Just a few simple steps and you'll be enjoying the first bite of a salty, crispy hot french fry in no time! Preparation. Give the frozen fries a light spray of cooking oil and a sprinkle of salt (or garlic salt!), then place the frozen fries in the basket of the air fryer.
In a lot of ways, they're just like regular fries. They're crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and dusted with an irresistible coating of salt. But there is one key difference between deep frying and air frying: you only need a light drizzle of oil to make crispy French fries in the air fryer.
The fries can be seasoned with garlic salt, kosher salt, ground black pepper, or cayenne pepper for some spicy flavor! Once you have your fries of choice, simply spray the air fryer basket with olive oil cooking spray and add the fries to the basket. These are best spread out evenly into a single layer.
It is not necessary to coat food in oil before cooking it in an air fryer, as the device circulates hot air around the food to cook it. However, some people prefer to spray a light coating of oil on their food before cooking it in an air fryer to give it a crispy texture.
Using too much oil, overcrowding the air fryer basket or pulling the fries out before they're ready can lead to poor results. Crisp up soggy fries by evenly distributing the fries into one flat layer in the air fry basket and popping them back into the oven to cook for an additional 3–5 minutes.
The spray can be applied directly to an air fryer's wire tray or basket. Made with no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors, PAM Air Fryer Spray can also be applied directly to uncooked food to promote browning and crisping of your wings, tenders, fries and more.
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange potatoes in a double layer in the fryer basket. Cook, tossing every 5 minutes, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Only add oil to the ingredients and not directly in the pan of your airfryer. Pre-fried food such as frozen French fries, chicken nuggets, spring rolls, etc. do not need extra oil. Please do not use cold-pressed oil since it would burn at high temperatures.
Instead of spritzing the basket, you can toss the food itself in a light coating of oil before using the air fryer. Be sure to use a high smoke point oil like canola or sunflower. Use air fryer liners.
SHAKE OR FLIP FOOD
Most air fryers require you to shake the basket at least once during the air fry process to ensure every bit is crisped and browned to perfection. Some recipes call for flipping or shaking every 5 minutes, so don't stray too far from your air fryer while cooking.
No! You do not need oil to use an air fryer. (Louder for the people in the back!) To use your air fryer without oil, simply season your food, put it in the air fryer basket, and set the desired temperature and time.
Do you need to add oil to cook chips in an air fryer? You don't have to add oil, but we do recommend adding a few sprays of olive oil to give it that familiar crunchy texture. If you don't use oil, there's a good chance they'll come out too dry.
Make it even faster with my Air Fryer Frozen French Fries recipe. Air fryers are healthy. Just 2 teaspoons of oil per large potato is all you need to make crispy fries (go ahead, have them for a snack!).
Air fryers work by circulating hot air, which originates at the bottom of the fryer. Lining it with foil can constrict the air flow and your food won't cook properly. If you are going to use aluminum foil in an air fryer, use a small amount in the bottom of the basket, making sure not to cover the food.
Cook the fries at a low heat to start and then turn the air fryer temperature up to give them that crispy texture. Dry your potatoes completely before adding oil. This allows the oil to stick to the potato whereas if it's still wet, it will repel it and they could turn soggy.
Get crispy results!
Spray both the air fryer basket and the fries with a light coating of oil before cooking. You'll also want to toss frozen french fries in air fryer halfway (or give the basket a good shake) to be sure they cook evenly on all sides.
Soaking the potatoes does something magical with the starches—it helps achieve the coveted French fry crispiness and prevents the fries from sticking together. This is what I did for the air fryer, too. I soaked these potatoes for about an hour or so, but I've also soaked them for up to 24 hours with no ill effect.
Many cooking sprays contain soy lecithin, an ingredient that emulsifies and stabilizes processed food. Unfortunately, soy lecithin can't reliably stand up to the high temperatures air fryers use. As a result, using a cooking spray can leave behind a sticky residue that fuses to your air fryer basket.
A slice of bread in the bottom of your air fryer can help collect grease without making a mess.