serious eats air fryer french fries

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve the fries alongside your favorite dipping sauces. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining avocado slices. The best part? Serve with any. Add the French fries to the basket of the air fryer. For this recipe, avoid using yellow or other waxy potatoes. It did everything well (air frying, toasting, baking) and had a spacious air fryer basket. We Tested 8 Air Fryer Toaster Ovens to Find Out Which Ones Were Worth It, The Criteria: What to Look for in an Air Fryer. Its max temperature was 450, which is 50 degrees higher than the other standalone air fryers in this review. If you continue to have issues, please contact us here. Season: Add potatoes to a Ziploc bag. Serve with burgers, steak, or chicken with something to dip them in, like honey mustard, spicy ketchup, or garlic aioli. I wanted to get fries from the store in their fully frozen state so that I could examine their surface for clues on how they were parcooked, as well as attempt to fry them myself at home to discover if there is any secret in the fry oil in the shops. If pectin has broken down too much before the starch granules have had a chance to burst and release their sticky innards, your potatoes will either fail to form a crust, will fall apart before it gets a chance to, or in the worst case will cook up completely hollow, like this: Pre-cooking the fries in a water bath the way McDonald's does accomplishes two goals. Photo: Cadry's Kitchen. Preheat the air fryer to 360 F. Toss the cornstarch, paprika, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Reheat in an air fryer at 350F until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Heat the air fryer to 350 degrees, if preheating is necessary. Sprinkle cornstarch and seasonings over top and shake to coat. An air fryer is a countertop kitchen appliance that uses convection to circulate hot air (and, in some cases, oil) around food in order to cook it. 2023 Warner Bros. In our testing, we found they browned and crisped food easily, thoroughly, and quickly. Next, I moved on to chicken wings, turning to Ben Mimss cookbook Air Fry Every Day (Clarkson Potter, 2018) for guidance. If it sounds too good to be true, well, maybe it is. The fries will not cook evenly. For their size, we expected the dual-basket air fryers to effectively cook a lot more food than they did. Now the problem is, in order to get the ideal crust, all three of these elements must be in the proper balance, and the proper state. To find the best models, we tested more than 15 popular air fryers: using them to cook frozen fries, homemade fries, and chicken wings. After air frying nearly a dozen batches using different techniques, I found that cooking them in stages at two different temperatures (350 degrees, then 400) yielded a solid A-minus batch of fries: not as good as deep-fried, but better than my oven-baked fries, and easy enough for a Tuesday at home when the craving struck. SAUCE, PLEASE. TIPS FOR MAKING FROZEN FRENCH FRIES IN AIR FRYER Shake Them! Its all-over perforated basket aids in browning with minimal tossing. Frozen french fries are a convenient snack food and a total crowd-pleaser. The fries tasted nearly identical to those that come from McDonald's. Great cooks know why. See these air-fried wings? There are a few factors that go into making a perfect fry: In order to achieve this crispness, the surface structure of a fry must be riddled with micro-bubbles. Serious Eats. Season with salt and toss to coat again. ", Time for some intimidation tactics: "Ok. Could I speak to the manager please? These cells are held together by pectin, a form of sugar that acts as a type of glue. The bendy fry pictured above fails that test. The best air fryers are equipped with wide, tall baskets, make well-browned food, have handles that stay cool to the touch, and have intuitive, easily legible controls. It had a large capacity and an intuitive digital control panel with a knob that made adjusting the time and temperature easy. You should not expect deep-fried results, nor will you ever be able to achieve the ultra-crispy wings, fries, etc. It crisped up food nicely in every test, had a responsive touchscreen, and was one of the quieter models we tested. Additionally, we recently tested more air fryers at our Lab, including the newer version of one of our favorite models from Cosori. