What is an air fryer?

An air fryer uses a fan to circulate super hot air around food at a high rate of speed. This allows me to use very little oil and still obtain the browning I'd get from deep frying. The food goes in a cooking basket, set inside a drip tray. A heating element sits at the top - and a fan circulates that heated air around the food.

Are these fries healthier than deep fried French fries?

There is nothing inherently unhealthy about potatoes. And extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthier cooking oils. Plus there's only 1/2 tablespoon of oil per serving. Therefore, from my very unscientific viewpoint, it stands to reason that eating a serving or two of air fried French fries is about as healthy as eating a baked potato drizzled in olive oil. I'd say it mainly comes down to portion control.

Why are some fries burned and some still raw?

One of the biggest hurdles I faced when cooking with an air fryer the first couple of times was overloading the basket with too much food. The heated air can't cook what it doesn't touch. Therefore, I don't recommend loading the cooking basket to the brim. Also, in the case of these fries, I open the basket every 5 minutes or so and shake it so everything cooks evenly.

The Best Air Fryer French Fries

Name: Air Fryer Salt And Pepper French Fries
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick sticks; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; salt and pepper, to taste; 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Description

It’s deceptively easy to make the best fries at home from scratch. No trickery. I just use quality ingredients and an air fryer.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 pound Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick sticks
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat. Set air fryer to 360º and preheat the cooking basket for 3 minutes.
Preseason potatoes. Toss the sliced potato sticks with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Air fry. Pull out the basket and add fries. Close the Air Fryer and set the timer to 15 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes to help the fries cook evenly. If the fries are still gold and shiny, cook in additional increments of 3-5 minutes (and shake the basket each time you open it). The fries are ready when they are a rich golden brown.
Season and serve. Season with more salt and pepper and top with chopped parsley.

Notes

Leftover fries can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days – but they will lose their crispness.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 239
Sugar: 1.4g
Sodium: 11.3mg
Fat: 7.2g
Saturated Fat: 1.1g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 41g
Fiber: 2.9g
Protein: 4.9g
Cholesterol: 0mg