Enjoy Crispier Frozen Air-Fried French Fries Using An Ingredient You Always Have On Hand

Frozen french fries are supposed to be easy. Throw them in the air fryer, give them a shake, cook, and they're done — you have a super quick, low-effort side dish. But if you've ever pulled out a basket of too-soft french fries, you know the results can be downright disappointing. The good news is that there's a surprisingly effective fix making the rounds online, and it uses an ingredient you already have: water.

To make frozen french fries cook up crispy, start with your favorite bag of frozen french fries (try one of these best store-bought fries). Take them straight from the freezer (no defrosting or thawing). Empty your portion into a bowl of cold water. Let them soak for 30 seconds. Drain and add to a square or rectangle-shaped container with a lid. Shake aggressively to rough up the surfaces.

Using the same container and keeping the lid on, microwave them for five minutes. Now you can add them to your air fryer basket, spreading them out in a single layer so they're not overlapping. Cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Overcrowding the basket will leave some fries undercooked. You need to make sure the heat can get every single fry.

Once they're done, move fries to a bowl and add a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt — but you don't have to stop there. Try some different types of seasoning for your french fries, like garlic salt and paprika.

Soaking your frozen potato sticks in water might sound weird at first — aren't we trying to get rid of moisture, not add more? But it actually does the opposite of what you may think it does, because most frozen fries are par-cooked before freezing. So, the starches on the outside of the fries create tiny ice crystals that form all over each fry when frozen. Soaking them in water rinses off the excess starch on the surface of the fries. Roughing up the fries after submersing creates these wonderful edges that make them all crispy when air-fried. 

The cold water makes sure the insides of the fries stay frozen while the outside gets softer. That contrast is what helps them cook up fluffy inside while developing a crisp exterior. That makes it worth adding an extra few minutes to your fry routine.

You don't need specialty fry seasoning (although some good seasoning can improve the taste of your fries) or other secret ingredients, but if you want to take things further, this is also the perfect time to experiment with flavor. In addition to garlic salt and paprika, you can try chili powder, Cajun seasoning, ranch seasoning, grated Parmesan, or even a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Tossing spices with the oil after cooking helps them cling evenly.