 360-375 degrees Fahrenheit (depending on the style of fry). Read on below for my specific instructions for each type of fry!

Step 2: Air Fry: Once preheated, add the frozen french fries to the air fryer basket. Arrange in a single layer for the best results. Cook for 8-12 minutes, again depending on the style fry. Give the fries a good shake halfway through cooking. You can spray the basket with cooking spray before adding the fries and season them with salt, but I find that most frozen fries come with sufficient oil and seasoning already.

Step 3: Serve and enjoy! Add any extra seasoning you’d like before serving.

Frozen Fries in Air Fryer Ultimate Guide: Types & Times

How to make frozen french fries in the air fryer? Answer: To air fry frozen fries place them in an air fryer basket preheated to 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Or until they reach your desired crispiness.

The above temperature and cook time is what I have found to be the most universal method for air frying fries, regardless of style. However, to get perfect air fryer fries you will have to do some adjusting to those base instructions.

The exact temperature and time will be different for each air fryer, as every single one cooks differently. Additionally, the thickness of fries may make them require more or less time in the appliance. Thin fries, such as shoestring and sometimes waffle fries, will require shorter cook times. While thicker fries, like crinkle cut or steak, will require longer.

I recommend you follow my instructions below, but also do some testing on your own! Depending on your personal preference, you may find that anywhere from 360-400 degrees Fahrenheit and a cooking time of 10-15 minutes is your sweet spot for golden brown, crispy air fryer fries.

Now let’s break it down by french fry type! (For reference, all temperatures and times have been tested on an Instant Slim 6QT Air Fryer Oven)

How To Air Fry Frozen Waffle Fries

Temperature: 360 degrees F
Time: 8-10 Minutes

I found that when air frying waffle fries, they actually required a lower temperature and cook time compared to other styles of fry. This shape of fry is actually quite thin when you consider all of the ridges and grooves, so they burnt when prepared at a high temperature.

I used Alexia Sweet Potato Waffle Fries here.

Frozen sweet potato waffle fries in the air fryer before cooking

Frozen sweet potato waffle fries in the air fryer after cooking

How To Air Fry Fast Food Style Frozen Fries

This is my personal favorite frozen french fry variety! They truly come out tasting like the real deal from your favorite burger joint or fast food chain. Like seriously … they rival McDonald’s.

The Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food French Fries are my favorite.

Temperature: 375 degrees F
Time: 10 Minutes

This temperature and time should work for other thin-style fries as well! Like shoestring. Just always check halfway through and adjust as needed.

Frozen fast food style fries in the air fryer before cooking

Frozen fast food style fries in the air fryer after cooking

How To Air Fry Crinkle Cut Frozen Fries

Crinkle cut fries are the way to go if you want golden fries that are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. I used Extra Crispy Crinkles from Ore-Ida.

Temperature: 375 degrees F
Time: 10-12 Minutes

The above should work for other fries with similar thickness as well. Like steak fries!

Frozen crinkle cut fries in the air fryer before cooking

Frozen crinkle cut fries in the air fryer after cooking

How To Air Fry Classic Cut Frozen Fries

Good old, classic cut frozen french fries can be prepared in the air fryer exactly how crinkle cut fries are!

Temperature: 375 degrees F
Time: 10-12 Minutes

As always, I recommend checking on the fries halfway through cooking to ensure things are going as intended and adding an extra minute or two if you want extra crispy results.

Frozen fries in the air fryer before cooking

Frozen fries in the air fryer after cooking

Expert Tips

Don’t overcrowd! To get crispy fries you’ll want to make sure to spread the fries in a single even layer in the basket of the air fryer, without too much overlap.

Shake well! Give the french fries a good shake about halfway through their cooking time. This will allow every bit of every fry to cook evenly.

