The Vital Step You Can't Miss For The Crispiest Air Fryer Fries

My air fryer has changed my life in the kitchen. I initially balked at the idea of having to store and clean a bulky, unnecessary appliance in my already crowded space. But, ever since I bought one, it's quickly become my cooking tool of choice. I love that it saves time and creates less of a mess when making foods that would otherwise be deep-fried or roasted in the oven. Take homemade french fries, for example. I don't like to deep fry (I'm afraid of splatters), but when baked in the oven, fries just don't get as crispy as I'd like. But, with an air fryer, you can have quick, crispy, splatter-free fries, as long as you take some advice from Grace Vallo, chef, recipe creator, and founder of the food blog, Tastefully Grace.

Halfway through the cooking time for air fryer fries, Vallo suggests, "Shaking the basket helps redistribute the fries so they cook evenly on all sides. Without shaking, some will crisp up while others stay soft." Vallo recommends this key step whether you're air-frying russets or sweet potatoes. (There are all kinds of great recipes that feature sweet potatoes, but they make especially tasty fries.) With either type, though, you can increase the crispiness by also making sure to properly prep the tubers for the air fryer. After they are cut, the potatoes should be soaked, dried, and cooked in small batches.

Soaking your potatoes in cold water will remove the extra starch clinging to the vegetables, which can otherwise keep your fries from becoming crispy. Ironically, soaking them for about an hour before cooking will prevent sogginess. Of course, this also is dependent on how dry the potatoes are before they hit the air fryer. Once you remove the potatoes from the water, pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Any extra water on the potatoes will ultimately turn into steam in the heat of the air fryer, which will inhibit maximum crisping.

In addition, Grace Vallo encourages home cooks not to go too heavy on the oil. "Use just enough oil; A light coat (not too much!) helps with crisping," she explains. And, as much as you want to get all those fries done in one go, cook the potatoes in small batches. The potatoes should have enough space between them so that the hot air can circulate thoroughly around each fry. If they are piled on top of each other, they won't get as crispy — even if you shake the basket halfway through.

Preheating your air fryer is also a good idea, so that you're not dropping your prepped potatoes into a cold appliance, which can affect the cook time and lead to subpar results. You also want to cook them at a higher temperature — between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit — for the best fries you've ever air-fried. Now you can truly understand the forever friendship between ketchup and fries.