Air fryer chips are easy.
Really good air fryer chips take just a little more thought.
For us, that means getting them crisp on the outside, fluffy in the middle and making sure they’re properly seasoned.
Because there’s a big difference between chips with salt on them and chips that actually taste of something.
You can use frozen fries, fresh-cut chips or potato wedges.
All three work well with seasoning.
Fresh potatoes give you more control over the finished result, while frozen fries are unbeatable when you need something quick.
Either way, seasoning is where you can make them your own.
This depends on the seasoning and the type of potato you’re cooking.
For fresh wedges and chunkier chips, a light coating of oil and seasoning before cooking works brilliantly.
For thinner fries, you can also season immediately after they come out of the air fryer.
The heat and surface oil help the seasoning stick.
You can even do both: a lighter seasoning before cooking and a final dusting afterwards for a bigger flavour hit.
Buffalo Dust is particularly good on fries.
Cook until crisp, season generously and serve with a creamy mayo or sour cream dip.
Add cheese, spring onions or cooked chicken and you’ve got the starting point for some seriously good loaded fries.
Cajun-style seasoning is another classic choice.
It brings warmth, spice and plenty of flavour without needing lots of additional ingredients.
Serve alongside burgers, grilled chicken or simply with mayo.
Garlic and potatoes are rarely a bad idea.
A garlic-led seasoning such as Hot Honey Garlic Butter can take fries in a richer, sweeter and slightly spicy direction.
They’re particularly good alongside chicken burgers, wings or steak.
Once you’ve mastered the fries, start adding toppings.
Cooked chicken, pulled pork, beef, melted cheese, jalapeños, onions and fresh herbs all work brilliantly.
Then add sauce.
A seasoned mayo can bring the same flavour profile through the entire dish.
For example, use a seasoning on the chicken, another dusting over the fries and a smaller amount mixed into mayo.
Potato wedges are even easier to season because there’s more surface area for the flavour to cling to.
Cut your potatoes into wedges, add a small amount of oil and coat them evenly with seasoning.
Air fry until crisp outside and tender in the middle.
Serve them as a side dish or make them the main event with dips and toppings.
This is one of the easiest upgrades you can make.
While the potatoes are in the air fryer, mix some seasoning into mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yoghurt.
By the time your chips are ready, you’ve got a homemade dipping sauce waiting for them.
Try adding lemon juice to yoghurt dips or a touch of hot sauce to mayonnaise if you want to take them further.
If you’re cooking for several people, split a batch of fries into different bowls after cooking.
Season one with Buffalo Dust, another with Cajun and another with a garlic-style seasoning.
Put a couple of dips in the middle of the table and you’ve suddenly turned a bowl of chips into proper sharing food.
That’s what good seasoning is all about.
You don’t always need a complicated recipe.
Sometimes it’s just potatoes, a little oil, your air fryer and a seasoning you love.
And when the chips taste that good, nobody’s complaining that dinner was simple.
Subscribe now
