3 BEST air fryer chips recipes – chunky chips, French fries and crinkle cut chips! Super crispy and made from scratch using just potatoes, seasoning and oil.
3 BEST air fryer chips recipes! Do you have an air fryer? If not, this post might make you want to get one! After all, healthier, crispy fries are only 10 minutes effort and 20 minutes cook time away!
Welcome to the wonderful world of air fryer chips! If you want lovely, golden, crispy chips WITHOUT having to deep-fry them, then you’re in the right place!
(if not, you can always check out my baked French fries recipe or my chunky baked chip-shop chips with curry sauce recipe)
Having an air fryer doesn’t just make the BEST chips outside of deep-frying – it’s also incredibly quick and easy with so little mess to clear up.
These would easily take 50 minutes in the oven to bake… but you’re only looking at 20 minutes cook time or less here!
Here’s all the ingredients you’ll need for all 3 recipes…
3 BEST Air Fryer Chips Recipes: Ingredients
- potatoes
- vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
- that’s it!
So I thought I’d kick things off with a little FAQ section before we get started. This will cover what air fryer I use as well as which additional kitchen gadgets you’ll need to make French fries and crinkle-cut chips with ease.
3 BEST Air Fryer Chips Recipes: Frequently Asked Questions
Which air fryer do you use?
I use the Ninja Foodi Max (also known as the Ninja Foodi XL) which is not only an air fryer, but a health grill too (see in the photo above).
Of course, though I use this specific machine, any air fryer will do! Just remember that they all vary slightly so keep in mind that:
- Some air fryers have smaller frying compartments than others (mine is 3.8L) so if yours is considerably smaller, you’ll need to fry your chips in multiple batches.
- Some air fryers don’t go up to 200C / 400F – in that case, just use the highest temperature possible.
- Some air fryers have a paddle that turns the food as it cooks. In this case, you don’t need to turn them half way.
- Cooking times may vary from air fryer to air fryer. So use your own judgement to know when your chips are done!
Which air fryer should I buy?
Of course, I can whole heartedly recommend mine (link here) – it’s amazing! But of course, the decision is entirely up to you.
Mine is more expensive as it has the health grill aspect too (it basically doubles up as a George Foreman which is awesome when we can’t BBQ in the winter months).
Some of the more reasonably priced options we were considering were the Tower Air Fryer and the Tefal Easy Fry Precision.
But whatever you buy, I’d recommending getting one that has around a 4 litre capacity. You simply can’t cook much in anything smaller and you’ll end up having to cook your chips in loads of small batches!
Are air-fried chips healthier?
It depends what you compare them to. Compared to making the same type of chips, with the same amount of oil in the oven… it’s about the same!
(though I personally prefer to add more oil when I bake them in the oven)
But of course, comparing them to deep-fried chips, you don’t need to be a registered dietician to know that air-fried chips are miles healthier. Especially since you only need to add 1 tbsp of oil instead of fully submerging them!
What potatoes should I use for your air fryer chips recipes?
Starchy/floury potatoes are the best for making chips – those include Maris Piper, King Edward, Désirée, or russet potatoes.
But in all honestly, any potatoes will work! But floury potatoes will generally result in a crisp outside and a lovely, fluffy middle.
Can I make your air fryer chips recipes without oil or no oil?
I wouldn’t recommend it at all if you want crispy chips – for best results, I would always advise using a little oil – it’s only 1-2 tbsp after all!
Why? It’s the oil that gives the chips a crisp finish. Have you ever baked a potato in the oven without oil?
The skin NEVER crisps up, instead it shrivels and becomes dry and paper-like. The flesh also becomes more dehydrated and firm – not crispy at all!
So that’s why a little oil goes a long way, especially in an air fryer!
Do I have to peel the potatoes first before chopping them into shapes?
Nope! You can feel free to leave the skin on for all 3 of these recipes – the skin goes lovely and crispy and it’s the most nutritious part of the potato. It also adds great flavour!
I actually peel the potatoes for my crinkle-cut chips however, but it’s purely for aesthetic purposes. You can happily make these with the skin on too.
Do I need any other kitchen gadgets to make air fryer French fries?
Yes! For regular air fried chips (the first recipe), all you’ll need is a sharp knife and a chopping board.
But to create perfect French fries of a uniform size that all cook consistently, you’ll need a mandoline – I use one like this. You can of course chop French fry shapes without this, but it’s A LOT more time consuming and it’s harder to get a consistent shape to ensure they all cook at the same time.
This takes the hard work out of slicing, ensuring you can nice, consistent-size discs, which you can then chop into smaller strips using a sharp knife.
HOWEVER – I will soon be buying one of these 6-in-1 mandolines, because they have a blade which cuts perfect French fry shapes. That way, there’s no need to slice the discs after you’ve used the mandoline!
Do I need any other kitchen gadgets to make air fryer Crinkle cut chips?
