These Air Fryer Parmesan Fries are perfectly crispy, loaded with seasonings and cheese, and they’re easy to make for a weeknight dinner. A total win!
I love making French fries in the air fryer, but when I want to fancy things up a bit, these Air Fryer Parmesan Fries are my go-to. They’re super easy to make, and they come out perfectly crispy every single time.
Plus, the Parmesan cheese and seasonings give them so much flavor that you won’t even need to pair them with ketchup! (Although you may still want to whip up a batch of fry sauce—I mean, it’s pretty irresistible!)
Easy Air Fryer Parmesan Fries Recipe
While you can get decent fries in the oven, up until recently the only way to get crispy homemade fries was by deep frying them.
The air fryer is a total game-changer because it lets you make fries that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside without having to use a quart of oil and a deep fryer. We love that, right?!!
If you love air fryer French fries, be sure to try these air fryer recipes too: Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprouts, Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken, and Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs.
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Russet potatoes – I recommend leaving the skins on for this recipe.
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder – Or you can use a minced garlic clove.
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan
Optional choices for serving:
- Ketchup or burger sauce, ranch dressing, sour cream
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Parmesan Fries in an Air Fryer
1. Prepare
Preheat your air fryer to 400ºF for the amount of time indicated in the manufacturer instructions (mine heats up in 5 minutes). Wash and dry the potatoes, then cut them into 1/4-inch wide strips.
2. Soak the Potatoes
In a large mixing bowl, soak the potatoes in room temperature water for 15-30 minutes, then rinse and dry them with paper towels or a kitchen towel. This step helps get rid of the excess starch in the potatoes so they’re crispier!
3. Season the Potatoes
Wipe the bowl dry, then add the potato strips back to it, along with the oil and spices. (Alternatively, you can use a zip-lock bag for this and shake everything together.) Massage the potatoes, coating them evenly with the oil and seasonings.
4. Cook the Fries
Place the fries in the basket and air fry for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through a couple of times to ensure even frying. Cook the fries in batches if needed to avoid crowding the air fryer basket.
Tip: The fries will be crispy and cooked through when they’re done. If, after 25 minutes, the fries are not crispy, fry them for a few more minutes. If the fries are cut too thin or the ends are too narrow, they will burn, which is why it’s important to cut them into even sizes!
5. Finish
Transfer the hot fries to a shallow bowl, then add the salt, Parmesan, and any other seasonings and toss to coat. Serve as-is, with your favorite dipping sauce, or with a drizzle of truffle oil.
Serving Suggestions
I like pairing these Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries with the following dishes:
How to Store Leftover Air Fryer Parmesan Fries
Leftover fries can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to reheat them, just pop them back into a 400ºF air fryer for a few minutes until they’re crispy again.
FAQs
It depends on the seasoning! Herbs and Parmesan are best added after the fries are done cooking, while spices like garlic and onion powder, along with salt and black pepper, can be added before. Taste the fries when they’re done and add more salt and seasonings to taste.
I generally cook my fries at 400ºF in the air fryer, but it really depends on how crispy you like your fries. If you like them very crispy, you can cook them at a higher temperature. If you prefer them to be a little softer, then cook them at a lower temperature. Keep in mind that the cooking time will also vary depending on how crispy and browned you want your fries.
I like to cut my potatoes into strips rather than wedges so they cook more evenly, but you can really cut them however you like. Just keep in mind that the smaller you cut them, the faster they’ll cook.
More Potato Side Dishes
Air Fryer Parmesan Fries
Ingredients
- 2 medium to large russet potatoes leave the skins on
- 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or more if needed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder for deeper flavor, use 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt 1 teaspoon for 1 potato
- pepper to taste
- parmesan
Optional choices for serving:
- ketchup or burger sauce ranch dressing, sour cream
- parsley
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 F according to manufacturer instructions. (Mine was 400 F for 5 minutes) Cosori 5.8 quart
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut them in ¼ inch wide strips and then each strip into ¼ inch wide strips.
- In a large bowl soak the potato strips in room temperature water for 15-30 minutes. (I haven’t seen much of a difference in the final result when soaking for 30 minutes or 2 hours!)
- Wash the potatoes again and dry them properly.
- In a large bowl combine potato strips, oil, and spices (or you can use a zip lock bag for this). Massage the potatoes to ensure they are coated entirely. However you can add more seasonings once fries are cooked.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, transfer the fries into the basket and air fry for 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through a couple of times to ensure even frying.
- The fries should be crispy and cooked through. If by this time fries are not crispy, fry for more minutes. If fries are cut too thin or the ends are too narrow they will get charred rather quickly. The end result: the exterior of fries are slightly browned and crispy, softer potato texture on the inside.
- Transfer the hot fries into a shallow bowl, add salt, parmesan and toss/shake well. You can add more onion powder here as well. Enjoy with dipping sauces.
Notes
- You can use as little as 1 tablespoons of oil or use a little more. I find the fries slightly crispier and flavorful when using oil but you can use even less for an air fryer.
- Season the fries with salt before air frying but add more salt (preferably sea salt) after frying. More flavor and fries soak up the salty flavor better after frying.
- Fried food generally doesn’t reheat well. But with air fryer you can reheat them once if they got cold (on the same day of making). Reheat in preheated air fryer at 400 F for 3-5 minutes.
I threw my air fryer in the trash. now only deep fry.