Tasty thin-cut french fries that are oil-free, quick, and easy thanks to the air fryer! Any potato type will do. Recipe includes an oven option. This is a whole food plant-based, oil-free, vegan, gluten-free recipe.
Fries, a favorite food for so many of us. I couldn't get enough of the fast food version when I was young - until I learned that there were often scientists that created that addictive flavor and texture I was enjoying, and many have over 10 ingredients. Suddenly, they weren't so appealing. Did you know that they are often not even vegan, with "beef flavoring" and dairy in the long ingredients lists? (You can usually find the ingredients lists on the restaurants' websites, which may be under something like "allergen info".) Plus, deep fried in oil - another hard truth about those crispy restaurant fries.
With an air fryer at home now, though, I'm enjoying fries again - a lot! Like, I could eat one of those platefuls pictured above in one sitting. A full pound. Easily. And I do that completely guilt free. In fact, I've actually lost weight doing it! This simple whole-food treat is so satiating yet relatively low calorie and nutrition-packed. I tend to eat less processed food throughout the day when I eat these fries. In fact, I just eat less food in general!
These french fries are made of just organic potatoes. Not even any oil at all! Usually, I add salt, too, but not always - it depends what I'll be dipping them into. They have a wonderful flavor and texture all on their own, without the work of any scientists or deep fried fat.
Try these fries with the Fry Seasoning!
About these oil-free air fryer french fries
This recipe is for making thin-cut golden french fries without using any oil. I've tried making them using a variety of potato types, and they all turned out great. There is no need to add any ingredients other than thin-cut potato strips, though if you'd like them to be salty it helps to add salt while the potato is raw so that it sticks well.
Ingredients and Variations
All that is needed for this recipe is one pound of potato(es). For long fries, it's best to use a single large one-pound potato. Gathering smaller potatoes to make a pound creates great fries that are just shorter in length.
Feel free to use whichever potatoes you'd like. Sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, or other colored potato varieties are each delicious and provide unique benefits. I've shown some options in the image below.
Equipment
All that is required for this french fry recipe is a proper knife and cutting board to slice the potatoes and an air fryer. A mandolin could be used to provide nice, even slices; just make sure you use a hand guard to protect yourself!
If you don't have an air fryer, your oven can make these fries without oil, too. Simply double the cook time, checking on them when they're almost done and adding more minutes if needed. They may not turn out quite as crispy as with an air fryer, yet still be delicious fries!
I like to use a silicone baking mat to keep my fries from sticking, though it's optional. The fries turn out about the same whether or not the mat is used.
This recipe is based on using an air fryer with a wide tray, as pictured below. Various air fryers may require some changes, such as more batches to cook one pound.
Instructions
This is an easy recipe! The most time-consuming part is slicing the potato(es), though you can have that done in about 10 minutes. That said, I encourage you to take your time and be careful.
Important safety tip: If it's getting challenging to cut a large, thick piece of potato into thin slices, don't. Instead, turn the big piece on its side and slice it into strips, then turn each strip on its side and slice that so that each strip is under a half inch thick. This process is so much safer than trying to slice through the wide part of the potato when you get down to an inch or two thick. Just turn it on its side and start making the strips and you can slice those strips down to size.
Serving
These french fries will be ready to eat straight out of the air fryer. Let them cool for a minute or two, then remove them from the tray and serve with whatever you like on your fries.
Storage
If you aren't able to eat the fries when they're fresh out of the oven, place them in a sealed container in your fridge and air fry them again when ready for about 5-10 minutes to return them to the desired texture and temperature.
Delicious with these toppings:
Oil-Free Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
Equipment
- air fryer If using an oven instead, double the cook time, then check for doneness.
- Chef's knife & cutting board or a mandoline
Ingredients
- 1 lb potato russet, red, yellow, purple, sweet - any
- salt & pepper to taste, optional
Instructions
- Wash and dry the potato(es), scrubbing if needed.
- Using a chef's knife and cutting board or mandoline, slice the potato utilizing its length to get the longest pieces, cutting the slices less than ½ an inch thick.
- Then, slice the potato into long pieces less than ½ an inch wide.
- Place the strips onto an air fryer tray, close together yet not touching. I like to line mine with a silicone mat - I find it doesn't take longer to cook. Fill the tray with the strips. If using salt, sprinkle it on now so that it will stick well.
- Air fry at 400 degrees for 18 minutes. Rotating half way through will ensure more even cooking. Add another minute or two if needed, until the fries are golden. If using a standard oven, double the cook time.