You can cook frozen crinkle-cut fries in an air fryer in only a few minutes. Plus, they will have a similar texture to deep-fried French fries minus the oil. With the use of the air fryer, your fries will be easier, healthier, and faster to make, and you can serve them as a sidekick to burgers, chicken tenders, or any other of your favorite grilled proteins.
Can You Cook Frozen Crinkle Cut Fries in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook your frozen crinkle-cut fries in an air fryer. In fact, using this method will help the fries become more crispy than if you cook them in the oven. Additionally, cooking them in the air fryer will be healthier than deep-frying because it doesn't require any oil.
Also, using the air fryer to cook your frozen crinkle-cut fries is way faster than waiting for your oven to be preheated as it only takes 12 minutes for your fries to be fully cooked and crispy.
Why Should You Air Fry Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fries?
To me, frozen crinkle-cut fries taste so good when cooked with the use of the air fryer, as it helps them become super crispy, which you rarely get when cooking them in the oven.
Here is why I love cooking my frozen crinkle-cut fries in the air fryer, instead of in the oven or deep fryer:
- It is Faster: Cooking your frozen crinkle-cut fries in the air fryer is actually faster than waiting for your oven to be preheated. In fact, cooking your crinkle-cut fries in an airy fryer will only require 12 minutes.
- The Fries Will Become Crispier: Cooking your frozen crinkle-cut fries in the oven won't really give you the crunch that you get from deep-frying them, but the air fryer will help them become crispy without the need for any extra oil spray.
- It is Easy: Most recipes are easy to make in an air fryer. You will only have to shake the basket or turn the fries with tongs halfway to ensure they cook evenly.
- Air Fryer French Fries are Low in Calories: These frozen crinkle-cut fries are already pre-cooked, so deep-frying them again will add more calories to them, but if you cook them in the air fryer you won't need to add any extra oil.
How Long Do You Cook Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fries in an Air Fryer?
These crinkle-cut fries are a bit thicker than regular fries, so they will require more time in the air fryer than other types of fries in order to get them nice and crispy.
There are a lot of air fryer brands out there, and they all differ from one another. For example, the fans that are responsible for circulating the air may not circulate at the same speed, meaning that crinkle-cut fries may require more or less time when you cook them in your air fryer.
In order to know the exact cooking time you will need to cook your frozen crinkle-cut fries in the air fryer, here's what you will need to do:
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 F.
- Place the frozen crinkle-cut fries into the air fryer basket, making sure that you do not overcrowd the basket.
- Air fry your fries for about 6 minutes; shake the basket to make sure the fries cook evenly.
- Continue cooking your fries for about 4 to 8 minutes, depending on the crispiness you want to achieve.
The instructions say that you need 12 minutes in total for your fries to be cooked, so I recommend that if you are cooking these frozen crinkle-cut fries for the first time, you should start checking them in the last minutes, in order to see if they are done or need more time.
Cooking Time for Regular Fries
On the other hand, if you choose to cook regular fries, they will need less cooking timing, as they are not as thick as frozen crinkle-cut fries. Regular straight-cut fries should only take around 10 minutes to be cooked in the air fryer at 350 F. You should always keep in mind that cooking times vary depending on the air fryer. Don't forget to shake your air fryer basket halfway through cooking to make sure that your fries cook evenly.
Cooking Time for Waffle Fries
Waffle fries cook quickly and have the same timing as regular fries, with 10 minutes of cooking time at 350 F. You will want to stop cooking halfway through to shake the basket to make sure the waffle fries cook evenly. If you want your waffle fries to be less crispy, consider reducing the cooking time to 8 minutes.
Crinkle-Cut Fries Vs Regular Fries
If you ask me, I think that crinkle-cut fries are better because they taste better and they are more fun like curly fries.
The crunchiness is almost the same, but the texture of the crinkle-cut fries is what really attracts me to them. They taste great too!
In the 90s, people commonly baked fries in the oven, but now, the air fryer is growing in popularity as cooking in one is easier than other methods such as the oven or deep fryer. Overall, cooking fries in an air fryer is easier, healthier, and faster.
How Do You Cook Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fries in an Air Fryer?
- Preheat – Preheating is a good idea because it will allow the air fryer basket to heat up while also saving you cooking time. However, this isn't really required but I've found that preheating gives the best results. Just preheat your air fryer for about 2 to 3 minutes before you start cooking.
- Add the Fries – Now, add the frozen crinkle-cut fries to the air fryer basket, being sure to add only about 10 ounces to prevent overcrowding. If desired, you can spray your frozen fries with oil spray if you want them to become more crispy. Simply, set the timer to 12 minutes and you're good to go.
