Air-Fryer French Fries

I first tried at one temperature (per the instructions that came with the air-fryer) and there were dried out. I intuited that like the classic method, two temperatures were required. But before I tried that, I found a recommendation top par-boil in a solution of vinegar and water and it made a big difference. I served them at a birthday party and everyone loved them.

I do a version of this with baby potatoes. I put them in a pot of salty water (just covered) and bring to a boil, then boil for 2.5-3 minutes. I let them cool down for a bit then I toss with oil and salt/seasonings and air fry at 350ish for 15-20 minutes. Nice and crispy outside and fluffy inside. And if you're feeling adventurous you can wrap them in bacon before air frying for 20 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. We dip those bad boys in sour cream or aioli depending on our mood.

As a single person, I can say that I *LOVE* my air fryer. I get french fries, fried chicken, and fried fish in the same time as in the oil, but without the fat.

-Cut up 1 big russet potatoes (peeled) into steak fries, -Set conventional oven to 435 f, -Put them in a plastic bag with olive oil drizzled on them for about 1 hour -Place on a non stick aluminum foil using a cookie sheet pan -Lightly dust with, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, salt paprika powder -30 to 35 minutes later, DONE (can flip them over at the 1/2 way point)

I have an air fryer collecting dust. Tried it a number of times and it was a dismal failure. FF's, chicken. Nothing worked, plus it is so small. Cooks only enough for one person on a diet. It was a present, so I have to wait a year before trying to sell it :( My favourite fish & chip shop is a 20 min drive away, but it is so worthwhile...

For the crispiest fries skip the soaking. Bring a pot of water with a cup or so of white vinegar to a boil. Dump in cut potatoes. Return to a boil then strain potatoes in a colander. The potatoes will dry perfectly when you toss them in the colander a few times and steam escapes. When dry use very little oil and toss to coat. I have best results at 360 degrees for about 18 min.

I've found that steaming the potato in an Instant Pot some, letting it cool some (so it doesn't cling to the knife when cut), then cut into fries and finish in the air fryer is awesome. The air fryer does use less counter space than a toaster oven. Works for me.

Yes, we should have adopted the metric system here in the US 50 years ago, but we didn't, and since the audience for the times is mostly in the US, metric would at the least, annoy us.

Not Barry but: Cut 4 russet potatoes to an even 1/4-inch. Place potatoes and 2 tbls distilled white vinegar in a saucepan and add 2 qts water and 2 tbls (24g) salt. Bring to boil over high heat; boil for 10 min. Potatoes should be fully tender but not falling apart. Drain; spread on a paper towel–lined baking sheet; allow to dry for 5 min. Spray or gently toss with oil and fry 60 secs at 360˚; cool 30 min. Fry again at 360˚, 3.5-4 min or, best, freeze potatoes at least 8 hrs then fry.

We LOVE this recipe. We do an extra 5 min with each step bc we love extra crispy. And we put less salt bc it’s our preference. This is by far the best recipe out there fir air fryer fries!

Crispy and delicious. However, as a huge Melissa Clark fan (own several of her books), this recipe runs salty (1.5 tsp salt for one large potato). Using the term "large" is largely useless, as it is a relative term. Please provide weights. I would cut it down drastically - easier to add salt later according to taste. Lastly: 350 F is 180 C, and 400 F is 200 C. Most of the world is metric ... isn't it about time that the NYT realizes this fact?

I agree with the reader who says that this makes a ridiculously small quantity of fries. How many people are you planning to feed with one potato? After much experimentation, I found out that in my Cosori I can use up to 3 large potatoes IF: 1. I pre cook them in the microwave oven for 4-6 minutes (depending on wattage), 2. I crisp them in the air fryer for longer, making sure to toss multiple times.

The best potatoes for French fries (and mashing) are russet burbanks. If you buy potatoes that are labeled “russet” they are usually another variety which look prettier but don’t taste as good. I highly recommend purchasing russet burbanks if you can find them.

Recipe was great! Used Avocado Oil instead of olive and did both sweet potatoes and russets. The sweet potatoes take a slightly shorter cook time on the second cook, pull that back to 375º for eight minutes - but the russets worked perfectly at the suggested times and temps. Will definitely cook this again :)

I have a small cuisenart convection oven (same technology as an air fryer, more of a toaster oven look), and these temps were too high for my fries. I cut them to about the thickness of McDonald’s fries, or a bit thicker. They were brown and crispy after 10 min at 350F 6 minutes at 375F, no air drying in between. Next time I’ll probably cook them 10 min at 325F and up the temp to 350F for another 8-10 min. The thinner-sized fries had a better taste than the thicker fries.