Yes – I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that to make crinkle-cut chips… you’ll need a crinkle cutter.
Here’s a link to the one I use. Once you’ve got one, you’ll be making them all the time!
Can I simply make these in the oven instead? I don’t have an air fryer!
I have included notes below the method of each recipe, giving timings and instructions on how to make all of these in the oven.
Of course, the oven doesn’t get the best finish, but they’re the best chips you’ll get outside of an air fryer!
How can I tell when my air fryer chips are done?
You’re looking for a lovely, golden finish with slightly browned, crispy edges.
If they’re not showing any signs of browning, they probably need a little longer in the air fryer.
3 BEST Air Fryer Chips Recipes: Chunky Air Fryer Chips
These are super simple to make and you don’t need anything but an air fryer and a sharp knife/chopping board to make them!
You absolutely can’t go wrong with these and they’re super crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Here’s the recipe:
BEST Air Fryer Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large potatoes
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Chop your potatoes into 8mm strips. No need to peel them, but you're welcome to if you really want!
- Throw them into a medium-sized bowl and add your oil and seasoning. Mix well until well coated.
- You can optionally add any additional seasoning you like here - dried mixed herbs work really well and so does dried rosemary. Simply add 1 tbsp of either.
- Turn your air fryer on to 200c / 400F (or as high as it will go if it won't reach that temp) and set the timer to 20 minutes. I used a Ninja Foodi Max (aka Ninja Foodi XL) FYI.
- Once your air fryer is preheated, add all your chips to the crisping basket and shut the lid/place the compartment into the machine.
- After 10 minutes, turn them half way. A few minutes before they finish, it's always good to check on the chips to ensure they're not browning too much. Of course, if they're not particularly golden yet, you can always add an extra 3-5 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
3 BEST Air Fryer Chips Recipes: Crispy French Fries
If you’re craving crispy French fries, then this is the one for you!
I use a mandoline to cut these into consistent shapes and I would HIGHLY recommend using one. Cutting them by hand is time consuming and if they’re not all the same size, they’ll cook at different times.
Some may be perfectly cooked, some overdone and some a little raw in the middle. Consistent chopping is the key to perfect French fries!
Here’s the recipe:
BEST Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large potatoes
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Using a mandoline (linked in FAQ section and below the method) on the widest setting, carefully slice your potatoes. No need to peel them, but you're welcome to if you really want! If your mandoline can cut French fry shapes, then use that blade and proceed to step 3.
- If your mandoline only cuts your potatoes in disc shapes then (using a large, sharp knife) slice your discs into fries. Ensure they're all around 4mm in width. If some are thin and some are thick, they won't cook evenly and the thicker ones may be uncooked.
- Throw them into a medium-sized bowl and add your oil and seasoning. Mix well until well coated.
- You can optionally add any additional seasoning you like here - a pinch of cayenne pepper or 1 tbsp of smoked paprika works especially well.
- Turn your air fryer on to 200c / 400F (or as high as it will go if it won't reach that temp) and set the timer to 12 minutes. I used a Ninja Foodi Max (aka Ninja Foodi XL) FYI.
- Once your air fryer is preheated, add half of the fries to the crisping basket and shut the lid/place the compartment into the machine.
- After 6 minutes, turn them half way. A few minutes before they finish, it's always good to check on the fries to ensure they're not browning too much. Repeat with the other half of your fries.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
3 BEST Air Fryer Chips Recipes: Crinkle Cut Chips
Once you have a crinkle cutter, you will never stop making these!
You essentially use the crinkle cutter like a knife to create that unique shape that makes them super crispy.
It doesn’t take any longer to make than if you were using a knife and they come out *even crispier* than regular air-fried chips.
Here’s the recipe:
Air Fryer Crinkle-cut Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large potatoes
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- I often peel the potatoes for my crinkle cut chips because it results in a nicer looking finish. But you're more than welcome to leave the skin on - it adds great flavour and crisps up really well!
- Chop your potatoes into 8mm strips using the crinkle cutter (linked in FAQ section and below the method).
- Throw them into a medium-sized bowl and add your oil and seasoning. Mix well until well coated.
- You can optionally add any additional seasoning you like here - dried mixed herbs work really well and so does dried rosemary. Simply add 1 tbsp of either.
- Turn your air fryer on to 200c / 400F (or as high as it will go if it won't reach that temp) and set the timer to 20 minutes. I used a Ninja Foodi Max (aka Ninja Foodi XL) FYI.
- Once your air fryer is preheated, add all your chips to the crisping basket and shut the lid/place the compartment into the machine.
- After 10 minutes, turn them half way. A few minutes before they finish, it's always good to check on the chips to ensure they're not browning too much. Of course, if they're not particularly golden yet, you can always add an extra 3-5 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo.
If you want to send me a photo of how it turned out, you can request to join my Facebook group and post it there. Myself and everyone else would love to see it!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
Oh and don’t forget to pin this for later!
