See my guide on how to use an Air Fryer.

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries are an easy, deliciously crispy side dish! Learn how to air fry frozen French fries, with cook times for different fry shapes.

Shoestring, crinkle cut and waffle cut fries served with small dish of ketchup.

We love cooking French fries in the air fryer. It’s one of the best ways to make hot, crispy fries at home. I usually like to make homemade Air Fryer French Fries, but sometimes, with five young kids to take care of, there’s just not time. That’s where these air fryer frozen fries come in.

Cooking frozen fries in the air fryer is as easy as pouring the fries into the preheated air fryer basket, setting the cook time, and then giving the basket a shake every 5 minutes or so to ensure that the fries cook evenly. That’s it! You can cook any shape of fry that you like, and I’ve included the cook times for different French fry shapes below. (I’ve found that those air fryer cook times listed on the frozen fry packages aren’t always very accurate.)

You’re going to love having this recipe on hand on those super busy nights. And when you have a little more time to spend in the kitchen, try these homemade air fryer fries recipes: Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer Potato Wedges (perfect steak fries) and Air Fryer Zucchini Fries.

Cooked frozen french fries in air fryer basket.

How to Air Fry Frozen French Fries

Cooking frozen French fries in the air fryer couldn’t be easier! Here’s a look at the steps:

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400° F for 5 minutes.
  2. Arrange the fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
  3. Cook at 400° F until hot and crispy, shaking the air fryer basket every 5-6 minutes.

Find the full recipe, including cook times, in the recipe card below. If you’re new to air fryer cooking, see my How to Use an Air Fryer guide.

Air fried frozen french fries served with ketchup with one fry in ketchup dish.

How Long to Air Fry Frozen French Fries

The cook time will depend on the type of fries, how full the basket is, and can also vary between air fryer models.

I have found that the air fryer cook times given on bags of frozen French fries are usually not quite long enough to make the fries crispy. A few extra minutes can make all the difference in giving you the crispiest fries.

I’ve tested different types of fries in my 5.8 quart basket-style air fryer, and here are the cook times that work for me:

  • Regular French Fries: 13-18 minutes
  • Crinkle Cut Fries: 11-13 minutes
  • Waffle Fries: 14-16 minutes
  • Sweet Potato Fries: 12-14 minutes
Crinkle cut, waffle and regular frozen french fries cooked in air fryer.

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries Recipe Tips

  • Preheat the air fryer so that the fries start cooking as soon as they hit the hot basket.
  • For the crispiest fries, put them in a single layer in the air fryer basket. This allows the hot air to best circulate around each fry. If you want to cook more fries at once and are ok with them being slightly less crispy, you can stack them on top of each other, just don’t fill the basket too full.
  • Crinkle cut fries need to be in a single layer or they won’t get crispy. 
  • If you are cooking more than one batch of fries, once they’re all done you can put all of the fries back in the air fryer at once and air fry for about 2 minutes to get them hot again before serving.
  • If you’d like to add additional seasonings to the fries (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun Seasoning, etc.) you can sprinkle them on after cooking, to taste.

Dipping Sauces

Serve your French fries with ketchup, BBQ Sauce, Ranch Dressing or Honey Mustard.

French fries served with small dish of ketchup.

More Air Fryer Recipes

Air fryer frozen French fries are a delicious, easy addition to your favorite meals. Try them with Instant Pot BBQ Chicken, Turkey Burgers or Air Fryer Hamburgers.

Crinkle cut, waffle and regular air fryer frozen french fries served with ketchup.

Air Fryer Frozen French Fries

Servings: 5 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Air Fryer Frozen French Fries cook up nice and crispy with golden brown edges. They're an easy, almost no effort side dish that's perfect for busy days. See below for cook times for different fry shapes.
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Ingredients

  • 16 ounce bag frozen French fries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat air fryer to 400° F for 5 minutes.
  • Arrange fries in a single layer in the air fryer basket. (Cook in batches as needed.)*
  • Cook at 400° F until hot and crispy, tossing the basket every 5-6 minutes to help the fries cook and crisp evenly:
    Regular French Fries: 13-18 minutes
    Crinkle Cut Fries: 11-13 minutes
    Waffle Cut Fries: 14-16 minutes
    Sweet Potato Fries: 12-14 minutes
  • Serve fries immediately. If cooking in batches, you can put all of the cooked fries back in the air fryer at once and air fry for about 2 minutes to get them hot again before serving.

Notes

  • For the crispiest fries, cook them in a single layer in the basket. If you want to cook more fries at once and are ok with them being slightly less crispy, you can stack them on top of each other, just don’t fill the basket too full. Crinkle cut fries need to be in a single layer or they won’t get crispy.
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Side Dish, Snack
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