Frozen french fries are a modern convenience that brings the restaurant into your own home (there’s a scientific reason chefs prefer frozen fries over fresh, after all). Whether you’re planning to enjoy them on their own with some kind of mouthwatering dipping sauce or they’re going to play a starring role in a larger dish, they are best served hot and crispy — which means most people turn to their oven or air fryer. But according to David Davidov, recipe developer and creator of The Cooking Foodie, you can help these appliances achieve that crispy texture by first taking advantage of this 30-second hack: briefly microwaving the frozen fries.
“I’ve actually tested this trick quite a few times when I needed fries fast but still wanted that satisfying crisp,” he said, informing us that microwaving frozen fries for a short time does two things: “It helps dry out any surface ice or moisture and also starts cooking the inside just a little.” Essentially, it gives them a bit of a head start so that when they go into the oven — or air fryer — “the outside can crisp up properly without the inside still being frozen or too firm,” Davidov said. He also added that this hack is “especially helpful if you don’t want to rely on deep frying.”
Which fries work best with this crisping hack?
Some frozen fries are going to benefit more from this crisping hack than others, and David Davidov had all the information we needed. “I’ve found that thick-cut fries, like steak fries or even crinkle-cut, benefit the most from that quick microwave step,” he said, adding that they usually take longer to cook through in the oven. And it’s true — if you’ve ever babysat steak fries while they were baking, it can take upwards of half an hour for all the pieces to turn golden brown. Who has time for that?
Thus, the little boost of pre-oven or pre-air fryer heat helps them avoid that undercooked center — and keeps the edges from burning. To help the fries cook and crisp evenly, too, be sure to either flip the fries (if you’re baking them) or shake the basket (if you’re air frying) halfway through.
That said, Davidov skips the microwave step when it comes to thin types of french fries like shoestrings or matchsticks. “They crisp up fast enough on their own and can turn brittle if you mess with them too much beforehand,” he explained.
