This Extra Step Is the Trick for the Crispiest Potatoes in Your Air Fryer

Air fryers have emerged as one of the best small kitchen appliances in the last decade. They’re known for their fast cooking times and achieving a golden crispy coating on foods like Buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks without deep frying. While the air fryer excels at cooking frozen prepared food, it can also make from-scratch ingredients crisp in a way that often the oven simply cannot. But it’s not always as simple as dumping it all in the air fryer basket. Like when using the oven, some ingredients require an extra step for the best results. 

If you’ve ever made fresh-cut French fries or home fries in the air fryer, you may have noticed that they get puffy as they cook. This is because the outside of the potato is drying out while the inside is not yet tender, causing spotted, uneven browning. You don’t see this happen with frozen fries because those are typically precooked before packaging, so by the time you pop them into the air fryer, the fries are cooked in the center and ready to crisp.

The good news is that your homemade air-fried potatoes can achieve the same browning as their frozen counterparts with one additional step. And to get that perfectly golden brown exterior that you crave, all you’ll need is an extra 10 minutes. The result is worth the effort. Your reward is the crispiest, most delicious potatoes you’ve ever made.

How to Make the Crispiest Air Fryer Potatoes

Boiling your potatoes in salted water before adding them to the air fryer is a simple and effective way to achieve crispy potatoes. First, you’ll need to cut the potatoes. This method will only work for thick cuts such as steak fries, potato wedges, and baby potatoes. Place the potatoes into a saucepan and add enough water until it just covers them. Then, add one teaspoon of salt per pound of potatoes. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender and easily pierced with a fork but not falling apart. Fries, wedges, and cubed potatoes will take 3 to 4 minutes, while whole baby potatoes will take 5 to 7 minutes. Different types of potatoes, their cut, and even the pan you use can impact these times, so check on them frequently and adjust as needed.

Once the potatoes have boiled, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon or a handheld strainer, carefully avoiding breakage. Place the potatoes into the preheated air fryer basket and gently pat them dry with a paper towel. There’s one more step you don’t want to skip–add a spritz of oil. While it’s true that air fryers require much less oil than deep fryers, a light coating of oil is necessary to avoid dried-out potatoes. The oil will also seal in moisture and promote browning. Finally, add your preferred dry seasoning and air fry the potatoes at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C) until they’re golden brown and crispy. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes but can be slightly less for smaller cuts. Let them cool for a few minutes to reach their full, crispy potential.

We don’t know about you, but this extra step is a no-brainer for the best, crispiest French fries!