Air Fryer Homemade Fries (Crispy & Fast)

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Forget frozen fries! Air Fryer Homemade Fries have an irresistible crispy exterior, yet are soft on the inside, and they taste better than store-bought fries! Plus Air Fryer French Fries are much lower in fat and calories and incredibly easy to make using your air fryer.

Basket of air fryer homemade fries served with ketchup.

Looking for thick-cut seasoned fries? Try my recipe for Air Fryer Potato Wedges.

I have been making Oven Fries for decades, as they make the perfect family-friendly side dish for countless meals like Burgers, Baked Chicken Tenders, and Sloppy Joes.

And while I still love my recipe for baked fries, I now rely on my Air Fryer recipe to easily make crispy, tender homemade fries!

Why Homemade Fries in Air Fryer Are Best

Fast. There is no need to wait on your oven to preheat or heat up your kitchen for this recipe. In less than 30 minutes from start to finish, you can have crispy, homemade French fries. And yes, that includes the time it takes to wash and dice your fries!
Perfect Results. Like my recipes for Air Fryer Baked Potatoes and Air Fryer Crispy Potatoes, this recipe for Air Fryer Fries produces flavorful, crispy potatoes with a fluffy interior. The outside gets a perfectly crisp exterior, while the inside of the fry remains melt-in-your-mouth tender! These fries have a similar taste and texture as deep-fried fries, minus the grease!
Guilt-Free. French Fries are thought of as a guilty pleasure. But these air fryer fries use minimal oil to create crispy fries that are low in fat, yet satisfy the craving for salty, crispy fries.
Minimal Clean-Up. You can enjoy crispy fries WITHOUT grease to dispose of or grease splatter to deal with.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Fries

Ingredients for Air Fryer French Fries labeled on kitchen counter.

Potatoes: For classic French fries use russet potatoes. However, Yukon gold potatoes will work as well. You can opt to remove the peel or leave the peel on the potatoes. I personally opt to leave the peels on my homemade fries for additional nutrients and fiber.
Oil: Air Fryer French Fries only require a small amount of oil. I recommend using just enough to lightly coat the fries. This will help the seasonings to adhere to the fries and help them become unbelievably crispy, just as good French fries should be! As for what oil to use, canola oil, vegetable oil, and olive oil are all good options.
Seasonings: The options for seasoning air fryer fries are endless. You can keep it simple and just season the potatoes with salt or try out one of the unique combinations I share below. My favorite combination is to season these fries with garlic powder, paprika, and kosher salt.

∗ Flavor Options for Air Fryer Fries ∗

This recipe for air fryer fries is perfectly seasoned as is, but sometimes you want to change up the flavor. Replace the salt, paprika, and garlic powder in the recipe, using one of the following seasonings, and enjoy unique French fries!

Ranch-Flavored: Use 2 teaspoons of store-bought or Homemade Ranch Seasoning, along with 1 teaspoon of oil before air frying.
Taco-Flavored: Season the fries with 2 teaspoons of Taco Seasoning, along with 1 teaspoon of oil before air frying.
Savory Onion-Flavored: Toss the fries with 2 teaspoons of Copycat Lipton Onion Soup Mix, along with 1 teaspoon of oil before air frying.
Cajun Spiced Potatoes: Toss potatoes 2 teaspoons of Homemade Cajun Seasoning along with 1 teaspoon of oil before air frying.
Low-Sodium/Salt-Free: Cut the salt to ¼ teaspoon OR omit completely if on a salt-free diet.

How to Make Homemade Fries in Air Fryer

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Prepare Potatoes. It is important to keep in mind you want to evenly slice your potatoes so that each fry is about the same size. This will ensure your fries all cook evenly in the same amount of time. I also recommend tossing the fries with the oil and seasonings in a large mixing bowl, to ensure the oil and seasonings are evenly distributed.

Bowl of potatoes cut into thin strips seasoned with paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Air Fry. It is best to lay your seasoned fries into an even layer in your air fryer basket or tray. It is okay if the fries slightly overlap but for even cooking, it is best to try to keep the fries in a single layer and to flip the potatoes halfway through the air frying.

Side by side air fryer basket with fries before and after cooking.

Serve. Air Fryer Fries, just like all French fries, are best served immediately when they are nice and hot. Serve them plain or with ketchup, ranch, BBQ Sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.

Basket of air fryer french fries served with ketchup.

FAQs About Air Fryer Fries

Do you need to soak the fries before air-frying?

Soaking the fries before cooking helps to draw out excess starch and allows the fries to hold up better to deep-frying. But when you are making homemade fries using the air fryer, I find that soaking the potatoes first results in negligible differences. Save yourself time, and simply air fry!

What is the best way to cut potatoes into fries?

While you can use a mandoline for slicing, I find it easy to cut your potatoes into fry shapes using a sharp chef's knife. Slice a potato in half lengthwise. Lay each half cut-side down. Slice lengthwise into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices, and cut each of those slices lengthwise into ¼- to ½-inch-thick fries.

Make it a Meal

Serve these crispy Air Fryer French Fries with one of the following entrees for the ultimate family meal.

More Favorite Air Fryer Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe for Air Fryer Fries, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.