Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
These Air Fryer shoestring fries are crispy, crunchy, and incredibly easy to make. Instead of cutting potatoes into thin matchsticks, I use a box grater to create delicate potato strands that crisp up beautifully in the air fryer.
They're seasoned to perfection, and need just a tiny amount of oil to turn perfectly golden brown- just like with my air fried crispy noodles. If you're looking for a fun alternative to classic french fries, this recipe is definitely worth trying.
Over the last few months, I've been experimenting with different side dishes in my Air Fryer, and these shoestring fries have quickly become one of my favorites. They're incredibly simple, require very little prep work, and somehow end up even crispier than many traditional french fries.
Just like my Parmesan croutons and my favorite air fried tortilla strips, these are incredibly versatile, and barely take any hands-on time to make.
Quick Look: Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
- 🔪 Prep time: 8 mins.
- ⏲️ Cook time: 12 mins.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋 Main ingredients: Potatoes, paprika, salt, pepper, oil.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Grate potatoes → remove excess moisture → season → air fry until crispy.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Serve with burgers, sandwiches, wraps, grilled chicken, or a dipping sauce like lemon sour cream sauce.
Summarize & Save This Content With AI
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
- What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
- 💭Top Tip
- Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- How to Serve Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
- Troubleshooting and FAQs
- More Easy Side Recipes
- Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- You'll need minimal oil to make the most crispy and crunchy potato fries- all thanks to your trusty Air Fryer.
- It's quick and easy- the entire recipe comes together in under 20 minutes.
- It's super versatile. You can enjoy it as a snack with some Sriracha aioli or black pepper aioli, or serve it as a side with your favorite burger.
Recipe Ingredients
Potatoes: Russet potatoes work best because their high starch content helps create a crispy texture.
Seasonings: I kept it simple and used some paprika, salt and pepper. You can try using a different seasoning too- try my homemade lemon pepper seasoning or Creole seasoning.
Oil spray: To help the shoestring fries crisp up nicely.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want the fries to have some heat. I like using my Sriracha flavored salt or jalapeno salt if I have them at hand.
- Swap the paprika for smoked paprika to add extra smokiness.
- Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the fries immediately after cooking to lend them a delightful cheesy, nutty flavor.
How to Make Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
Step 1: Grate the potatoes into very thin strips using a box grater and transfer to a kitchen towel to dab away any excess moisture.
Step 2: Transfer to a lined Air Fryer basket, spread out in a single layer. Spray with cooking oil and mix well.
Step 3: Season with your choice of seasonings.
Step 4: Air fry at 400 F for about 12 minutes, moving the fries around a bit occasionally to get them crispy on all sides.
💭Top Tip
Getting rid of as much moisture as possible is the secret to perfectly crispy shoestring fries. Take an extra minute to squeeze and pat the potatoes dry before seasoning them. The drier they are, the crispier they'll become.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use Russet potatoes whenever possible. Other potatoes can work too, but Russet potatoes are best.
- Don't overcrowd the Air Fryer basket. I always follow this rule when I'm making my Air Fryer avocado egg rolls or even my air fried lemon pepper chicken legs. This ensures they come out golden brown and crispy every single time.
- Toss the fries once or twice during cooking for even browning.
- Every Air Fryer cooks a little differently, so you may need an extra minute or two of cooking time. I realized this when I made my Air Fryer buffalo chicken tenders.
- Serve the fries immediately for the crispiest texture.
How to Serve Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
These crispy fries pair perfectly with burgers (like my favorite chicken sloppy joes) hot dogs, sandwiches (like a simple smashed chickpea avocado sandwich), wraps, and grilled chicken.
They're also delicious served with ketchup, ranch sauce (like my cottage cheese ranch sauce), an aioli (think Chipotle aioli) or a spicy mayo (like my favorite jalapeno mayonnaise). I also love serving them as a crunchy snack platter alongside onion rings or tobacco onions, mozzarella sticks, and chicken nuggets when entertaining guests.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Store any leftover fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To bring back some of their crispiness, pop them back into the air fryer for 2-3 minutes before serving.
The most common reason is excess moisture. Make sure you thoroughly dry the potatoes before seasoning and cooking them.
More Easy Side Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Air Fryer shoestring fries or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Air Fryer Shoestring Fries
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Salt & pepper to season
- Cooking oil spray
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes into thin strips using a box grater.
- Transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and remove as much moisture as possible.
- Spread the potatoes in a lined air fryer basket.
- Spray lightly with oil and season with garlic, cumin powder, paprika, and salt.
- Air fry at 380°F for approximately 12 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking.
- Continue cooking until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Dry potatoes thoroughly for maximum crispiness.
- Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket.
- Cooking times may vary slightly depending on your air fryer model.
- Reheat leftovers in the air fryer for best results.
