Air Fryer Crispy Fries

Ingredients

• 3 medium potatoes, cut into 1 cm sticks
• ½ tsp paprika (optional)
• Chaat masala, to finish (optional)
• 1 tbsp oil, salt

Steps

1. Cut the potatoes into even 1 cm sticks so every piece cooks at the same rate.
2. Drop them into a bowl of cold water and let them soak for 20-30 minutes to rinse off the surface starch.
3. Drain well, then spread on a kitchen towel and pat completely dry - wet potatoes steam instead of crisping.
4. Toss the dried sticks with the oil until every stick is lightly and evenly coated, with no dry patches.
5. Preheat the air fryer, then arrange the fries in a single layer, working in two batches if your basket is small - crowding is the main reason fries turn out soft.
6. Air fry at 190°C for the first 7 minutes.
7. Pull out the basket and shake well so the fries redistribute, then air fry another 7 minutes.
8. Shake once more and air fry the final 6 minutes (20 minutes total) until deep golden and crisp on the outside.
9. Tip one fry out and check it's crisp all the way through, not just on the surface, before pulling the rest.
10. Toss immediately with salt and paprika or chaat masala while still hot, so the seasoning sticks to the residual oil, and serve right away.

Tip: Don’t overfill the basket. Two batches give crispier fries than one crowded one.

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Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated from standard ingredient data — actual values vary by brand and exact quantities used.

Serving & Storage