French Fries: Air Fryer Vs Oven Debate. There's One Clear Winner

Nothing hits the spot like some crispy, fried potatoes. Few would argue against the suggestion that french fries are best straight from the fryer, but this cooking technique isn't attainable for many home chefs. If your kitchen lacks a deep fat fryer, your best bet is popping those starchy strips in your air fryer or oven — but which of these two methods is best?

For this experiment, I'm using both appliances to prepare 10 different types of frozen fries, after which I'll conduct a taste test. For each type — ranging from classic shoestrings to waffle fries (which we've ranked from worst to best, if you're interested) — I'll use a 5-star system to determine which device produced the most pleasing texture. At the end, I'll announce the heating technique that reigned supreme and explain my methodology, in case you'd like some context for how I rated each preparation. If you'd rather cook your fries in a vat of boiling oil (which does offer a kind of historical flair), why not try our tasty recipe for copycat McDonald's french fries? In the meantime, though, let's find out if the oven or air fryer is best for recreating your favorite fast food french fries in every shape.

Shoestring fries are thin, dainty, and a great candidate for crunch. That's why my hopes were high for this fry — I prefer my potatoes crispy over mushy, and the shoestring's narrow shape equalizes that crisp-outside-to-soft-inside ratio. Don't worry, though — I'm not rating the fries themselves, just the preparation, so each type will get a fair shake.

The oven-baked shoestrings had a soft bite and not much crunch, but I would still describe the texture as pleasant and well-cooked. The edges of some fries (as well as those tiny slivers that usually shimmy down to the bottom of the fast food carton) were quite crispy, but these were definitely the exception. I also noted that some of the longer fries struggled to support their own weight when held upright. Based on all of these factors, I gave this version 4 out of 5 stars.

The air fryer method, on the other hand, produced fries that were delightfully crispy and nicely browned on the surface and edges. The interior remained soft and steamy, but each fry held its shape with no unsightly floppiness. Overall, I vastly preferred the air fried version, which I gave 5 out of 5 stars.

Steak-cut fries, unlike shoestrings, aren't always meant to provide a super strong crunch, though this depends on who you ask. Since these fries are also thicker than some other types, the fluffy interior plays a more prominent textural role. After roasting these fries in the oven, I found they had a firm crust and smooth interior, and both elements complemented one another quite nicely. The oven did heat these fries thoroughly, but since that heat didn't circulate (like it does in the air fryer), they developed a soft texture akin to classic roasted potatoes rather than a deep-fried crunch. Like the shoestrings, I ultimately gave this preparation 4 out of 5 stars.

The texture of the air fried version was similar, but the exterior of each fry was just a bit crispier, giving these a sturdier structure than their oven-baked counterparts. The edges, in particular, provided a subtle resistance for each bite that felt fresh rather than chewy, and the interior remained pillowy-soft. Once again, the air fried preparation received 5 out of 5 stars.

For many fast food aficionados, waffle fries are the domain of either Carl's Jr. or Chick-fil-A (our taste-tester handed Carl's Jr. the crown in that showdown), but you can also find them in your supermarket's frozen section. They're perfect for grabbing onto sauce, and the potato strands' numerous intersections provide lots of opportunities for crisping. Unfortunately, these opportunities were lost during my oven preparation: The fries' exterior and interior were barely distinguishable, creating an unpleasant, homogenous mushiness. Additionally, while these fries were sturdy enough not to break under their own weight — likely thanks to their lattice-like construction — they were rather floppy, and the edges around each hole failed to crisp up in the oven. I ultimately gave this preparation 2 out of 5 stars.

The air fried version, however, provided much more pleasing results. Each fry was crisp around the edges yet soft in the middle, and this crispness eliminated the unappealing floppy factor that dragged the oven version down. While these fries were far from crunchy (which may be a plus, depending on your preferences), they were sturdy enough to carry even the thickest of sauces. Based on these factors, I gave these fries 4 out of 5 stars.

