The Easy Trick For Getting Crispier Fries In The Air Fryer

To master the art of making golden-brown French fries in the air fryer, there's one simple step that cannot be ignored: shaking the basket. This tried-and-true maneuver ensures that the fries are exposed to an even amount of heat, giving you a delicious homemade side. Forgetting to jiggle the basket is among the mistakes everyone makes when cooking fries in an air fryer, in addition to not letting your potatoes soak first and not sprinkling salt over the fries immediately after they're done cooking.

This seemingly small action is, in fact, the secret to flawless air-fried foods. Air fryers work by using convection heat, which means hot air is constantly moving around your food. However, without rotating, shaking, or stirring the food (in this case, fries), some pieces may not get enough exposure. This leads to an inconsistent batch. Shaking the basket every 5 to 10 minutes will help prevent this issue.

Shaking the air fryer basket is also a key to keeping your fries from sticking together. The natural starch in potatoes can cause them to clump, cook unevenly, or worse yet, burn. A quick shake helps separate them. (This is also why soaking your fries before cooking them is so helpful; It lowers the starch content.) If you skip this crucial step, you risk some fries turning too dry while others stay disappointingly soggy.

For the best results, spread the julienned potatoes evenly on the surface of the basket, leaving enough space between them for air to circulate. Overcrowding can trap fries in the middle, leading to inconsistent cooking. If your air fryer doesn't have a removable basket, you can gently stir the fries with tongs or a spatula about halfway through the cooking time to keep them uniformly crisp.