Check & adjust! The true key to getting air fryer frozen fries to turn out like your favorite fast food fries is to check on them throughout the cooking process. Then adjust as needed! If you find the fries are starting to burn or getting too crispy, simply stop the air frying short. If they are not crispy enough, add an extra couple of minutes. Super easy!

How To Serve Frozen French Fries Made in the Air Fryer

Personally I will be eating this easy recipe for homemade fries straight out of the air fryer. They’re just SO good!! But if you have a little more restraint and patience than I do, here are some fabulous serving suggestions:

Favorite Sauce: I love a french fry on its own with just lots of salt, buuuut I also love a good dip: Ketchup, bbq sauce, big mac sauce, cheese sauce … air fryer fries go with it all!
Dressings: Sort of a sauce, sort of not … but I LOVE to dip fries in a tangy, flavorful dressing. Caesar or ranch dressing have to be my favorites.
Seasoned Fries: Feel free to load up these fries with all of the seasonings! Like onion powder, garlic powder, or a seasoning mix. Cajun seasoning is a wonderful choice. You could also make spicy fries with cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, and more.
Garlic Parmesan: Ugh! Crispy potato fries smothered in butter, olive oil, garlic, fresh parmesan, and parsley. What is not to love??
Loaded Fries: I’m drooling just thinking about loading up these air fried frozen fries. I’m talking cheese sauce, crumbled bacon, sour cream, green onion … YUM!
Truffle Fries: If you want to get extra fancy with these fries may I suggest adding some truffle oil and freshly shaved parmesan. You’ll barely be able to tell that this side dish came from the freezer aisle instead of a gourmet restaurant!

What To Serve With Crispy French Fries

Fries are just about the perfect side dish to anything under the sun! But here would be some of my favorite pairings:

Sandwich or Wrap: Nothing screams lunch more than a good sandwich or wrap with a side of fries. Try serving these golden potato strips with my Tunacado Sandwich Copycat, Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap, or Italian Grinder Salad Sandwich.
Salad: Many people believe that the elite combo to order when out to eat is a salad and fries. Why not try it at home? I suggest pairing these air fried frozen fries with my Mediterranean Chopped Salad.
Burger: Whether your pairing fries with a handheld burger, like my Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger or BBQ Chicken Burger, or just anything burger related, like my Burger Salad or Smash Burger Tacos, it will be a smashing success.
Chicken: I love enjoying crispy, coated chicken with even crispier french fries. My Romano Crusted Chicken Cutlets, Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins, or Baked Chicken Nuggets would be a wonderful main to this french fry side.

Storage & Reheating

You can store leftover fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3-5 days!

To reheat, simply pop back in the air fryer for a few minutes until crisped to your liking. This should take about 5 minutes! Just remember, leftover fries will never return to their prime condition when freshly prepared – hot, fresh, and crispy.

Therefore, I recommend only air frying the amount of fries you will need for each specific serving. The process is so quick and easy, there is no need to make any extra because you can just do it all over again when you want some more fries!

FAQs

How long should I cook frozen french fries in the air fryer?

You should cook frozen french fries in the air fryer for about 10-12 minutes. However, this could increase or decrease by 1-2 minutes depending on the style of fry and air fryer model.

What are the best frozen french fries?

This is totally personal preference! I have not tried every single option out there as it would be nearly impossible, but I have tried A LOT.

My favorites have been Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food French Fries and Alexia Sweet Potato Seasoned Fries.

Do I need to add oil when air frying frozen fries?

No, you do not need to add extra oil when air frying frozen fries.

Most varieties already come with oil! However, you could add a bit of cooking spray to the bottom of the air fryer basket if you would like.

Do I need to season air fryer frozen french fries?

No, you do not need to season air fryer frozen french fries! I find that most varieties are delicious as is. They are usually pre-seasoned with either just salt or a tasty seasoning mix.

However, you absolutely can season them if you would like. I recommend waiting until the fries are cooked, tasting, and then adding anything extra that you think they may need!

More Air Fryer Recipes

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