Comparing sweet potato fries to standard french fries might seem like an apples-and-oranges scenario, but since they're the same shape and serve the same culinary function (usually as a side for sandwiches or other main dishes), I think they deserve to be part of this experiment. Worth noting, however, is that sweet potato fries can often come out soggy, and this was the hurdle my oven preparation could not overcome. Though I ensured the fries were spread out evenly in a single sparse layer during baking, the recommended cooking time left me with a floppy, raw-tasting product. The fries were hot throughout but very bendy, and the texture was more chewy than smooth. These factors earned this version a low 2 out of 5 stars.

The air fryer preparation was superior, but only slightly. Despite my taking similar precautions (spreading the strands out in a single layer with no overcrowding), the fries came out sturdier but were mushy rather than toothsome. Like the oven-baked waffle fries, the exterior and interior of this sweet potato side were nearly indistinguishable, earning this preparation a modest (but hardly impressive) 3 out of 5 stars.

Crinkle-cut fries are pretty divisive — celeb chef and food lover Guy Fieri chose to banish them in favor of other popular types, leaving some folks peeved — but they still deserve a fair shot in this test. After heating some crinkle-cut fries in the oven (per the package instructions, of course), I did find that the ridges provided some structure, if very little crunch. In fact, I detected virtually no crispness whatsoever, and the interior was a bit mealy rather than pleasantly smooth. These textural shortcomings earned the oven version of these fries just 2 out of 5 stars.

After air frying these crinkle-cut snacks, I did notice small improvements in the texture department. This version's interior was definitely a bit smoother than the oven preparation, but the mealiness persisted, and while the exterior was firm, I couldn't detect any crispness. Still, the ridges held up well, despite the lack of crunch. I gave the air fried crinkle-cut fries 3 humble stars out of 5.

Smile fries — or "Smiles," as they're officially titled — barely resemble traditional fries at all. These fried potato rounds with grinning faces are a nostalgic favorite for many (which is why we recommend you try making them at home with instant mashed potatoes), but how do they stack up in the oven versus the air fryer? The oven-baked version came out with a pretty decent crust on the exterior, and while each Smile did have plenty of smooth potato filling, the eye and mouth cutouts provided some sturdiness and crisp texture in the middle. I gave this preparation 4 out of 5 stars.

The air fried version, however, wasn't nearly crispy enough. These fries were mushy and soft throughout, and the exterior, while firm, didn't hold the fry's (or face's) shape well. This was a marked departure from my taste-test results up to this point — every other fry type fared better in the air fryer, and as a lifelong Smiles fan, I was surprised at how drastically this version underperformed. After some consideration, I gave this preparation 2 out of 5 stars.

Despite my lackluster review of both sweet potato fry preparations, I was pretty excited for the waffle-cut version. The interlocking structure waffle fries provide struck me as the ideal shape for the comparatively soft sweet potato, but at least where the oven was concerned, this prediction fell flat. These fries came out of the oven sturdier than they would after, say, a stint in the microwave, but they were still pretty saggy. They could barely support their own weight when held at one end, and rather than featuring a nice crunch along the outer ridges, their texture was chewy, bordering on gummy. This earned them 2 out of 5 stars.

Fortunately, in the air fryer, these fries developed a nice crisp around the edges, and their interior was soft and steamy rather than dense and chewy. These were much closer to the delightfully crunchy fries I was anticipating. While I still think some time in an actual deep fryer would produce an even better bite (which is likely true for any of the fry types on this list), this preparation was easier, faster, and much less messy — and it was still superior to the oven-baked version. I ultimately gave this method 4 out of 5 stars.

Admittedly, I didn't even know "restaurant-style" was a type of french fry until this experiment. I've since learned this variety is characterized by an ultra-crisp crust (usually achieved through two rounds in the fryer), and the frozen kind I made also featured a tasty seasoning on the outside that added to the crunch factor. Since the bag specified (in bold, no less) that these fries were also extra crispy, my hopes rose yet again, but the oven preparation was a bit of a letdown. Even fresh out of the oven, these fries weren't actually all that crispy, perhaps due to the steam they released during cooking. Still, they were crispier than both the oven-baked shoestrings and steak fries, likely thanks to that extra seasoning. I gave this version 3 stars out of 5.

