Air fryer curly fries are crispy and delicious as they make the best snack, side dish, or appetizer. Cooking frozen food such as frozen curly fries in the air fryer is such a breeze, the hot air circulates around the food and cooks it evenly, making your food crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Serve with crispy chicken wings and onion rings!
Thanks to the air fryer, you can now enjoy this favorite snack without all the guilt! These crispy curly fries are cooked directly from frozen and it is super convenient as you don't have to worry about a spiralizer, a gallon of oil, or seasoning.
I'm a big fan of cooking with air fryers, and I've found that cooking fries in the air fryer is always better than frying it oil or baking it in the oven. You will be amazed at how crispy and delicious they turn out using just your air fryer.
Related post: air fryer frozen potato wedges.
Why you will love these air fryer curly fries
- Air frying food such as fries makes gives you that crispy outer layer without all the additional unhealthy fat and calories. It is important to know that most frozen food already comes precooked and in this case, fries are already pre-fried. While fries aren't the healthiest meal out there, air-frying them gives them better chances.
- Depending on the brand you're using, curly fries come already pre-seasoned, which simply implies that all you need is one ingredient and your air fryer to make this dish. While this isn't really a recipe, following these steps to making your curly fries will ensure that they are crispy and delicious every time.
- You can enjoy these air fryer curly fries as a side dish or snack. They also make a great appetizer with any dipping sauce of choice.
What you will need
One bag of frozen curly fries of choice: I am using the Asda supermarket brand however, you can use any other brand of preference. Depending on your location, other popular brands available include but are not limited to Arby's frozen curly fries, Mccain, Iceland, Tesco, Aldi, Ore Ida, Kroger, and many more.
Favorite dipping sauce of choice: I love using ketchup, my homemade fries sauce, or chili mayo with these fries, you can use any dipping sauce of choice.
Salt to season after cooking, this is optional
How to cook frozen curly fries in air fryer
Preheat the air fryer at 200C/400F for 3-5 minutes, this recipe was cooked in an Instant Vortex air fryer (1700W) and it comes with an automatic preheat setting. For other types of air fryers, you may have to manually set this function. that said if using Cosori, just press the preheat settings instead.
Place the frozen curly fries in the air fryer basket making sure not to overfill the basket.
Air fry for 15-18 minutes or until crispy to your liking but not burnt, shaking the basket every 5 minutes for even cooking. Serve immediately and season with some salt if desired.
How much frozen curly fries can I cook at once
This will depend on the size of your air fryer basket. I cook a full bag of frozen curly fries (750g) in my 5.5L Cosori and 5.7L instant vortex air fryer which has a square-shaped basket. For other models and brands, you may have to cook the fries in batches especially if your basket is small or round-shaped as opposed to square or rectangular.
Tips
- There is no need to thaw the fries, air fryer them directly from frozen to avoid soggy fries.
- Do not fill the air fryer basket more than halfway for a better cooking result. Remember to shake the basket at least once to help the food cook evenly.
- If you want extra crispy fries, you can coat them lightly with some oil before air frying. This step is, however, not necessary.
Storage information
These fries are best served fresh, that said if you have any leftovers then store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat in the air fryer cook at 165C/350F for a few minutes for about five minutes or until warm through to your liking.
More air fryer recipes you will love
Frozen Curly Fries in Air Fryer
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen curly fries of choice (750g)
- Favorite dipping sauce of choice to serve
- Salt to season after cooking this is optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer at 200C/400F for 3-5 minutes
- Place the frozen curly fries in the air fryer basket making sure not to overfill the basket.
- Air fry for 15-18 minutes or until crispy to your liking but not burnt, shaking the basket every 5 minutes for even cooking. Serve immediately and season with some salt if desired.
Notes
- There is no need to thaw the fries, air fryer them directly from frozen to avoid soggy fries.
- Do not fill the air fryer basket more than halfway for a better cooking result.
- Spray the fries with cooking oil if you want, however, this is not necessary.
Nutrition
FAQs
How long to cook frozen curly fries in air fryer
Cooking time for frozen curly fries will vary depending on how thick or thin your fries are as well as the wattage of your air fryer. That said, most curly fries would cook between 14-20 minutes depending on how crispy you want them.
Do I have to preheat the air fryer
This is optional, however, for frozen food, I believe preheating the air fryer gives the food a better chance and a good head start in the cooking process. If you don't have a preheat function on your air fryer, just set the timer for about a minute or two longer to make up for it.
Do I need to season my frozen curly fries
Yes, you if you bought plain curly fries. That said, most do come pre-seasoned. If you do want to season yours try smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, onion granules, garlic granules, and salt. You can never go wrong with this simple seasoning.
Can I cook them in the oven
Yes, you can cook curly fries in the oven. Place the curly fries onto a baking tray and cook in the center of a pre-heated oven at 220C / 425F Fan 200ºC for 18-20 mins or until crispy turning occasionally for an even cooking.
If you made this easy air fryer frozen food recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback and rate it 5 stars. Tag us @cravingsmallbites on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest
Leave a Reply