Air Fryer Garlic Fries

These air fryer garlic fries are perfectly crisp and loaded with cheese and garlic! Naturally grain-free and gluten-free.

Like I mentioned in my last post, these Air Fryer Baked Apples, I am in love with my air fryer. Not because I’m trying to avoid oil (I’m happy loading my food with healthy fats!), but because it heats up so quickly and is super energy efficient.

While you can find some frozen French fries without a long list of less-than-desirable ingredients, most brands contain stuff I’d prefer to avoid. So let’s make some homemade air fryer fries!

These fries were made in a PowerXL Vortex Air Fryer- 7qt, and all of the fries fit easily in there. You don’t need to put them in one flat layer, provided you shake the basket well a few times as they cook. 

What type of potato to use

Russet potatoes would be the classic choice. Most restaurants use those.

Yukon Gold potatoes also work and some people prefer their more buttery and sweeter taste. But the interior won’t be as fluffy as with Russet potatoes!

Red potatoes will not work. Don’t try that. If you need to use up some of those, try these amazing Red-skinned Mashed Potatoes.

If you have another type of potato that you’d like to use, google whether or not it’s good for French fries. I accidentally used the wrong potatoes the first time I made these fries and the result was awful.

Do I have to soak the potatoes?

Kinda. The potatoes won’t crisp up nicely if you don’t. Soaking them helps them release some of their starch, which helps them crisp up.

Then you’ve got yourself some French fries that are crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside. They’ll be a bit soggy and floppy without soaking.

Can I skip patting the potatoes dry?

Nope. If you don’t pat them dry with some paper towels or a clean tea towel, then the olive oil won’t stick to the potatoes. If the olive oil doesn’t stick to the potatoes, then you’ll have soggy fries.

What kind of oil to use

The best oils to use in your air fryer are:

• avocado oil
• extra light olive oil
• light olive oil
• peanut oil
• grapeseed oil
• sesame oil
• refined safflower oil
• sunflower oil

For this recipe, anything except avocado and sesame oil would be best due to their neutral taste. Some people like to use avocado oil for their fries, but I personally don’t like the taste.

Why can’t I use whatever oil I want?

The above oils have high smoke points. Other oils with lower smoke points, such as regular olive oil and extra virgin olive oil, lose many of their nutritional benefits if cooked at high temperatures.

You also don’t want to have any smoking issues. Air fryers have the heating elements or coils close to the food. If the oil and food start smoking… that’d be bad.

That said, I see a ton of air fryer French fry recipes calling for extra virgin olive oil. I’m guessing that if all you have is extra-virgin olive oil, you can still use it without issue. 

Trying to avoid oil?

If that’s you, I highly recommend getting an oil mister. Two or three pumps of oil using an oil mister is enough for these French fries.

The cheese

If you don’t want to use cheese, just omit it. I list Parmesan as the first cheese option in the recipe because that’s what almost everyone has on hand, but I much prefer Pecorino Romano.

Definitely give it a try if you haven’t already! I also used it in this Healthy Cajun Chicken Pasta and Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese.

The sweet chili ketchup

With all the garlic and cheese, I actually enjoy these fries most served without any condiments. But you can, of course, serve these fries with whatever you like on your fries.

If you want something a little different, try the sweet chili ketchup recipe below. For that, you need, ketchup, basil and sweet chili sauce. It’s super easy.

You can find sweet chili sauce in the international section of most full-sized grocery stores. It’s not super spicy, though, so if that’s what you’re after, you can add a little sriracha.

If you want to avoid store-bought ketchup, try my Homemade Ketchup!

Let me know if you try these air fryer French fries! I’d love to hear what you think about them.