Air Fryer Truffle Fries Recipe

Truffle is one of those ingredients that has been all the rage lately, and we're not mad about it. Truffle fries, truffle pasta, truffle sauce — you name it, and you'll likely find a tasty recipe of it! However, recreating the fancy feel of a truffle dish at home can feel like a task. Whole truffles can be hard to find, plus, when you get them, what do you do with them, anyway? USA Today reported that in only one week, the delicious scent truffles are known for fades away. Talk about a bummer.

If you've just about given up on the idea of having truffle dishes at home, fear not, because recipe developer Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge is here to help. Olayinka's recipe for truffle fries at home utilizes truffle oil, which packs all the punch of a truffle, but at a lower price point and without all the processing hassle. Plus, she uses an air fryer to take the mess out of making potatoes as crispy as possible. Olayinka says she loves this recipe for its "lovely earthy flavor" and for the new twist it brings to a classic side.

Before you can start making these scrumptious air fryer fries, you'll need to gather all the necessary ingredients. For this recipe, that means finding four white potatoes, 3 tablespoons of parsley, 3 tablespoons of truffle oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. As far as cookware is concerned, you'll need a chopping board and a knife for the potatoes and parsley, two large mixing bowls, paper towels, a cheese grater, and of course, an air fryer.

Begin by removing the skin from the potatoes with a knife or peeler. Once they have been peeled, chop the potatoes into the shape of French fries (relatively skinny and long pieces). It's not necessary that the shape be perfectly French fry-like or even that they are 100% uniform, so don't stress too much. Once they have been chopped to your liking, set them aside.

You'll also want to chiffonade the parsley and grate the Parmesan cheese (if you didn't buy pre-grated), then set both aside as well. These will not be added until the very end, so if you want to save some time and prepare them while the fries are cooking, feel free to do so.

Now that you've sliced the potatoes into the shape of French fries, take them and soak them in cold water for 30 minutes. Soaking helps "draw out the starch" from the potatoes, as Olayinka notes, which will allow them to be crunchy as opposed to gummy once they are cooked.

After 30 minutes have passed, drain the potatoes, and blot them well with a paper towel. You want them to be as dry as possible, which again will help with the essential crisp factor.

In your remaining mixing bowl, add the potatoes, truffle oil, and salt. Mix everything together until the potatoes are evenly coated on all sides. Once the potatoes have been seasoned, place them onto a lined air fryer tray, and cook on 350 F for 20 minutes. Make sure to go in a flip the potatoes halfway through the cook time to ensure an even color and crispiness. Keep in mind that depending on the size of your air fryer, the cooking process may take several batches.

Once the potatoes have crisped up, take them out of the air fryer, and transfer them back into the mixing bowl. Top with parsley and Parmesan, mixing until evenly coated. Once the toppings have been added, your fries are ready to serve! Serve immediately for optimum crispiness.

Olayinka recommends serving these on their own with ketchup or on the side of fish, burgers, or grilled meats. "One can even sprinkle some truffle salt on the chips to make it even more truffle-y," adds the self-proclaimed truffle lover. However you serve them, these fries are sure to be a major hit.