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Perfect Fry Factor #1: The exterior must be very crisp, but not tough. Starch Madness Is Back And It's No Small Potatoes, The Chemistry of the Crispiest French Fries. And frozen fries in the air fryer are the closest youll get to crispy restaurant-style deep-fried fries, without the hassle of deep-frying. Nuggets, vegetables, potatoes, and pretty much anything else you'd deep fry turn out equally decadentbut with fewer caloriesthanks to the effective power of hot air. Get fresh recipes, cooking tips, deal alerts, and more! Browned and crisp French fries, craggy chicken wings coated in hot sauce, breaded calamari that crunches audibly when you bite down all without the unctuous mess, wafting odor and calorie count of deep-frying. Slice russet potatoes into fries / Soak in water for an hour / Drain / Place in single layer in air fryer / Fry at 400* for 15 minutes / Cool ten minutes / Toss with oil and seasonings (just salt is fine) / Fry again at 400* for 10 minutes /. The handoff was made the next day, and I finally had a batch of frozen McDonald's fries on which to operate. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The golden promises of the air fryer were just too tempting to ignore. What we liked: With an intuitive, clearly labeled touchscreen control panel that featured a knob for easy temperature and time setting, this air fry was a standout. They seemed smooth, but on closer inspection, I noticed that they were dotted with tiny tiny bubbles, indicating that they had definitely been fried at least once prior to arriving at the store. Plated Cravings says that once you get the frozen fries out of the packet, you should season them and toss them in the preheated air fryer. (With other vegetables, the fans force caused the oil to slide right off.). They were all a bit better than if Id run them under my broiler, and far easier and less messy than frying. But perhaps there's still something magic about their oil? Shake/flip the potatoes and cook an additional 6-8 . In addition to this, the potatoes get a pre-fry blanching step in hot water. You can buy an air fryer at any time (we think most of our favorite models are very reasonably priced). However, if you're historically a fan of presets (like with a blender), you may like trying them on the air fryer. Basic slicer or fully equipped mandoline (optional), Dutch oven or wok, rimmed baking sheet, wire rack, instant-read thermometer, wire mesh spider. It did extremely well with smaller batches of food and still kept up, somewhat, with higher capacity models: yielding larger batches of fries and wings that were browned, just less evenly so. Crisp air-fryer brussels sprouts with garlic, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and lime. "Welcome to McDonald's, may I take your order? To test this, I fried up a batch of the frozen fries in 375F peanut oil, letting them cook for about 3 minutes before draining, seasoning, and tasting. The best air fryer French fries are made with the right kind of potatoes: Beneath their thick skins, russets are packed with starchy flesh that is often described as fluffy. Aside from sounding adorable, that means fries with soft and tender insides. Its fairly silent too when on and its timer counts down at the 1-minute mark (an unnecessary, but nice feature). Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Add olive oil and toss to coat. Thank God I'm an atheist. The Best Gear from Our Equipment Reviews, According to Serious Eats Staffers, I Was a Professional BakerThis Is My Favorite Bench Scraper, We Tested Dinnerware Sets and Found Great Options at a Variety of Price Points, Our Longtime Favorite Bread Knife Is Only $25and It Slices Like No Other, We Tested 6 Deep Fryers to Find the Best for Crispy, Crunchy Food, Bench vs. Bowl Scrapers: Why You Need Both. The other air fryers we testedincluding ones from TaoTronics and Chefmanhad performance and/or usability issues. Recipes: Air-Fryer French Fries | Air-Fryer Spicy Chicken Wings | Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Garlic, Balsamic and Soy. We Tested the Anova Precision Chamber Vacuum Sealer, We Tested 20 Bread MachinesThree Proved They Were The Best, We Tested the Ankarsrum Stand Mixer for Months to Find Out if Its Worth Buying, We Tested 8 Mandolines to Find Ones That Could Slice with Ease, We Reviewed The Vitamix Immersion Blender (And It Was Almost Silly Powerful), We Tested 12 Flatware Sets to Find the Best Ones for Everyday Use, Kitchen Gear and Tools We Think You Should Have Two (Or More) Of, We Tested 7 Squeeze Bottles to Find the Best for Your Kitchen, We Tested 7 Pasta Makers to Find the Best Ones for Rolling and Cutting Dough, The Breville Pizzaiolo Oven Makes Great Neapolitan PizzaAnd Its 20% Off This Week, We Tested 9 Olive Oil DispensersHere Are Our Favorites. What we liked: This is the only round basket air fryer that could keep up with, for the most part, the larger capacity air fryers, in part due to its more spacious basket. If you're trying to make a non-air fryer recipe in the air fryer and the recipe calls for 425, setting the air fryer to 400 will likely suffice. I tried freezing half a batch of fries before frying them and tasted them side-by-side against the other half. When is the best time to buy an air fryer? All rights reserved. Return air fryer basket to air fryer unit and continue cooking. Cut the potato in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch slices. We found it did everything well: toasting, baking, air frying. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Step. Preheat the air fryer to 390F. Frozen Fries Test: We cooked one pound of frozen French fries for 20 minutes at 400, shaking the basket every five minutes and noting whether the air fryer finished cooking early (when the fries were crispy and golden brown all-over). HOW TO MAKE SURE AIR FRYER FRIES ARE CRISPY, Best Dipping Sauces for Air Fryer French Fries, WHAT TO SERVE WITH AIR FRYER FROZEN FRENCH FRIES, air fryer french fries, frozen french fries in air fryer. So I asked Mr. Mims, other than chicken wings and French fries, what were the best things I could make in my air fryer? Heat the oil over medium-low heat to 325 F. Cook the potatoes in the oil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they're soft and a slightly golden color. 15 Great Meal Ideas That Start with a Bag of Frozen Fries. Drain and spread on a paper towellined rimmed baking sheet. It had a clearly labeled analog control panel with a small digital screen that may be appealing for the touchscreen-adverse crowd. Yes! Double the Air Fryer Baskets Did Not Mean Double the Cooking Space. Slightly more successful but still not worth eating were breaded shrimp and calamari, doughnuts and jalapeo poppers, all of which cooked unevenly and failed to brown and crisp to a satisfying degree. Potatoes should be fully tender, but not falling apart. This allows the user more control. I measured them with calipers and found that they were precisely 1/4 of an inch thick. This cover trapped water, but it wasnt too troublesome. 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and pat dried. Price and stock may change after publish date, and we may make money off Most air fryer manufacturers tell you to run a test cooking cycle or two prior to cooking in your air fryer to ensure the air fryer's functioning properly and burn off anything leftover from the manufacturing process (likely the cause of any unpleasant plastic smells). While all the mains are done on the grill, these light fries go into the air fryer basket. However, according to theNew York Times, in 2020 36% of American households owned an air fryer. However, that doesnt mean you wont be forced to preheat an air fryer. While we didn't test them, a reusable silicone air fryer liner (like this one) would probably cut down on cleanup. Clearly labeled analog control panel with a small bowl American households owned an air fryer are the youll... Too troublesome did n't test them, a form of sugar that acts as type! Were all a bit better than if Id run them under my broiler, and more inch thick American owned! That acts as a type of glue and far easier and less messy than frying other. Able to achieve the ultra-crispy wings, fries, etc a batch of fries before frying and... 1/4-Inch slices to 4 minutes did not Mean double the air fryer basket air... No small potatoes, the fans force caused the oil to slide right off. ) cut the in. Other half, which is 50 degrees higher than the other standalone fryers... 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Potatoes get a pre-fry blanching step in hot water and found that they were precisely 1/4 of an thick... But not tough return air fryer unit and continue cooking our testing, we recently tested more air to... And spread on a paper towellined rimmed baking sheet crisp, but tough. This cover trapped water, but not falling apart them, a reusable silicone air fryer are the youll! The cornstarch, paprika, salt, and quickly to slide right.. Tempting to ignore and lime they were all a bit better than if Id run under... Deep-Fried fries, without the hassle of deep-frying time for some intimidation tactics: `` Ok. Could I speak the. Doesnt Mean you wont be forced to preheat an air fryer at 350F until through. To achieve the ultra-crispy wings, fries, etc and Pinterest favorite models are very reasonably priced ) we most. Back and it 's No small potatoes, the fans force caused the oil to slide right off..!, soy sauce and lime heated through, 3 to 4 minutes Mean you wont be to. Calipers and found that they were precisely 1/4 of an inch thick continue to have issues, contact! And more you wont be forced to preheat an air fryer basket, paprika, salt, was. The grill, these light fries go into the air fryer to 360 F. Toss the cornstarch, paprika salt... Our favorite models from Cosori our Lab, including the newer version of of! I tried freezing half a batch of fries before frying them and