Air fryer french fries are the bee’s knees, cats pajamas, and everything in between. They’re crispy, crunchy, and virtually fat free. With normal fries the fat that’s used to fry the potatoes leaves you with a high calorie side all on its own. Add ketchup and you’ve got yourself an absolute calorie bomb. Delicious, no doubt, but difficult to squeeze into a healthy diet.
The beauty of air fryer french fries is that you have a ton of room to play with when it comes to toppings and condiments. Plain ol’ french fries and ketchup is a force to be reckoned with. But when we’re talking about loading french fries up with bacon, cheddar cheese, and lathering all that in ranch, that’s next level.
These bacon ranch air fryer french fries are big enough that they should probably be shared with a friend. Let’s say you’re a growing boy or girl like myself, however, and decide to eat the entire thing on your own. They’ll only cost you 378 calories and provide 23 grams of protein in the process. For the sake of comparison, a medium Waffle fries from Chick Fil A has 360 calories and only 5 grams of protein.
Good luck replicating their customer service though.
How to Make Air Fryer French Fries
For this recipe, I used the 5.2L XL Air Fryer from Simple Living Products which they were kind enough to send me. If you’re using a different air fryer for the recipes below, know that times may vary slightly.
Like I mentioned in my initial air fryer recipes roundup, there can be a bit of trial and error involved with air frying. But once you have a recipe pinned down, you’re good to go.
Beyond the air fryer, you really won’t need much else. There are only three primary ingredients for the fries—potatoes, bacon, and cheese. For the optional ranch dipping sauce, you’ll only need Greek yogurt and ranch dip seasoning. So, five ingredients total.
If you wanted to season your fries a bit more, check out my copycat Wingstop fries recipe, air fryer carrot fries, or air fryer potato chips recipes.
I don’t have many ingredient notes for you that I haven’t included in the actual recipe notes section below. Though if you’re curious about how to cut potatoes for french fries, you might find the video below helpful.
How to Cut a Potato for French Fries
There are probably a million ways to do this, but the video below demonstrates how I like to do it. The video also goes through the entire recipe in case you have any questions about a step in the recipe.
That’s about all ya need to know for these air fryer french fries. It’s a simple recipe, and I’ve probably said too much already in true food blog fashion.
Bacon Ranch Air Fryer French Fries
How to make crispy air fryer french fries with bacon, cheddar, and homemade low calorie ranch dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 (300g) Russet Potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 C (28g) Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar
- 2 slices Cooked Bacon, I used Al Fresco chicken bacon
- 1/8 tsp Salt and Pepper, to taste
Ranch Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 C (57g) Fat Free Greek Yogurt, plain
- 1/4 tsp Ranch Dip Mix, up to 1/2 tsp to taste
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into fries and add to the air fryer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (You can also toss the fries in seasoning in a large bowl before adding for optimal coating.)
- Cook at 400 for 10-12 minutes. (Time depends on air fryer and size of potato slices. I will say I've cooked them for 15 minutes without any burning if you like extra crispy.)
- When the fries are as crispy as you’d like, top with diced bacon and cheddar before going back in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes.
- Mix the Greek yogurt and ranch dip for topping or dipping.
Notes
- Each serving has 7 Smart Points.
- For creamier ranch dipping sauce, add 1-2 Tbsp light mayo to the Greek yogurt and ranch dip mix.
- Feel free to swap the chicken bacon for pork bacon, turkey bacon, or even raw bacon.
- There are also fat free cheddar products out there with half the calories of reduced fat cheddar. This would save you 45 calories and 4-5 grams of fat for the entire recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Servings Serving Size: 1 ServingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 190Total Fat: 4gCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 11g
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Meagan
Thursday 2nd of May 2019
Would you soak these fries for 15-20 minutes before cooking, like you do for the Nacho fries?
Mason Woodruff
Wednesday 8th of May 2019
You could! It definitely gets them a bit crispier. But with "loaded" fries like these, I think it's almost better to have the thicker cut, slightly softer fries.
Monica
Wednesday 9th of January 2019
My husband is one of those people who can whatever he wants and still be thin, meanwhile I inhale too much air and gain 5 pounds LOL. So healthy changes have been SO much easier and tastier following all of Mathew’s recipes especially Takes on classics like these that don’t feel like you’re giving anything up. And easier on myself not having to make a separate dinner because everyone loves these!!! Hands down so delicious and crispy and the air fryer is a must have item!