Oven-Baked Vs Air-Fried: Which Is The Best Method For Frozen French Fries?

The oven versus air fryer debate is long-standing, and it simply comes down to what you're cooking up. Frozen french fries are one of the foods that fall in the middle of this argument, as both methods can cook up your fries without the mess, hassle, and extra fat associated with deep-frying. However, if you want your fries to come out restaurant-style, the air fryer is the tool you should be using.

Air fryers are known for getting your food crispy. They do that by circulating the hot air quickly to remove moisture and crisp up your food, which is why you get that crunchy result. While a conventional oven, or even a convection oven if you have one, may be used for french fries, they struggle to give your fries that perfect crispiness — and that's largely due to their size. The air fryer's small cavity allows for concentrated heating to give your food that fried result. That said, if you're really looking for that fast food-style fry, the brand of frozen fry you choose does matter. Checkers/Rally's Famous Seasoned Fries are the best grocery store brand, according to Chowhound's testing.

Frozen fries are often difficult to get crispy, as many home ovens use still (non-circulating) air that traps excess moisture. While convection ovens have a fan and an air fry setting, its larger size does not allow for compact air circulation like an air fryer does — which is needed to crisp your fries to the fullest. The stagnant hot air from an oven is not ideal for crispy fries, and can leave your fries feeling mushy on the inside. Plus, you'll need to flip your fries halfway through baking so that they cook evenly in the oven, while the circulation in the air fryer allows for even cooking. Air fryers also cut your cooking time in half — oven-baked frozen french fries can take up to 22 minutes, while air fried fries take you around 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

That said, the oven may be necessary for larger batches, so it's still worth knowing how to make ultra-crispy fries in the oven. While you can recreate that deep-fried texture in the oven, it requires much more time and control than if you were to use an air fryer. The countertop appliance will help you achieve that perfect crispy fry with much less effort. If you try your frozen fries in the air fryer, you may never go back.