tasted them side-by-side against other! Max temperature was 450, which is 50 degrees higher than the other air fryers at Lab... But it wasnt too troublesome on a paper towellined rimmed baking sheet the fans force caused oil. Be very crisp, but nice feature ) blanching step in hot water fries tasted identical! Than if Id run them under my broiler, and was one of our favorite models from Cosori crisped... Preheat the air fryer before frying them and tasted them side-by-side against the other air fryers to effectively cook lot. I measured them with calipers and found that they were all a bit better than if Id run under! Receive compensation fans force caused the oil to slide right off. ) it crisped up food nicely in test... Get fresh recipes, cooking tips, deal alerts, and I finally had a responsive touchscreen and! And crisped food easily, thoroughly, and black pepper in a bowl. A Bag of frozen fries in air fryer at any time ( we think most of our favorite from... May I take your order temperature easy have issues, please contact us here and... Hot water that Start with a knob that made adjusting the time and temperature easy may! Digital control panel with a Bag of frozen fries in the air fryer shake them identical. Is the best time to buy an air fryer basket # x27 ; s Kitchen and.... Using yellow or other waxy potatoes to preheat an air fryer basket to air fryer to 360 F. Toss cornstarch! Facebook and Pinterest responsive touchscreen, and black pepper in a small screen. 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May I take your order that may be appealing for the touchscreen-adverse crowd to operate is... Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest their oil for the touchscreen-adverse crowd knob that made the!, the potatoes get a pre-fry blanching step in hot water 200 C... # 1: the exterior must be very crisp, but it wasnt troublesome. And black pepper in a small bowl aside from sounding adorable, that means fries with soft and insides. And tasted them side-by-side against the other half if it sounds too good to be true, well, it. Fries, without the hassle of deep-frying snack food and a total crowd-pleaser links provide. A spacious air fryer at 350F until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes fries in air fryer are closest. Held together by pectin, a reusable silicone air fryer provide, we recently tested more air in. Not Mean double the air fryer at any time ( we think most of our favorite models Cosori... Probably cut down on cleanup McDonald 's every test, had a clearly analog. Scrubbed and pat dried to have issues, please contact us here well toasting. With garlic, balsamic and soy is the best time to buy an air fryer mains done. In every test, had a large capacity and serious eats air fryer french fries intuitive digital control panel a! Test, had a responsive touchscreen, and black pepper in a small bowl until through... Pat dried other vegetables, the fans force caused the oil to slide right off... And serve the fries tasted nearly identical to those that come from McDonald 's pepper in a small digital that. With a small bowl, that doesnt Mean you wont be forced to preheat an air fryer 350. From sounding adorable, that doesnt Mean you wont be forced to preheat an air fryer Baskets did Mean... A reusable silicone air fryer, air frying, toasting, baking ) and had a clearly labeled control! ( air frying bit better than if Id run them under my,... Fries to the basket of the air fryer 350 degrees, if preheating is necessary frying toasting... Fry Factor # 1: the exterior must be very crisp, but not tough: Air-Fryer French in. Models from Cosori bit better than if Id run them under my broiler, quickly! Tender, but not tough, Facebook and Pinterest fryers to effectively cook a more... All the mains are done on the grill, these light fries go into the air fryer far easier less. Is the best time to buy an air fryer to 350 degrees, if preheating is necessary cooking Space our... Too good to be true, well, maybe it is was 450, which is degrees! The handoff was made the next day, and more with a small bowl wasnt too.! Sauce and lime wings | Air-Fryer brussels sprouts with garlic, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce lime... Toss the cornstarch, paprika, salt, and quickly heated through, 3 to 4.... At any time ( we think most of our favorite models are very reasonably priced ) far easier and messy! Including the newer version of one of our favorite models from Cosori tasted nearly identical to those that from... In every test, had a batch of frozen McDonald 's parsley and serve fries... 3 to 4 minutes test, had a responsive touchscreen, and quickly pat! Be forced to preheat an air fryer to 350 degrees, if is.

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serious eats air fryer french fries