- Shake the Basket – Halfway through the cooking time, remove the basket and shake it in order for the crinkle-cut fries on the bottom to come to the top which will help the fries cook evenly. If you want to add some salt to your fries, this will be the perfect time to do it; simply spray some oil spray on them first as it will help the salt stick to the fries. Then, return the air fryer basket to the cooker and continue cooking your fries.
Once done, you can serve your crinkle-cut fries as a side or with your favorite dipping sauce such as mayonnaise or ketchup.
Do I Need to Defrost Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fries Before Cooking Them?
No, there is no need to defrost your frozen crinkle-cut fries before cooking them in the air fryer. In fact, by defrosting them, you will actually be running the risk of making your fries get mushy rather than crispy. You shouldn't defrost any frozen fries before cooking them.
Are Air Fried Crinkle-Cut Fries Healthy?
Saying that these frozen crinkle-cut fries are healthy is tricky. This is because frozen fries are often precooked by deep-frying them which means they already have many calories. Additionally, deep-frying them again to reheat/cook them will add more calories.
As a result, cooking fries in an air fryer will be a healthier choice as it doesn't require any oil unless you choose to spray them with oil spray.
How Long Should I Air Fry Leftover Crinkle-Cut Fries?
If you have some leftover crinkle-cut fries, you can easily use the air fryer to reheat them. Here's how:
- Add your leftover fries to the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 350 F for about 3 to 6 minutes. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the air fryer brand.
- Halfway through cooking, shake the air fryer basket; then, continue cooking the fries until the cooking time has elapsed.
What to Serve with Air-Fried Crinkle-Cut Fries
If you want to pair your air-fried crinkle-cut fries with other dishes for a complete meal, I recommend these dishes:
- Gravy
- Mac and Cheese
- Baked Beans
- Torchetti Pasta
- Fried Polenta Wedges
Here are some dipping sauces you can try with your fries:
- Ketchup
- Curry, Curry Ketchup, and Curry Sauce
- Hot or Chili Sauce
- Mustard
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Mayonnaise
- Masago Sauce
- Salad Cream
- Honey Mustard
- Alfredo Sauce
- Bearnaise Sauce
- Tartar Sauce
Air Fried Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fry Ingredients
- 28 ounces (800g) Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fries
- Cooking oil spray, optional
Air Fried Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fry Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 F.
- Place the crinkle-cut fries in the air fryer basket.
- If desired, spray the fries with some cooking oil spray.
- Air fry the fries for 12 minutes at 350 F.
- Halfway through cooking, shake the air fryer basket to help them cook evenly.
- Remove the fries and serve them with your favorite dish or dipping sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Feel free to adjust the cooking time depending on how crispy you want your fries.
- If you don't want your fries as crispy or are cooking fries that are thin, decrease the cooking time. Meanwhile, if you would like your fries crispier or are cooking thicker fries, you should increase the cooking time.
- If the air fryer you are using does not rotate, you should toss the fries midway through cooking them to ensure they cook evenly.
- If you have a rotating air fryer, make sure to check on them halfway through to determine how thoroughly cooked they are.
- If you decide to spray your fries with oil, don't spray on too much as it will lead to mushy fries.
- If you do not preheat your air fryer, your fries will require a much longer cooking time.
- I recommend that you add different seasonings to your fries such as garlic or onion powder, seasoned salt, or chipotle powder.
How to Cook Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fries in an Air Fryer
You can cook frozen crinkle-cut fries in an air fryer in only a few minutes. Plus, they will have a similar texture to deep-fried French fries minus the oil. With the use of the air fryer, your fries will be easier, healthier, and faster to make, and you can serve them as a sidekick to burgers, chicken tenders, or any other of your favorite grilled proteins.
Ingredients
- 28 ounces (800g) Frozen Crinkle-Cut Fries
- Cooking oil spray, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 F.
- Place the crinkle-cut fries in the air fryer basket.
- If desired, spray the fries with some cooking oil spray.
- Air fry the fries for 12 minutes at 350 F.
- Halfway through cooking, shake the air fryer basket to help them cook evenly.
- Remove the fries and serve them with your favorite dish or dipping sauce.
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the cooking time depending on how crispy you want your fries.
- If you don’t want your fries as crispy or are cooking fries that are thin, decrease the cooking time. Meanwhile, if you would like your fries crispier or are cooking thicker fries, you should increase the cooking time.
- If the air fryer you are using does not rotate, you should toss the fries midway through cooking them to ensure they cook evenly.
- Pay attention to the fries that are sitting on the bottom of the bowl and make sure they are cooped up to the top.
- If you have a rotating air fryer, then make sure to check on them halfway to judge how thoroughly cooked they are.
- If you do not preheat your air fryer, your fries will require a much longer cooking time.
- I recommend that you add different seasonings to your fries such as garlic or onion powder, seasoned salt, or chipotle powder.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 650Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 417mgCarbohydrates: 82gFiber: 8gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g
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