Air Fryer French Fries

These Homemade Air Fryer French Fries are the real deal! Made with just four healthy ingredients, they need minimal amounts of oil but come out so incredibly crispy.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Difficulty Easy

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 94kcal

Author Nora

Ingredients

1 pound potatoes I used Yukon Gold, Russet work great for a higher starch version
2 teaspoons oil avocado oil, melted coconut or olive oil all work
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

Peel potatoes and slice into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick fries. Place in large bowl and cover with water. Soak for 30 minutes.
Drain and rinse potatoes, then pat very dry with paper towels. Place potatoes in large bowl and add just enough oil to coat them all (may not need all of the oil, add gradually). Sprinkle with ground paprika and toss to evenly coat.
Preheat air fryer to 385°F for 5 minutes. Then, place a single layer of potatoes into the air fryer basket. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove basket to shake. Cook for 5 more minutes, then check on potatoes. Add 2-5 more minutes to the cooking time, depending on how done the potatoes already are and how crisped up you want them.
Once potatoes are done, imemdiately remove to a bowl and toss with a sprinkling of salt. Serve immediately! Cook remaining potatoes in batches in the same way.

Notes

Ingredient notes

Oil: If you want the recipe to be THM/Paleo/Whole30 friendly: Use an oil that’s on your eating plan. Avocado oil, melted coconut oil (that’s what I used) or olive oil are all great choices.
Salt: I recommend using a fine sea salt for evenly seasoning your fries. I also enjoy a small sprinkling of flakey sea salt on my portion for an extra kick, but then I hold back on the fine sea salt so I don’t over-salt.
Potatoes: Like I said in the intro, Russet potatoes are commonly used to make French fries. And they work absolutely perfectly! However, because I stick to Trim Healthy Mama, I prefer using Yukon Gold potatoes due to their alleged lower starch content (check out Trim Healthy Podcast Episode 108 for a bit on potato varieties! Here is the transcript.).
Ground paprika: Feel free to use a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder with the ground paprika to add some heat.

Recipe tips

Preheating: Do not skip pre-heating the air fryer. It really helps to have the first batch come out great.
Temperature: I know many recipes for French fries in the air fryer call for a lower temperature but a longer cooking time than mine. I find a higher temperature for less time works out better. The fries come out crispy without browning too much or even burning, and it takes less time to cook them all.
Timing: Sorry to say so, but you won’t be able to eat all of the fries at once, but trust me… There is no way to realistically keep the fries warm and preserve their original crispiness. Please just eat them while they’re hot, they do soften as they sit and cool.
Seasoning: Feel free to use other seasoning than just salt on your fries. Either way, make sure to season the fries as soon as they come out of the air fryer! That’s how the seasoning sticks best.

Nutrition