The Absolute Best Way to Reheat Fries in the Air Fryer
French fries
Whether you’re making a new mac and cheese recipe, heating up leftover pizza or whipping up pork chops for dinner, an air fryer is an absolute game changer and complete time saver. And this air fryer magic extends to one of our favorite foods: French fries.
The countertop cooker is great for cooking frozen fries, but it's also clutch for reheating leftover fries, which sog out in the microwave and take forever to crisp up the oven. But almost like magic, just a few minutes in a properly preheated air fryer can return your leftover fries to their previous crispy, crunchy glory.
To help you find out the best way to reheat fries in the air fryer, we tried a few different fry styles (regular, steak fries, sweet potato fries). Here's what you need to know.
Related: A Beginner's Guide to Air Frying
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Why the Air Fryer is the Best Way to Reheat Fries
It's fast. Nobody wants to wait for 15 minutes while the oven preheats. Air fryers preheat in just a few minutes and can heat your food up a lot faster than a traditional oven.
It's easy. Cleanup is simple because all you need is the air fryer and the basket inside of it. A pan or parchment paper isn't necessary if you don’t want to use them.
It gets them VERY crispy. Say so long to soggy fries. Because of the way air fryers circulate hot air inside the unit, anything you put inside will come out crispy. And if your fries aren’t crispy then how on earth can you enjoy them?
Nathan Hutsenpiller
What Kinds of Fries Can You Reheat in the Air Fryer?
Whether they’ve been frozen in your freezer or left over from last night's fast food run, you can use an air fryer to reheat all sorts of french fries. Sweet potato fries, curly fries, crinkle cut fries, waffle fries, steak fries and potato wedges are all great reheated in the air fryer. All you need to do is adjust the cook time based on the thickness or style of your fries.
How to Reheat Fries in the Air Fryer
Preheat the air fryer to 350°.
Arrange the French fries in a single layer inside of the basket, trying not to overlap too much
Set the cook time. Regular fries need 2-3 minutes, sweet potatoes need on the shorter end of that range and steak fries need to cook a bit hotter (375°) for a bit longer (5 to 7 minutes).
Halfway through cooking, check on the fries and give the basket a good shake. Replace the basket and finish cooking.
Remove and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces!
Nathan Hutsenpiller
Helpful Tips for Reheating Fries in the Air Fryer
Always preheat. While not absolutely required, if you preheat the air fryer it will be hot and ready for your fries. The preheated basket will help crank out crispier fries, which is really the whole point here.
Bring to room temperature. If you have time, bring your leftover frieds to room temperature before adding them to the air fryer. You don't absolutely have to do this, but we found it helped the inside of the fries stay soft while the outside crisped up.
Don't overcrowd. If possible, arrange the fries in the air fryer basket in a single layer with minimal overlapping. This will make sure the hot air can reach all sides of your fries, which will crisp them right up. If you have a lot of fries to reheat, split them into batches.
350° is your friend. Remember that the fries have been fried before. Reheating on too high of a temperature can result in the fries heating up too fast and becoming overly crisp, or even worse, burnt. Different air fryer models cook differently, too, so 350° is a safe place to start and you can adjust from there.
Dress them up. Herbs and spices are a quick and easy way to bring a whole new personality out of your leftover fries. Add some salt, pepper and paprika before showering them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for a truly elevated experience.
Nathan Hutsenpiller
What to Serve with Your Reheated Fries
For starters, you can’t go wrong with any leftover fries that come with some extra toppings. Got a serving of loaded chili cheese fries that needs to come back to life? Just plop that whole sucker inside the basket and let the air fryer work its magic. For a more complete meal, nothing goes better with french fries than a good cheeseburger or chicken wings. And if that’s not hitting the spot, there’s always the option of a homemade club sandwich or a juicy cut of New York strip steak to really bring the meal home.
Up next: 55+ Best Ninja Air Fryer Recipes That Prove the Do-It-All Appliance Can't Be Beat
