How To Make Crispy Frozen Chips in the Air Fryer (2024)

Can you cook frozen chips in the air fryer? Absolutely! Perfectly golden brown fries that are crisp on the outside and tender in the center; perfect for dipping and satisfying your craving!

Why you’ll love this recipe

Quick and easy – These frozen fries cook up fast in the air fryer and all you have to do is dump them in! No peeling, parboiling, or cutting!

Healthier – Air fryers use way less oil than traditional cooking methods and are therefore healthier than deep frying.

Perfect every time – Every time I air fry frozen chips they come out perfectly crisp on the outside and tender in the middle.

Any chips work – There are loads of different sizes and shapes of chips you can try in your air fryer, though you may have to adjust the cooking time to get them perfectly golden and crisp on the outside.

Love using the airfryer? Try these easy recipes ; Frozen Jacket Potato in Air Fryer, and Airfryer Hash Browns and Frozen Roast Potatoes

Why cook frozen chips in an air fryer?

Air fryers are healthier than deep frying because they use significantly less oil. Even if you add extra oil to the french fries before you air fry them, they still come out healthier and with less oil than if you had deep fried them.

Air fryer frozen chips are also done faster than if you cook them in the oven. Don’t be confused if your bag of frozen chips says “oven chips”, they are perfectly suitable for the air fryer and come out tasting much better than if they had been cooked in the oven.

The best frozen chips for the air fryer are any store bought brand such as McCains, Aunt Bessie, Sainsbury, Asda, or Tesco.

How long do frozen chips cook in the air fryer?

A normal sized chip will cook in about 20 minutes in the air fryer, however if the chips are larger or smaller, then the time may change.

For thicker chips like steak, wedges, or homestyle, then add an additional 5-10 minutes or keep an eye on them and take them out once they are golden brown.

Thinner chips like French fries which I made take 10 minutes, or waffle cut, curly cut and even some small crinkle cut chips may need around 10 to 15 minutes in the air fryer. Again, look for that golden brown color and then take them out.If they don’t feel crisp enough, put them back in for a few more minutes.

How do you make frozen chips crispy in the air fryer?

To make sure you get crispy frozen chips or frozen french fries in the air fryer, make sure the chips are not thawed.If they thaw out, that can cause soggy fries.

Another way to make sure your air fryer chips come out crispy is to make sure the temperature is high enough. If the temperature is too low, or you do not preheat the air fryer, your chips could defrost and not crisp up.

The last thing to remember is that cooking in the air fryer requires the air to be able to circulate the oil around the food. If you add too many chips, this cannot happen. Be sure to place one spaced out layer of fries in the air fryer basket at a time. You may have to cook them in batches.

As an additional step, you can try spritzing the fries with a little bit of oil before they go into the air fryer. This may help them to crisp up.

Serve these airfryer fries with my ; Perfect Pan Fried Cod Recipe, Salmon Tray bake with Asparagus or Frozen Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer

Ingredients

Variations/ Adaptations

One of my favorite things about French fries is that they come in many different styles. From seasoned curly fries to steak fries to waffle fries, all give a different texture and experience andl can be cooked in the air fryer.

But the other thing about chips is that they taste great with different seasonings, melted cheese on top, used in different dips, and with a nice garlic or truffle oil on top. They are so versatile and fun to eat!

Here are some yummy side dishes for you to try ; The Crispiest Halloumi Fries, Easy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Recipe and Onion Gravy

How to make Airfryer French Fries

*Depending on the size of the chips, cook times will change eg French fries taking 10 minutes, normal sized chips 20 minutes and uncooked, thick potato wedges cook time up to 25 to 30 minutes.

Preheat air fryer to 400℉ (200℃)

1. Place frozen French fries in the air fryer in one single layer, making sure there is no overlapping (Image 1).
2. Cook for 5 minutes and after this time, give the tray a shake to move the chips around (Image 2).

3. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until the fries are golden browned and crispy to your liking (Image 3).

4. Remove from the airfryer tray and enjoy! (Image 4).

Here are some other main dish recipes, to serve with the fries : Chicken Salad Bowls, Chicken Pot Pie with a stuffing crust and Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Serving Suggestions

Ketchup
Spicy ketchup
Tartar sauce
Truffle Oil
Frozen Burgers in the Air Fryer

Try these other yummy side dishes: The Best Roasted Parsnips, Creamed Cabbage and The Best Buttered Sauteed Leeks

FAQs