Restaurant quality air fryer frozen french fries tossed in delicious garlic butter and parmesan cheese. They are crispy and golden on the outside and soft on the inside, like they just came out of the deep fryer!
Air fryer frozen French fries
What I love most about air fryer frozen french fries is that you're able to achieve deep fryer quality results without the hassle. Plus, they're healthier this way, and you don't have to leave home to get restaurant quality results.
And trust me, they taste much better than frozen fries cooked in the oven. There's just something about the magic of an air fryer!
All you need is an air fryer and a little olive oil cooking spray to make the fries crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. But, to really make restaurant quality fries at home, upgrade them to garlic parmesan fries! With only a few ingredients that you likely already have in your home, you can take boring frozen fries and quickly turn them into something finger licking delicious!
Why you'll love this recipe
- No more boring frozen fries at home. Tossing fries in garlic parmesan adds much delicious flavor, quickly elevating your at home frozen french fry experience!
- Better for you. Air fryer fries are much healthier for you than those fried in oil.
- So easy to make. The air fryer perfectly cooks fries in about 15 minutes, and while they cook, the garlic parmesan butter comes together in just 5 minutes.
- Restaurant quality. Eating fries at home doesn't mean you should sacrifice on taste! The air fryer gets the fries nice and crispy and the garlic parmesan butter makes them taste like restaurant quality fries.
Ingredients
- Frozen french fries. Alexia is my favorite brand of frozen fries. I like to use their house cut fries for this recipe. But, any frozen french fries will work great!
- Cooking oil spray. I prefer to use olive oil cooking spray.
- Butter. I like to use salted butter for extra flavor, but unsalted will also work.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic cloves are best for this recipe.
- Parmesan. I recommend freshly grating a parmesan cheese wedge or using grated parmesan. I don't recommend buying pre-shredded parmesan, as it won't hold to the fries as nicely.
- Salt. Preferably sea salt.
- Fresh chives. Optional for garnish.
How to make frozen French fries in the air fryer
Making frozen french fries in the air fryer is so easy and quick! With a little help from olive oil cooking spray, you're able to achieve restaurant quality fries at home that are better for you! Scroll down to recipe card for the full recipe.
- Preheat the air fryer. I like to preheat the air fryer just like you would an oven, so it's nice and toasty once the fries go in.
- Add the fries. When air frying fries, there will always be some overlap and that's OK. For reference, I cook about 1 pound of frozen fries at one time in a 6-quart air fryer.
- Cook the fries. Spray the fries with olive oil cooking spray and cook for about 15 minutes. It's important to shake the basket of fries halfway through the cook time to ensure the fries all cook evenly since there will be some overlapping. I also like to spray the fries with more olive oil cooking spray halfway through the cook time. The oil helps the fries gets crispy.
- Garlic parmesan fries. Once the fries finish cooking, toss the hot fries with garlic butter and sprinkle with parmesan and salt.
Air fryer cook time based on types of frozen fries
There are quite a few different cuts of French fries, and they all cook a little different based on how thick the fries are and how they are cut. For this recipe, I like to use standard straight cut frozen fries. But, here's some approximate cook times for different types of frozen french fries. Remember to always shake the basket of fries halfway through the cook time to ensure they all cook evenly.
- Shoestring fries: 8-10 minutes
- Curly fries: 10-12 minutes
- Crinkle fries: 12-15 minutes
- Lattice/waffle fries: 12-15 minutes
- Sweet potato fries: 15-18 minutes
- Steak fries: 15-18 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook store bought frozen French fries in an air fryer?
Yes, cooking store bought frozen french fries in the air fryer works great! An air fryer makes frozen fries soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Air frying frozen fries only takes about 15 minutes.
What temperature do you air fry frozen French fries?
I recommend cooking frozen french fries in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
What is the best air fryer for French fries?
There are a lot of great air fryers on the market. I recommend one that has at least a 6-quart basket if you're cooking for more than one person. Here are a some air fryers with great reviews: Ultrean 6-quart air fryer, Corori 5.8 quart air fryer, Instant Vortex 6-quart air fryer, and Gourmia 7-quart air fryer (the brand I own).
What are the best frozen French fries?
Alexia is my favorite brand of frozen fries. I like to use their house cut fries for this recipe. But, any frozen french fries will work great!
Storage & Reheating.
Storing cooked french fries.
French fries don't store and reheat very well, but if you would like to store them, I recommend storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating french fries.
As stated above, french fries don't reheat very well, but here is the best way to do it! Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees and cook the fries for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through. Watch closely, so they don't over quick and get too crispy, as this can happen quickly when reheating fries. Halfway through reheating, give the fries a shake, so they reheat evenly.
Tips & Tricks.
- Don't crowd the air fryer. It's okay for frozen french fries to overlap a little in the air fryer, but you also don't want too many fries. When using a 6-quart air fryer, I recommend cooking no more than 1 pound of frozen fries at a time.
- Shake the fries. Because there will be some overlap when air frying frozen fries, it's important to pull out the basket and shake the fries around so they are all able to cook evenly. I recommend doing this 1-2 times throughout the cooking process.
- Use cooking oil spray. Cooking oil spray prevents sticking and also helps the fries get crispy. Before putting the fries in the basket, spray the air fryer tray with cooking oil, then add the fries and spray the fries with cooking oil. I like to use olive oil cooking spray.
- Adjust the cook time depending on the style of fries. If you're using skinny shoestring fries, then I recommend reducing the cook time by a coupe minutes. For thicker fries like steak fries, add on a couple minutes to the cook time.
- Freshly shredded parmesan cheese. I love to garnish the fries with freshly shredded parmesan cheese because it gets warm and melty on the hot fries. You can swap the grated parmesan for freshly shredded parmesan, if desired. I do not recommend buying/using pre-shredded parmesan cheese - it doesn't melt as nicely. Instead, buy a block of parmesan cheese and shred it yourself.
Recommended recipes
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Garlic Parmesan Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen french fries straight cut
- olive oil cooking spray
- salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons parmesan grated
- optional garnish: freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Once preheated, spray the air fryer tray with cooking oil, then add the frozen fries. Some overlap is OK. Spray the fries with cooking oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Set the air fryer to cook for 10 minutes, then shake the basket of fries and spray with more cooking oil. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until crispy.
- During the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, prepare the garlic butter. In a small pot, heat together the butter and garlic over medium heat, about 2 minutes, or until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Using a large bowl, drizzle the fries with the garlic butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and salt. Toss to coat the fries.
- Transfer the fries to serving dish and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and chives. Serve with ranch for dipping.
Notes
- Parmesan cheese: I love to garnish the fries with freshly shredded parmesan cheese because it gets warm and melty on the hot fries. You can swap the grated parmesan for freshly shredded parmesan, if desired. I do not recommend buying/using pre-shredded parmesan cheese - it doesn't melt as nicely. Instead, buy a block of parmesan cheese and shred it yourself.
- Use cooking oil spray: Spraying the fries with oil make them crispy and gives them a similar taste and texture to deep fried french fries that you get at a restaurant.
- Shake the basket. Since the fries will be slightly overlapping, it's important to shake the basket of fries halfway through the cook time to ensure they all cook evenly.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
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