Showerthought: I tried frozen fries versus fresh cut potatoes in my air fryer

Honestly, I used a bag of store-bought crinkle cuts and some russets I chopped myself, both at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. The fresh ones came out way crispier on the outside and fluffier inside, with just a little oil and salt. Anyone got a good seasoning blend for homemade fries?

3 comments

3 Comments

henrycooper23d ago

Yeah fresh cut always wins for me too, that texture is unbeatable. For seasoning I do garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and a tiny bit of cayenne. Sometimes I'll toss them with a packet of that powdered ranch dressing mix before they go in, sounds weird but it's so good.

skylerb1523d ago

Have you ever tried adding a little cornstarch to your flour mix before frying? @henrycooper, your ranch powder trick got me thinking about other dry mixes. That cornstarch method gives an extra crispy shell that holds onto seasonings like your cayenne blend so much better. It's a small change but it makes a huge difference in getting that perfect crunch without getting soggy.

anna_henderson16d ago

Frozen fries are way more consistent though. Fresh potatoes have too much water, they steam instead of crisp up half the time. A good brand of shoestring fries from the freezer gets that perfect golden crunch every single time without any guesswork. You can still add all those seasonings to the oil or toss them after.