Lemon Garlic Air Fryer French Fries

4.37 from 25 votes
Jump to Recipe

This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Lemon Garlic Air Fryer French Fries – delicious crispy crunchy lemon garlic seasoned air fried french fries that use a fraction of the oil of deep fried french fries and are crunchier than baked!

picture of french fries in a basket in front of an air fryer

Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.

At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – my goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help everyone better understand the processes we use – and why!

Air Fryer Lemon Garlic French Fries

Lemon and garlic are two of my favorite flavors – and when covering crispy, crunchy french fries, it can’t be beat!

If you’re craving a great side dish, these Lemon Garlic Air Fryer French Fries can’t be beat!

These french fries are crispy, crunchy, and totally addictive… but you can feel a lot better about serving them to your family since they use a fraction of the oil of regular french fries.

These fries are a spin off of my favorite easy side dish – my Easy Air Fryer French Fries recipe and my crunchy baked french fries recipe.

They are delicious on their own, or paired with Air Fryer Tri Tip Steak, Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin, Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs and Mushrooms!

picture of a french fry with ketchup on it

Tips and Tricks to Perfect Air Fryer Fries

These easy tips and tricks will help to ensure the best crunchy air fried french fries, every time – without the oil. Oil is easiest – but these will give you a fried crunch, without oil.

What Potatoes For French Fries. Russet potatoes give a classic french fry flavor. Leave skins on, but be sure to wash potatoes well and scrub off any excess dirt, remove any eyes or bruises.

Use Mandoline To Cut Fries. Cut potatoes with a mandoline for easy, perfect sticks that will crisp up well.

Soak Fries. Make sure your fries soak for at least one hour in a large bowl of cold water – preferably changing the water after 20 minutes or 30 minutes with fresh new cold water. Soaking in water helps remove some of the starch, which will help them crisp up better!

Dry Fries Completely. Make sure your fries are very very dry after soaking. Pat them with paper towels or a clean dish towel to be sure there is no residual moisture. Wet fries = soggy fries.

picture of french fries in a basket

What is an Air Fryer

If you’ve never heard of an air fryer, it’s a bit like an Instant Pot – but for fried foods.

An air fryer is a medium sized kitchen appliance that is easy to use with a ton of different foods.

Air fryers provide lightning quick cook times and easy cleanup – with about 2 tablespoons of oil instead of quarts like a traditional deep fryer.

picture of french fries in a basket in front of an air fryer

What Kind of Air Fryer to Make Fries

I have a Phillips Air Fryer I got from my parents – and we’re loving it!

We also have a Ninja Foodie – and I love how it acts as both an air fryer AND a pressure cooker – all in one!

I had my friend test this with her Instant Pot Air Fryer as well.

Additionally, you can use an Instant Pot with a broil or air fry function, along with a crisping lid!

Click here to buy a crisping lid for your instant pot. Scroll to the next section for all the tips you need to make this recipe in an instant pot.

Air fryers are super easy, quick, and make cleanup a breeze.

I can’t wait to make more recipes in it!

These healthier french fries are one of my favorite uses for this machine, ever! 

How To Air Fry French Fries in an Instant Pot

  • Prep fries as called for in recipe below.
  • Place the potatoes in the CrispLid basket
  • Place the trivet and the basket inside the inner steel pot
  • Place the Crisplid lid on the top of the inner steel pot.
  • Set to 375°F and follow instructions in recipe below.
picture of french fries in an air fryer basket

Lemon Garlic French Fry Seasoning

These fries use a lemon garlic dry rub for their flavor that is super easy to mix ahead of time.

While you can use dried lemon zest, fresh lemon zest always gives the best flavor.

picture of french fries in a basket in front of an air fryer

Other Easy Air Fryer Recipes

Not convinced on grabbing an air fryer yet?

These delicious, easy, and simple air fryer recipes will make you fall in love with this fabulous appliance!

Try these other air fryer recipes:

picture of french fries in a basket

If you love this easy recipe please click the stars below to give it a five star rating and leave a comment! Pease also help me share on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Follow on Instagram

Follow
picture of french fries in a basket

Only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? Sign up for my 30 minute dinner plans direct to your inbox!
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week – and be sure to tag @sweetcsdesigns on social media – I love to see your creations!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
4.37 from 25 votes

Lemon Garlic Air Fried French Fries

By: Courtney O’Dell
Servings: 8
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Soaking Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Close-up of lemon garlic seasoned, crispy Air Fryer French fries.
Lemon Garlic Air Fryer French Fries are a zesty and healthier alternative to traditional fries, crisply cooked in an air fryer and tossed with a bright mix of lemon zest and garlic.

Equipment

  • 1 Ninja DZ201 Foodi 8 Quart 6-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer with 2 Independent Frying Baskets, Match Cook & Smart Finish to Roast, Broil, Dehydrate & More for Quick, Easy Meals, Grey

Ingredients 

  • 2 lbs potatoes, russets or Yukon golds are great options!
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Italian Herb Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

Instructions 

  • Wash potatoes under cold water and scrub with a bristled brush to remove any dirt.
  • Rinse under cold water.
  • Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch strips.
  • Dunk fries in large bowl with cold water and let sit 20 minutes.
  • Drain water and refill with new cold water, let sit additional 40 minutes.
  • In a small bowl combine the dry seasonings and whisk. 
  • Drain the potatoes and dry thoroughly between paper towels.
  • In a large bowl, combine potatoes, oil, and seasonings.
  • Mix well with your hands to ensure an even coating. 
  • Pre-heat the Air Fryer to 400F.
  • When ready, dump the fries into an even layer.
  • Close and set the time for 20 minutes. I personally like more crunch, and set mine at 25 minutes.
  • Shake halfway through. 
  • The entire batch can be cooked at once.
  • To do more than one batch, doubling is fine.
  • Simply keep the cooked fries on a baking sheet in the oven at 225F to remain warm until you’re ready to serve.
  • Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, parsley, and of course ketchup! 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 51kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 0.4mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetcsdesigns or tag #sweetcsdesigns!

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet Cโ€™s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

You May Also Like

4.37 from 25 votes (25 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. Shadow El Perro says:

    The step of thoroughly drying the potatoes between steps 6 and 7 is omitted in the recipe.

    1. Katherine says:

      Thank you, fixed it!