Air Fryer Steak Fries

Air Fryer Steak Fries are the perfect side or appetizer for anything from a weeknight dinner to a weekend cookout or even game day. And here we're going to show you how to take basic potatoes and turn them into crispy, well seasoned delicious fries!

If you've never made homemade steak fries in an air fryer, what are you waiting for? You'd be hard pressed to find a better use for your air fryer than cooking up a batch of crispy spuds. And when it comes to steak fries, those thicker cousins of traditional French fries, you can cook a batch to a crispy golden brown in about 20 minutes! But we have twist, and it has to do with extracting moisture from russet potatoes. Let's see how this one comes together.

Ingredients That Matter

Aside from potatoes, there's a handful of pantry ingredients that all play an important role:

• Russet Potatoes. Our favorite potato for all French fries, including steak fries, is russet potatoes. Their relative low moisture and high starch content mean you are more likely to get crispy exteriors and fluffy interiors compared to other potatoes. What about Yukon gold potatoes? No worries, they will work well, too! Gold potatoes have a higher moisture content compared to russets meaning steak fries from gold potatoes will have creamy interiors and less crispy exteriors. The same goes for other waxy (higher moisture) potatoes like red or baby potatoes.
• Vegetable Oil. Reach for a neutral cooking oil like vegetable, canola or peanut as these all have high smoke points (meaning they won't break down in the hot air fryer basket). Plus the neutral flavor (compared to extra-virgin olive or other more flavorful oils) won't distract from the potatoes themselves. Regular olive oil works well here too.
• Baking Soda. Before cooking, we soak our cut potatoes in a solution of water, baking soda, salt and vinegar. The baking soda encourages browning.
• Vinegar. As mentioned above, we give the potatoes a soak in an acidulated water. The vinegar helps strengthen the exterior and imparts a touch of flavor to the insides (no, they won't taste the least bit sour).
• Table or Sea Salt. Adding salt to the soaking liquid helps extract moisture from the potatoes, meaning you'll end up with fluffier insides. Salt also helps season our fries!
• Seasoning. This is completely up to your preference (or what you are serving them with), but adding a touch of seasoning just after they come out of the air fryer (while still hot) adds lots of irresistible flavor. Our seasoning of choice is Montreal Steak Seasoning, which has coarse black pepper, garlic, salt, red pepper and dill seed. Be careful not to add a spice mix with dehydrated onions or garlic (like this seasoning blend) at the beginning of air frying or the seasoning is bound to burn.

How to Make Air Fryer Steak Fries

Air Fryer Steak Fries is a simple recipe requiring minimal effort. Most of the time is hands-off, so it's perfect if you get them started at the beginning of making your meal. Set it and forget it!

• Scrub 2-3 medium russet potatoes then cut into ½-inch thick wedges.
• Place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add enough water to cover (at least 4 cups), then add 1 tablespoon each baking soda and vinegar (e.g. apple cider, white wine, sherry) and 2 teaspoons table or sea salt. Soak for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
• Dry well on clean kitchen towels.
• Toss with 1 tablespoon of a neutral oil.
• Preheat air fryer to 400°F. There's no need to use a cooking spray first! Add wedges to air fryer basket and cook for 12 minutes, then flip or toss gently in the air fryer basket, and cook another 10-12 minutes, until crispy.
• If needed, make a second batch with the same method.
• Just before serving, toss with your preferred seasoning. Serve with your favorite sauces (e.g. barbeque, ketchup, mayonnaise) and garnish with some fresh herbs.

Tips for Crispy Air Fryer Fries

Nobody wants soggy fries! Follow these tips to help ensure those fries come out of the air fryer hot and crispy:

• Soaking in the salty acidulated water will help ensure the potatoes get crispy and stay crispy longer. Yes, you can skip this step, but it's one we recommend to really elevate your air fryer steak fries!
• Be sure the fries are as dry as possible before cooking. If needed, lay a clean kitchen towel on a baking sheet or tray then place potatoes on top in a single layer. Use another towel on top to rub gently until they are super dry.
• Don't overcrowd your air fryer basket. You can likely fit more than a single layer of potatoes in your air fryer basket, but don't overdo it! Air fryers need room for the hot air to blow oil droplets throughout the basket, and if there's too much food, it'll struggle to circulate air.
• Serve immediately, or within 20-30 minutes. They will get crispy, but they won't stay crispy forever!
• Did you know if they don't stay crispy you can pop them back in the air fryer for another couple minutes until the exteriors are sizzling again? They'll be crispy in no time!
• And what about leftovers? Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat, you guessed it, in the air fryer!

Cooking steak fries in an air fryer means using less oil than regular deep frying. It's also a delicious way to turn basic potatoes into crispy yet pillowy soft fries. They are a perfect side dish to just about any meal.

Looking for serving ideas? Try our Easy Sour Cream and Chive Dip. Or sprinkle with our Homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning to give these a chili powder and garlic flavor.  Enjoy with your favorite barbeque sauce, honey mustard sauce, ketchup or cheese dip!

Our Favorite Air Fryers

Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer Oven

Cuisinart Air Fryer + Convection Toaster Oven

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