4 Rules for Making Perfect Frozen French Fries in an Air Fryer - CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Don't just dump them in the basket and walk away. Here's how to get the crispiest air fryer fries ever.

The crispiest air fryer french fries are less than 20 minutes away.

A craving for hot, crispy French fries usually means heading to a restaurant. If I want to enjoy those fries in the comfort of my own home, there's always delivery -- but fries become tepid and soggy during their trip to my door. Here's where my air fryer saves the day.

Sure, I could preheat the oven, but that feels like a lot for just a pan of fries, especially in the summer when my kitchen is already sweltering. I could bake up a little batch in my toaster oven, but it doesn't create the crunch I want. Luckily, transforming humble frozen foods like French fries into hot, crispy bites of deliciousness with minimal time and mess is exactly what the air fryer was made for.

To make French fries in an air fryer, all you need is a bag of frozen French fries, a staple in my freezer that's perfect for busy dinners during the week and late-night cravings alike. Crinkle-cut, shoestring, waffle, curly -- whatever your favorite shape, it'll work.

Here's how I make French fries in the air fryer for a perfectly crispy result every time.

A few techniques help me get the most out of my air fryer when I'm cooking up frozen goodies like French fries, chicken tenders and tater tots.

You don't need to preheat the air fryer but it will result in crispier fries.

The hotter your air fryer is when you add your fries, the more golden brown and crisp they'll become. Not every air fryer has a preheat function, but you can run yours for about five minutes at the desired temperature to get the chamber nice and hot before you add the food.

A very light spritz of oil will ensure your air fryer fries don't dry out.

Some people swear by spraying a little of your go-to cooking oil, like canola, olive or avocado, into the basket and over frozen French fries before air frying. The idea is that the extra oil helps the food brown and crisp up. You don't need to go nuts with oil, but a light coating helps seal the potato strings in a divinely crispy crust.

Try not to crowd your fries in the basket.

Air fryers create convection heat by using a fan (the noise you hear when you turn the machine on) to circulate air around the food, cooking it faster and creating that crunchy exterior we want. For convection cooking to work well, your French fries need to have as much surface area exposed as possible. That means loading up batches of fries in a single layer and leaving just a little space between each piece if possible. The result is tastier fries in a shorter cooking time.

Halfway through the cooking time, pull out your air fryer's basket and give it a good shake. This will help your French fries brown more evenly. Try to get the fries back in a single layer before popping the basket back in and finishing the process.

You can make an equally fantastic burger in the air fryer.

In my world, a pile of fries served alongside a salad with a zippy vinaigrette needs no other accompaniment (except maybe a glass of wine). If you're looking to round out your meal or feed a crowd, consider serving air fryer French fries with this easy 45-minute roast chicken or this 10-minute salmon recipe (both made in the air fryer, natch).

You can even cook up air fryer bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs, or chicken thighs to accompany your French fries. Add some veggies to the plate by air-frying Brussels sprouts, cauliflower steaks, broccoli florets or shishito peppers.

The cook time for air fryer French fries depends on the temperature. At 400 degrees Fahrenheit, fries usually take 15 to 20 minutes to cook.

Yes, you can air fry frozen French fries straight from the bag. Preheat the basket and avoid overcrowding for best results.