Golden, crunchy fries with fluffy centres and none of the splattering mess of deep-frying: russet potatoes are cut into slim sticks, lightly coated in oil and a simple paprika-garlic seasoning, then air-fried until crisp. A bowl of ketchup for dunking is non-negotiable.
Ingredients
1 lb russet potatoes (2 large or 3 medium); 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste; 1/8 tsp ground black pepper; 1/8 tsp garlic powder; 1/8 tsp paprika; chopped fresh parsley, to garnish (optional); ketchup, to serve.
Method
Scrub the potatoes well — the skins can stay on for extra flavour, texture, and fibre — and cut them into even 1/4-inch sticks so they all cook at the same rate. Rinse the cut fries under cold water to wash away surface starch, which helps them crisp, then pat them completely dry with paper towels. Tip the fries into a large bowl, drizzle over the olive oil, and toss to coat, then sprinkle over the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika and toss again until every stick is seasoned — do this seasoning step right before cooking, because salt left sitting draws out moisture. Spread the fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket without crowding them and cook in a basket-style air fryer at 380°F for 10 minutes, then toss or shake the fries and cook for 6–10 minutes more until deeply golden and crisp; in a toaster-oven-style air fryer use 360°F instead. Scatter with parsley if you like and serve straight away, hot, with ketchup for dunking.
Tips
Dry fries crisp and wet fries steam, so pat them thoroughly after rinsing; never overcrowd the basket — cook in two batches in a smaller air fryer, then return everything to the basket for 2 minutes to re-warm together; the second batch cooks a little faster because the basket is already hot; cut the fries ahead and keep them submerged in cold water in the fridge, then drain and dry well before cooking; Yukon Gold potatoes give a creamier centre if you prefer them to russets; change up the seasoning with steak seasoning, taco seasoning, or Old Bay; leftovers keep 3–5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer and re-crisp beautifully back in the air fryer.
