Crispy Frozen French Fries Air Fryer

Ninja Foodi Frozen French fries

Are you ready to air fry everything?? I would say we are because we use our machine at least once a day, maybe more. This was one of the first in a journey of cooking frozen foods in our new hot air machine. We couldn’t stop once this was such a success.

We have been obsessed ever since our hot air machine arrived on our doorstep. We’ve made everything from air fryer carrot fries, to air fryer frozen chicken wings and the list goes on and on. It doesn’t matter what brand you have. A Foodie, Cosori, AirWave, they all basically work the same so get going y’all.

That is all you will need. Of course you’ll want to pair this with a meal most likely. Frozen fish in air fryer is yummy, or try one of our chicken recipes too. I mean they can just be a quick snack too.

My teens can make them without me which is nice. Just pop them in and they’re just as good as at a restaurant.

How Long to Cook Frozen French Fries in Air Fryer

Give or take 15 minutes depending on how many you add. They will get done faster if you add fewer and not overlap the pieces. Then the hot air can rotate around each one but always shake the basket halfway thru the timing.

What can you dip fries in besides ketchup?

Of course they are served with a variety of condiments, especially here in Idaho!! If you visit Boise Fry Co. out here they have a bar full of french fry dips. You could recreate this at home for a party too which would be fun including:

• fry sauce for French fries is our favorite
• curry sauce
• hot or chili sauce
• mustard
• mayonnaise

If you want to try something totally new you should give our bang bang sauce a whirl! I swear it is good on everything!

Air Fryer Crinkle Cut Fries

You can choose the straight or misshapen type like these. The thicker they are the longer they will take to cook thru to the middle though. Keep that in mind.

As far as dips once these are done the list goes on and on, and you don’t need anything per say. Love just salt on the top maybe dipped in a milkshake 😉 I mean anything goes but here are a few choices beyond that;

• honey mustard
• tartar sauce
• tzatziki
• garlic sauce
• ranch dressing

Knowing the correct air fryer frozen french fries cook time is easy with our air fryer cook time printable (linked above)! This free printable is key to knowing how long to cook brussel sprouts, air fryer kale chips and more perfectly.

Can I use frozen french fries in an air fryer?

These and air fryer potato wedges take a while longer to make, but give these a whirl too. I should’ve tried air fryer frozen french fries WAY sooner because they came out amazing.

How long does it take to cook frozen french fries in the air fryer?

About 15 minutes is perfect. Of course each brand is different, some are thicker than others and may take an extra minute or two. Yes you can put them on a baking sheet and into your oven but during the summertime I do NOT turn my oven on first of all.

Plus, the difference in crispiness between the two methods is HUGE I tell you. There’s no comparison if you ask us. Here we go with our batch for the afternoon y’all……

Do I need to defrost frozen French fries before frying?

When air frying French fries, do not let them thaw beforehand!! They should be kept completely frozen which guarantees that the surface of the potato is sealed during the cooking process, resulting in a crispy, high quality fry. This philosophy works for other things too, like air fryer fish sticks that are a game changer as well!

How to cook frozen foods in an air fryer

You can follow the temp and times in our air fryer cook time chart. This has been a game changer for us. Like making air fryer corn dogs instead of throwing them in the microwave, they’re SO much better!

What are the best frozen French fries?

Well, I think that is really subjective but I guess statistics can tell you which ones are the best sellers amongst them all.

• Ore-Ida Country Style Steak Fries come in at #1
• Alexia Seasoned Waffle Fries are next because of the seasoning on them which is great
• Ore-Ida Golden Twirls are fun especially with kids, in at #3
• Trader Joe’s Chipotle Ranch Fries are amazing if you can find them and like a bit of heat

Many of these brands have other things you’ll love too like onion rings and more. Like I said, I really like this extra crispy style, I found these at our local grocery store. 

Frozen French Fried Potatoes

Air fried french fries

When cooking frozen french fries it is all about short stints of time and a few shakes of the basket throughout the 15 minute cook time.

Oil added near the end will ensure they crisp up to perfection and taste like deep frying too. If you don’t want to make homemade french fries in oven is a great second best. First preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.

• Pour half your bag into the air fryer basket, spread out so they’re not overlapping or very little.
• Close lid and air fry at 400 for 5 minutes, then shake the basket and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Then shake the basket again, spray top layer of fries with olive oil spray, sprinkle with salt and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• If you wanted it to be a little less time intensive you could cook for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

This timing and steps make perfectly cooked fries for us, if you want to make them REALLY crispy add 2 minutes at the end.  Once you’re done with these you should try our air fryer potstickers, and fun frozen mozzarella sticks in air fryer too.

How to cook frozen french fries in Ninja foodi

Use the same directions in the printable recipe card below. The button says air crisp which is the same as fry.

I would highly recommend you get an appliance specifically for air frying vs. the Instant Pot CrispLid device. They work much better for making dinners and side dishes on a regular basis and getting all edges really crispy.

Are frozen french fries already cooked?

In fact, bagged frozen fries have already been cooked, twice in fact. They’re cooked in the factory first where the potatoes are blanched in hot water, then fried in vegetable oil.

Can frozen fries go bad?

No matter which brand you buy the safe freezer time is the same. A bag of frozen french fries will last for approximately 10 to 12 months if sealed properly in an airtight bag or container.

Ninja Foodi Frozen French Fries