Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries
These Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan fries are so easy to make and so delicious! They are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. With just barely any cook time, you will be enjoying these buttery garlic parmesan fries as the perfect snack or side to your favorite meal!
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries
One of my favorite things in the entire world is garlic parmesan fries! I remember one of the first times I had them was at a baseball game! They were full of so much flavor and so good! In fact, they were so good that I wanted to make them every single day!

Thankfully I created this Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan fries recipe so that I could still enjoy them with way less oil and fat!
You are going to love how easy these are to make and how they taste especially with the delicious aioli sauce!
If you love air fryer fries be sure to try our air fryer sweet potato fries or our air fryer avocado fries!

How to Make Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries
- Cut potatoes lengthwise into ⅜” thick slices. Stack three slices at a time and slice lengthwise again to create ⅜” thick fries (batons). It’s ok if they’re a bit irregular, the thicker parts will stay soft, while the thin areas will get crunchy.
- Soak the potatoes in a very large bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain the water, rinse the potatoes, and place on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, blot dry thoroughly until you see no more wet areas. Dry the large bowl. These two steps are critical for getting crispy fries, do not skip.
- While the potatoes soak, mix the mayo with a squeeze of lemon juice, and remaining dip ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning and lemon to your liking. Cover and place in fridge.
- Place potatoes back in the bowl and toss with the oil, half of the salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Wipe out the bowl with a clean paper towel.
- Place potatoes in the basket of a large capacity air fryer and cook at 360℉ for 5 minutes. Toss, and cook at 390℉ for 15-18 minutes until golden brown, tossing every 5 minutes. If you have a few fries at the bottom that are pale and don’t seem done, remove all the others and cook the undercooked ones for another 2-3 minutes. Place the hot fries in the large bowl.
- Place the butter and garlic in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. This will gently cook the garlic as the butter melts. Gently toss the fries with the garlic butter and parsley, taste and add another pinch of salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with plenty of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Tips Tricks and FAQs
* If you overload your air fryer your fries will just steam and not brown well. If you have a smaller air fryer or bigger potatoes, divide them into more than one batch.
* Cooking the potatoes at a lower temperature for a few minutes allows them to par-cook and get them ready to become crispy! Cranking the temperature up 30 degrees after this initial first cook transforms the soft pieces of potatoes into magical crispy crunchy fries.
* Be sure to add all the toppings to your fries right away. They are best enjoyed right away.
* You can swap out the fresh garlic for garlic powder if you prefer.
* Add cilantro! If you have fresh cilantro on hand, finely mince a few tablespoons and toss the fries with it instead of the parmesan. Garlic cilantro fries are dangerously good!
* You will love the dipping sauce because it is so forgiving! If you add too much lemon add a scoop of mayo. Swap the parsley out for cilantro if you prefer or even add a squirt of sriracha to make your fries spicy

Can I use any variety of potatoes to make air fryer fries?
Russets are the best potatoes for air fryer fries. The others are too soft and have too much moisture.
Do I have to pre soak my fries?
While you don’t have to presoak your fries, I highly recommend it. Soaking the potatoes pulls out a lot of the starch. If you opt to not soak your fries they will be a little bit limper and won’t have the fluffy texture that you love.

Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries
These Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan fries are so easy to make and so delicious! They are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. With just 15 minutes of cook time, you will be enjoying these buttery garlic parmesan fries as the perfect snack or side to your favorite meal!
Ingredients
- 3 medium-size russet potatoes, washed
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or grated on Microplane
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Dipping sauce (aioli)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- Fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch dried parsley
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut potatoes lengthwise into ⅜” thick slices. Stack three slices at a time and slice lengthwise again to create ⅜” thick fries (batons). It’s ok if they’re a bit irregular, the thicker parts will stay soft, while the thin areas will get crunchy.
- Soak the potatoes in a very large bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain the water, rinse the potatoes, and place on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, blot dry thoroughly until you see no more wet areas. Dry the large bowl. These two steps are critical for getting crispy fries, do not skip them.
- While the potatoes soak, mix the mayo with a squeeze of lemon juice, and the remaining dip ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning and lemon to your liking. Cover and place in the fridge.
- Place potatoes back in the bowl and toss with the oil, half of the salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Wipe out the bowl with a clean paper towel.
- Place potatoes in the basket of a large-capacity air fryer and cook at 360℉ for 5 minutes. Toss, and cook at 390℉ for 15-18 minutes until golden brown, tossing every 5 minutes. If you have a few fries at the bottom that are pale and don’t seem done, remove all the others and cook the undercooked ones for another 2-3 minutes. Place the hot fries in the large bowl.
- Place the butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. This will gently cook the garlic as the butter melts. Gently toss the fries with the garlic butter and parsley, taste, and add another pinch of salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with plenty of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 863mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 6g
I’m Melissa, the imaginative force behind Sparkles to Sprinkles, where creativity comes to life, and sprinkles of joy are scattered generously. Melissa is a proud Jersey girl who found love with a New York boy. As a mom to four wonderful boys and a few fur babies, her journey into the world of blogging began after making the life-changing decision to stay home and raise her children. Previously a dedicated workaholic, Melissa’s blog became her creative outlet and passion project. Inspired by her mother-in-law, a masterful cook renowned for her delicious home-cooked meals and legendary holiday feasts (think mouthwatering sausage stuffing), Melissa honed her culinary skills through a combination of family recipes and countless cooking classes. She often attended these classes with her son Michael, who shared her enthusiasm for cooking from a young age. Melissa’s love for learning extends beyond familiar cuisines, as she enjoys exploring international recipes in hands-on cooking classes. Her blog features a diverse array of recipes, showcasing her expertise with various kitchen appliances such as the Instant Pot, air fryer, Slow Cooker, Ninja Foodi, Instant Vortex Plus, and more. Join Melissa on her culinary adventures as she shares tried-and-true family favorites alongside exciting new discoveries!