Crispy Air Fryer French Fries

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These crispy vegan air-fryer French fries are so damn good that they could give the deep-fried ones a run for their money. The best part – you can whip up these goodies any time using an air fryer and treat your kids to this healthy homemade version of this popular fast food. 

Why do we call them French Fries?

France and Belgium both try to take credit for the invention of the French fry. While we are unsure of which location is the home of the French Fry many believe this crispy potato snack was first exposed to Americans during WWI when soldiers were stationed in Belgium.

The Belgian soldiers, who primarily spoke French, shared ‘Les Frites’ with the American soldiers who then dubbed them ‘French Fries’.

How is it traditionally made?

Most commonly, fries are made by deep-frying fresh-cut potatoes into a vat of hot oil. After being fried to perfection, they get seasoned and served alongside many foods like burgers or sandwiches. 

Recently people have been looking for ways to make crispy French Fries without deep frying. This led to the oven-baked french fry and most recently the air-fried French fry. Both these alternate methods give you crispy French fries without having to deep fry your food. 

What is the difference between chips and fries 

The British refer to fries as chips. The difference between the two can simply be seen by their shape. In America, when you order fries you can expect a form of fried potatoes, they may come as wedges, sticks, waffles, or even cubes. However, in the UK when you order chips they are a longer, thicker version of the stick french fries we see most often.

American chips are salted snacks that are crispy thin. The most popular ones are made by deep-frying thinly sliced disks of potatoes.

How do you cut potatoes for homemade French Fries?

Various methods for cutting French Fries exist, resulting in various types of fries. To cut the most traditional-looking French fry you can use a knife or a mandoline. 

To cut French Fries with only a knife:

1. Wash and peel the potato.
2. Then cut it lengthwise, to create a flat surface.
3. Next, lay the potato on the flat surface and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
4. Then turn the potato slices and cross-cut the potato into sticks. 

Reduce your time and cut French Fries with a knife and mandoline:

1. Wash and peel the potato.
2. Using the primary cutting blade of the mandoline, slice the potato lengthwise. 
3. Then cross-cut the slices into 1/4 inch sticks with a knife.

If you want to cut fries with only a mandoline:

1. Wash and peel the potato.
2. Using the cross-cutting blade of a mandoline, slice the potato lengthwise against the blade until the potato is finished being cut. 

 For a visual of how to cut homemade french fries check out this Serious Eats article about How to Cut French Fries. 

Why do you soak French Fries before cooking?

To get rid of the excess starch from the potato. This helps keep the fries from sticking together while they cook. Soak them for 20-30 minutes. Rinse them thoroughly after soaking.

What kind of potatoes are best to make French Fries?

Use Russet/Idaho potatoes because they are starchy and dense with very little moisture in them. 

How to make French Fries crispy

Tips to make perfectly crispy Air Fryer French Fries

1. Soak them in cold water to remove starch for at least 20-30 minutes.
2. Rinse them and completely dry them before air frying. Use either a paper towel or a clean dishtowel.
3. Make sure they are almost the same size for evenly cooking. 

Why use an air fryer for making French Fries

Air frying uses so much less oil! In fact, air-fried foods often contain 70-80% fewer calories than their deep-fried counterparts. Air fryers also make perfectly crispy fries. 

What oil is best for French Fries?

Any oil with a high smoking point and a neutral taste. I use either avocado or peanut oil. 

How to make French Fries using an air fryer

Equipment needed

• Mandoline
• Air fryer or Mealthy CrispLid

You’ll need russet potatoes, oil (peanut or avocado), seasonings such as salt and pepper. 

1. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and peel them.  You can leave the peels on if you like.
2. Cut them into sticks that are about 3 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. 
3. Soak them in cold water for about 20-30 minutes. Rinse them and dry them using a clean dish towel or paper towel. 
4. Toss them in a mixture of oil and seasonings of your choice till they are completely coated.
5. Place them in the air frying basket – don’t overcrowd them. You’ll have to make it in batches. 
6. Air fry them for about 16 minutes at 400°F. Pause the air frying at around 8 minutes and toss the fries to enable even cooking. If using a CrispLid use tongs to flip the French Fries.

Serve them hot with ketchup or any dip of your choice. 

Variations 

While salt and pepper are the seasonings of choice, I love to mix it up by adding a dash of the following seasonings – 

• Garlic pepper
• Cumin powder
• Chaat masala
• Black salt

How to reheat French Fries

Throw the French fries into the air fryer and cook them at 400°F for 4-5 minutes. 

Air fryer vs Mealthy CrispLid which one is better 

The end results are almost identical but I prefer the air fryer version because it is easier to toss the French fries using an air fryer whereas with CrispLid you need to use the tong to turn one fry at a time. 

Read this: Mealthy CrispLid review – should you get one?

Other Air Fryer Recipes you might enjoy:

1. Tandoori chicken tikka– This quick and easy Tandoori chicken tikka recipe is a delicious appetizer dish that is a sure shot crowd-pleaser!
2. Tandoori Salmon – Spicy and tangy bite-size pieces of the salmon are grilled to perfection to make this delicious dish that takes less than 30 minutes to make. 
3. Tandoori Chicken – This quick and easy Tandoori chicken recipe makes the most flavorful and authentic chicken that is crisp on the outside and succulent on the inside – just like it is supposed to be!