Cheese fries in the Air Fryer
Crispy homemade fries tossed in American fries seasoning and covered in melted cheddar. Classic cheese fries straight from the air fryer, without a drop of deep-frying oil.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Grater
- 1 Oven-safe dish Must fit in the air fryer basket
Ingredients
Fries
- 1 kg baking potatoes Peeled
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp cornflour Gives an extra crispy surface
Fries seasoning
2 tsp paprika Sweet- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper Optional
1 tsp salt- 0.5 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
Topping
- 200 g cheddar Grated, ideally mature
- 2 pcs spring onions Thinly sliced
Instructions
Preparation
- Peel 1 kg baking potatoes and cut them into sticks about 1 cm thick, so they bake evenly.
- Rinse the potato sticks in cold water until the water runs clear. This removes the excess starch that would otherwise make them clump together in the basket.
- Pat the sticks completely dry in a clean tea towel. Water on the surface creates steam instead of crispiness.
- Toss the dry sticks in a mixing bowl with 2 tbsp rapeseed oil and 1 tbsp cornflour, so every side is thinly coated.
- Mix 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper in a small bowl for the fries seasoning.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Spread the potato sticks out in a single layer in the basket and bake them at 200 °C for 20 minutes, until they are golden and crispy.
- Shake the basket after 7 and 14 minutes, so the sticks bake evenly and turn crispy all over.
- Tip the hot fries back into the mixing bowl and sprinkle half the spice mix over them. Toss while they are still oily, so the seasoning clings.
- Transfer the fries to a small oven-safe dish, sprinkle the rest of the seasoning over them and spread 200 g cheddar evenly on top.
- Put the dish in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3 minutes, until the cheese has melted completely and starts to bubble.
Serving
- Sprinkle 2 pcs spring onions over and serve immediately, while the cheese still pulls into strings.
Notes
Tips for a perfect result:
Grate the cheddar yourself. Ready-grated cheese is dusted with potato starch, so it melts in clumps instead of smoothly. Never overcrowd the basket — if the sticks sit on top of each other, they steam and go soggy. Variation:
Replace a third of the cheddar with mozzarella for long strings of cheese, or turn them into loaded fries with jalapeños, bacon and crème fraîche. How to serve:
Serve immediately with ketchup, chipotle mayo or ranch dressing on the side. The cheese firms up quickly once the dish is left standing. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake the potatoes in two batches and only add the cheese at the very end.
Grate the cheddar yourself. Ready-grated cheese is dusted with potato starch, so it melts in clumps instead of smoothly. Never overcrowd the basket — if the sticks sit on top of each other, they steam and go soggy. Variation:
Replace a third of the cheddar with mozzarella for long strings of cheese, or turn them into loaded fries with jalapeños, bacon and crème fraîche. How to serve:
Serve immediately with ketchup, chipotle mayo or ranch dressing on the side. The cheese firms up quickly once the dish is left standing. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake the potatoes in two batches and only add the cheese at the very end.
Nutrition
Calories: 470kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 18gFat: 24gSaturated fat: 12gPolyunsaturated fat: 2gMonounsaturated fat: 7gTrans fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 900mgPotassium: 1100mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 600IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 380mgIron: 1.5mgNet carbohydrates: 42g
