Crispy, crunchy, and lower in fat and calories than classic French fries, this quick and easy recipe for Air Fryer Homemade Fries satisfies in the best way!
From burgers to crockpot pulled pork to sloppy joes, air fryer fries are the crowd-pleasing side dish that EVERYONE loves. And because this air fryer recipe delivers crispy, golden fries without excess grease, you have every reason to enjoy them again and again!
Kristen’s Key Tips
- Cut the potatoes evenly. Be sure each fry is the same width to ensure even cooking. It is okay if the length varies.
- Don’t overlap fries. In order to achieve a crispy exterior with a pillowy soft interior that good fries are known for, it is best to air fry the homemade fries in a single layer in your air fryer basket or tray. If needed, work in batches.
- Size of fries determine cooking time. The timing is based on fries that are ¼-inch thick. Larger sized fries will need to air fry for a minute or two longer per side.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Potatoes: Starchy potatoes, like russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes are best.
- Oil: Just a small amount to help the seasonings adhere and the fries crisp up. As for what oil to use, canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil are all good options.
- Seasonings: Salt is the ONLY thing needed to flavor fries (unsalted potatoes are rather bland!) That said, you can get creative and vary the seasonings as desired. My personal favorite combination is garlic powder, paprika, and kosher salt.
How to Make Homemade Fries in Air Fryer
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cut potatoes into fries. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Lay each half cut-side down. Slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut those slices again lengthwise so that each fry is 1/4-inch thick wide.
- Season fries. Toss the fries with a bit of oil and seasonings of choice in a large mixing bowl or right in the basket of your air fryer.
- Arrange fries in air fryer. Lay the seasoned fries in an even layer in your air fryer basket or tray. It is okay if the fries SLIGHTLY overlap, but you don’t want to stack layers and layers of potatoes on top of eachother.
- Air fry. Air fry at 400℉/205℃ for 6 minutes. Remove the basket or tray, flip and continue to air fry for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Repeat process. If need, transfer the air-fried fries to a a 200℉/95℃ oven to keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining potatoes.
- 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.
Seasoning Options
- Add Additional Seasonings. In addition to the salt and garlic powder, add up to 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, dried oregano, onion powder, dill seasoning, etc.
- Swap the Salt for a Seasoning Blend. Omit the salt, garlic powder, and paprika and use 2 teaspoons of Seasoned Salt, Ranch Seasoning, Dried Onion Soup Mix, Cajun Seasoning, Adobo Seasoning, Greek Seasoning, Taco Seasoning, or Old Bay–the options are truly endless!
- Low-Sodium/Salt-Free: Cut the salt to ¼ teaspoon, use 2 teaspoons of Mrs. Dash, OR omit completely if on a salt-free diet.
- Add Cheese: Grate parmesan cheese over the fries right after they come out of the oven for a ridiculously delicious twist!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Allow air fryer homemade fries to cool, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days
- Reheat: Don’t microwave! Keep leftover fries crispy by reheating the fries in the air fryer at 350℉/175℃ for 2 minutes. Shake and continue to air fry for another 2 minutes, until warm and crispy.
Recipe FAQs
Soaking the fries before cooking helps to draw out excess starch and allows the fries to hold up better to being deep-fried. But when you are making homemade fries using the air fryer, I find that first soaking the potatoes produces negligible differences. Save yourself time and skip soaking fries before air frying.
Absolutely not! To peel or not to peel the potatoes when making fries is a personal preference. I opt to leave the peel on for added nutrients and fiber–plus it makes this recipe that much easier to prepare.
Use my recipe for baked fries. You can achieve the same crispy results without the excess grease.
More Favorite Air Fryer Potato Recipes
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Prevent your screen from going dark
If your Air Fryer is a model that needs to preheat, preheat to 400℉/205℃. It should only take about 5 minutes to be ready.
To prepare the potatoes, scrub 2 large russet potatoes well and pat dry. If desired, remove the peel from the potatoes. Slice the potatoes into sticks that are about ¼-inch thick. To do this, slice each potato in half lengthwise. Lay each half cut-side down on the cutting board. Slice lengthwise into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices, and cut each of those slices lengthwise into ¼- to ½-inch-thick fries.
Place the prepared potatoes into a large mixing bowl and add the 1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss to coat so that the potatoes are evenly coated in the oil and seasonings.
Place the potatoes into the air fryer basket or tray in a single layer. It is okay if a few potatoes slightly overlap each other. Air fry for 6 minutes. Remove the air fryer basket or tray and flip the potatoes over. Continue to air fry for 6 minutes, or until crispy.
Remove the crispy fries from the air fryer and if needed repeat the process, keeping the prepared fries warm in a 200℉/95℃ oven.
Serve warm as desired.
Calories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 300mgPotassium: 780mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 125IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2025.
