These simple instructions for How to Air Fry Frozen Oven Chips gives you all the tips and tricks you need to make quick and easy crispy golden chips with no added oil.
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I’m going to try and keep this post as short and to the point as possible. But what I do want to do is to discuss the many variables that you might find when buying chips that you want to air fry. From skinny french fries to fat chips, waffle fries, curly fries, ‘seasoned’ fries to skin-on chips and everything in between.
The actual recipe on this page uses very middle-of-the-road, mid-thickness, mid-quality, mid-price, bog standard chips. I wanted to give you a base from which to work from.
Because we’re talking about air frying chips that are designed for the oven, there is only one ingredient involved – the chips. You don’t need to add anything else. But you do need to know a few things to make sure that you get crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and beautifully golden chips out of your air fryer.
How to Serve
There is basically nothing that you can’t serve with some chips on the side. Or of course just chips on their own. So this whole section might in fact be redundant. But let me go ahead and give you a few meal ideas anyway:
- A pub classic – gammon steaks with pineapple rings, fried eggs, thick chips. and peas.
- And another – steak and ale pie, roasted carrots * parsnips, extra gravy and more thick chips.
- Go Americana – french fries, crispy chicken wings and creamy coleslaw.
- Load them up – once any type of chip is cooked, place in a a dish that fits in the air fryer, pile on lots of crispy bacon then top with a handful of cheese and air fry to melty perfection. Top with more bacon, spring onions and sour cream.
- The Parisian bistro option – griddled sirloin steaks, french fries, a light green salad and peppercorn sauce or garlic butter.
- The quick lunch – a tuna melt sandwich and fries of your choice. Perfect.
Ingredients
Chips
First let’s talk about what oven chips are, and how they differ from other types of frozen chips. Frozen oven chips were invented as an alternative to the first version of frozen chips which were designed to be deep fried. So far so simple. The “innovation” was to coat the frozen potato with a thin layer of oil. This means that when you put the chips into the oven they will get brown and crispy because of the oil on the surface.
As I’ve mentioned, there are numerous types of frozen oven chips available to buy now. You can use these basic instructions to cook any type. And to be honest, more and more are including air fryer instructions on the labels. But I do tend to find that very often, these cooking instructions seem to be an afterthought and not well tested. Unless they hugely thick chips, they don’t generally need to be cooking them low and slow. At the end of the day, we’re here for speed.
Not all oven chips are created equal and you’ll likely have a preference for ones you prefer. I find that some can be very dry inside. I generally prefer a really crispy French fry to a fatter chips. And I am weirdly partial to a curly fry.
You will find that many oven chips, especially ones with added seasonings will contain more ingredients than just potatoes and oil. In addition to flavourings, some have a light coating which is designed to make them extra crispy. I quite enjoy this style and they also cook in exactly the same way.
Optional Extra Ingredients
Just because you’re starting with plain oven chips, doesn’t mean that you have to end up with plain oven chips! There are lots of ways to add extra flavours and seasonings to the chips, try some of these ideas:
- Garlic & Herb Chips – Toss the frozen chips in a little bit of oil, garlic salt, dried oregano, thyme and parsley.
- Spicy Peri-Peri Chips – Coat the chips in a light layer of oil and sprinkle over a peri-peri seasoning mix or make your own by combining smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried chilli flakes and salt. Adjust the amount of chilli for how spicy you want them to be.
- Italian Cheesy Chips – Lightly coat in oil and stir through an Italian seasoning or mixed herbs blend. Mid way through cooking, sprinkle over parmesan powder or grate over fresh parmesan cheese.
- Chinese Salt & Pepper Chips – Combine crushed Sichuan peppercorns with garlic salt, a little sugar and dried chilli flakes. Add Chinese 5 spice powder if you don’t despise it like me. Mix with the frozen chips along with a little oil. You can also add some finely sliced fresh bell peppers and white onion for the full experience. Garnish with more of the seasoning mix and fresh sliced chillis.
Allergen Information
You will need to consult the ingredients on the particular chips that you buy. Some can have a light coating on them which contains wheat or even milk and/or egg powder. They are unlikely to contain nuts but it’s always best to check. Many options simply contain potatoes and vegetable oil so if you shop around you should be able to find free-from options.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Frozen Oven Chips
My medium thickness basic chips took 15 minutes to cook from frozen. They were piping hot, crispy on the outside and piping hot in the centre. These chips could have taken another 5 minutes in the air fryer if I wanted them even more golden.
Thin fries will take at least 10 minutes to cook. Thick chips will take at least 20 minutes to cook. Most curly fries and everything in the middle will also take around 15 minutes to cook.
Top Tips for Air Frying Frozen Oven Chips
Cook your oven chips from frozen. You don’t need to allow them to thaw. In fact this can make the chips go soggy rather than crispy. I know that feels wrong but the high heat of the air fryer evaporates the water content from the chips very quickly. If you let them thaw first all that water content just gets absorbed into the potato.
Ignore the “chips/fries” setting on your air fryer. Your air fryer has no way of knowing what kind of chips you’re cooking! All the pre-settings do is jump you to a specific combination of time and temperature. This can be useful in itself but I would never rely on them for cooking guidance.
Cook chips in a single layer, or as near as possible. Unlike the pictures that air fryer manufacturers love to include in their adverts, you simply cannot cook a full basket of chips at one time. (Can you tell this makes me a little angry when I see it!). Now you can add a little more than one layer but you will need to give the chips and shake and move them about in the basket multiple times. You may also need to add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
To cook a larger quantity of chips, you will need to work in batches. Cook each batch of chips until they are at least 3/4 cooked then set aside and move onto the next one. Once you’ve cooked all of your batches, throw all the chips back into the air fryer together. Air fry for the rest of the cooking time and maybe a few minutes more. Toss the chips every couple of minutes so everything has a chance to become piping hot at the same time ready to serve.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
How to Reheat Chips in the Air Fryer
If you’re here because you have leftover chips, check out my dedicated post for reheating chips from the chips shop. The same rules apply for reheating previously air fried chips.
How to Reheat Chippy Chips in the Air Fryer
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Air Fry Frozen Oven Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 g Frozen Oven Chips
Instructions
- If your air fryer requires pre-heating, start this setting now and allow it to run.
- Tip roughly 400g Frozen Oven Chips into the air fryer basket. Spread them out so they are mostly in a single layer where possible.
- Air fry for 15 minutes at 200c/390f.
- Open the drawer and give them a shake around halfway through the cooking. You can do this a couple of additional times especially if you have packed in the chips.
- Check the colour and crispiness and if you want them to be darker/crispier then continue air frying until they're to your liking.
Notes
- Oil – You don’t need to add oil to oven chips because they already contain oil in their coating. But if you want extra crispy chips, you can spray them with a little vegetable oil – this is a good idea too if you are going to add..
- Seasoning – You can add any seasoning you like to plain oven chips – try adding a little oil and the seasoning around 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time so it doesn’t catch and burn.
- The air fryer version of this recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I can just fit 400g of quite large straight cut oven chips in the basket at a time. They sit in pretty much a single layer and this gives plenty of room to allow air to circulate.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Karen says
The air fryer was much easier and the results were perfect, lovely crisp chips, fluffy on the inside.
Maddie says
Great instructions my chips turned out perfectly!