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Food Network

The best air fryer French fries are made with the right kind of potatoes: Beneath their thick skins, russets are packed with starchy flesh that is often described as “fluffy.” Aside from sounding adorable, that means fries with soft and tender insides. For golden and crunchy outsides, be sure to rinse away excess starch from the cut potatoes: simply give them a quick, cold shower, or for extra crunchy fries, you can soak them in water overnight in the fridge. Drain and pat dry to remove as much moisture as possible. Your air fryer will do the rest: a fan and heating element combine to force hot air all around the potatoes for crunchy-tender fries with only a slight coating of oil.

• 1medium russet potato (about 6 oz), unpeeled
• 1tsp olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prep:

Preheat air fryer to 380°F.

Cut the potato in half lengthwise, then into ¼-inch slices. Cut the slices into ¼-inch sticks. Put the fries in a medium bowl and rinse them well with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Toss the fries with the oil in a medium bowl, then sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and several grinds of pepper.

Air Fry:

Working in batches, if necessary, put the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket with no overlapping and cook, turning them halfway through, until golden-brown and crisp, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove and season with salt.