Even out of the air fryer, these fries weren't exactly what I'd call crispy, though the seasoning's flavor came through stronger than in the oven-baked version. The exterior provided a fair bit of resistance on first bite, but even after cooking them for the maximum recommended time, they were still a bit too soft. In the end, these fries scored the same as the oven preparation: 3 stars out of 5.

Arby's may not have invented curly fries, but the fast food chain does offer the only frozen curly fries I could find in stores. So, did these twisted delights live up to the Arby's hype? In this case, the answer is yes. These fries were mostly crust when I took them out of the oven, though they still featured a soft, steamy interior. The tight, characteristic curls provided plenty of nooks and crannies for the seasoning to hide, and this likely contributed to their impressive crunch. I gave this version a respectable 4 out of 5 stars.

Out of the air fryer, these fries were even better. They developed a delightful crisp slightly superior to that of the oven version, but the interior of each fry was still pleasantly soft. The enhanced crispiness gave each curl a nicely defined structure and prevented the potato from turning to mush on the tongue. With these factors in mind, I decided to award the air fryer preparation a full 5 stars out of 5.

Classic-cut fries are the platonic ideal of the beloved side (depending on who you ask, of course). Visually, the ones I prepared resembled the restaurant-style version mentioned above, just without that crust-enhancing seasoning. Unfortunately, like the restaurant style, these fries were a bit underwhelming, particularly the batch I heated in the oven. Their texture was much more chewy than crispy, and the inside was dense with no real flavor to speak of (besides an off-putting freezer-burn taste that, for the sake of fairness, I won't blame on my oven). The corners of each fry did get a bit crispy, which was welcome, but in general, the fries were too thick to develop a worthwhile crunch, leaving this preparation with 3 out of 5 stars.

The word "stodgy" came to mind during my air fryer taste test, though perhaps "heavy" would more accurately describe these ultra-dense fries. While this preparation was comparable to the oven version, I struggled to enjoy the mushy interior, which stuck to the roof of my mouth, and there was no noticeable crust to speak of. Still, these fries were broad and sturdy, and I can imagine them as a palatable base for, say, a plate of poutine if not a crisp burger accompaniment. Like their counterparts from the oven, these air fried potatoes got 3 out of 5 stars.

As you've no doubt gathered from my ratings, the air fryer won the day as the best sans-oil method for making frozen french fries. With a couple of exceptions, the oven-baked fries were less crispy and more mealy than their air fried equivalents, and many types struggled to maintain their structure post-oven due to the abundance of steam (despite the fact that I spread them out to allow for proper air flow). This was less of an issue in my air fryer, which has built-in vents through which steam can escape.

Air fryers are also much more compact than ovens and can therefore produce higher temperatures in a shorter time frame, resulting in fries that are generally sturdy and crisp with a soft interior. As I now know from experience, popping some frozen spuds in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit will give you near-perfect results in 10 to 15 minutes, but achieving that same texture in the oven will likely take closer to 40 or 50. I'd wager that's much longer than the average person wants to wait for premade fries, which may be why the oven instructions on practically every bag I purchased capped out at about 20 minutes. All of the oven fries were definitely cooked through, but since they didn't have time on their side (and since the hot air couldn't circulate like it does in the air fryer), they often lacked the crisp exterior I was looking for.

To conduct this test, I purchased 10 different types of frozen fries from various brands available at my local grocery store. Since this experiment focused on cooking methods rather than the inherent quality of each fry type, branding and price played no part in my star ratings (besides, we've already ranked 14 popular frozen french fry brands). Similarly, flavor played a minimal role, as each fry's taste varied little between the oven and air fryer.

What did play a significant role in my determination was texture. Since I was only applying heat to each type of fry — no extra seasoning, fat, or moisture — I evaluated each variety based on its outer crust and inner texture, as well as the contrast between those two elements. Successful, 5-out-of-5 fries were crisp on the outside and silky-smooth on the inside, with no mealiness or floppiness in sight (or mouth).

For each variety, I spread the fries out in a single layer, either on a baking sheet or in my air fryer's basket, taking care not to overcrowd the space. I followed each package's instructions to the letter, and I heated each fry type for the longest recommended time to maximize crispiness — after all, what are fries without a bit of crunch?