Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries

Ingredients

• 1 large potato (1 lb)
• 1-1.5 teaspoon salt, to taste
• ½ - 1.5 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ - 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (freshly shredded using the fine shredder on a box grater, or even packaged store-bought shredded Parmesan)
• ½ tablespoon dried parsley (or dried basil or Italian seasoning. If using Italian seasoning, make sure it doesn't have added salt)

Equipment

• Plastic brush or clean sponge to scrub the potato clean
• Box grater for shredded Parmesan cheese, if not using store-bought shredded cheese
• Garlic press or box grater for mincing garlic
• Large bowl
• Air fryer (the basket kind or the toaster oven kind, either one will work great!)

Should I peel potatoes to make fries?

French fries can be made with peeled or unpeeled potatoes. The peel contains a lot of nutrients and fiber, so I choose to keep it on. I always scrub the potato skin clean under running water using a clean plastic brush. If you don't like the skin, you can peel the potatoes.

What kind should I use to air fry potatoes? Can I skip the oil for air fryer fries?

I do not recommend skipping the oil because a little oil does help the fries get extra delicious and crispy, as opposed to being "steamed" in the air fryer. This recipe uses a tablespoon of oil for a huge potato, which is not a lot compared to deep-fried fries or even store-bought frozen fries that we air fry.

You can use almost any kind of oil for this French fry recipe because we are not frying at a high temperature: olive oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil will work. I usually use olive oil.

Do not cut the potato ahead of time, as it will turn brown

I recommend cutting the potato right when you're about to cook, otherwise the inside of the potato turns an unappetizing brown color when exposed to air. If you do want to prep the potato a little bit in advance (a few hours), make sure to really coat it in oil well.

What kind of Parmesan cheese to use

For this recipe, you can use freshly grated Parmesan or even store-bought shredded Parmesan (you know, the one in the green plastic container). If grating the cheese by yourself, use the fine grater on a box grater.

If you want these French fries to be vegetarian, make sure to buy vegetarian Parmesan, since traditional Parmesan is made with animal rennet, which is not vegetarian. 

Seasonings for French fries

I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Once the fries are cooked, you can always add more salt and pepper if you feel like they need more.

For this recipe I used dried parsley, but any kind of dried herb would work here—I love dried basil or Italian seasoning, which is a mix of dried herbs.

A little sweet paprika or smoked paprika is also a great addition here!

Instructions

Step 1: Scrub the potato clean. Cut potato into French fry sized pieces, taking care to make them all the same thickness so they cook evenly. The thinner the fries, the faster they will cook.

Step 2: Place the cut potato in a mixing bowl and pour oil over. Add 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and mix until fries are coated thoroughly in oil and seasonings. Give one fry a quick lick to taste and see if you need more salt or pepper. 

Step 3: Place the seasoned potato fries in the air fryer basket and air fry for 15 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit, shaking the fries halfway and checking on them after about 12 minutes to make sure they are not burning, since every air fryer cooks differently. (If your air fryer is an oven-style air fryer and requires preheating, make sure to preheat to 370F and check on the fries at 10-12 minutes first.

Step 4: Remove fries from the air fryer. Top with minced garlic and parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Serve garnished with parsley.