These tasty garlicky cheesy rosemary fries are like something from your favorite pub or restaurant, but so much easier and healthier to make at home in your air fryer!
We’ve been eating a lot of air fryer fries lately, while I’ve been testing recipes such as omelettes and sandwiches which needed easy side dishes, and it’s been super fun to find ways to dress them up and make them extra tasty. Given how simple air fryers have made it to prepare deliciously crispy fries, it can be worth redirecting some of that saved effort into making them extra delicious!
These rosemary fries are an absolute favorite here, using fresh rosemary, garlic and optional cheese to bring a huge punch of flavor. They are the perfect pairing for burger night, or if you have a dual zone air fryer you can make them in combination with another dish to complete a meal (some suggestions to follow!)
Ingredients & Swaps
- Frozen fries: For me, rosemary fries are best when they are on the skinnier side (not shoestring fries, I am just thinking more the size of American style fries than British style chips). The extra surface area and extra crispiness keeps all the flavors strong and punchy. I find it much easier and more reliable with this size fry to simply buy a bag of frozen fries rather than to cut them myself, and this is what the recipe reflects. If you want to make these fully from scratch, just follow the instructions on my air fryer truffle fry recipe and then come back to this recipe at the end.
- Garlic: Four cloves of crushed garlic is about right to give a strong hit of flavor without it overwhelming the rosemary.
- Rosemary: The fresh stuff! You want a good heaping tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary.
- Salted butter: We melt the butter with the rosemary and garlic infused, which helps it all to stick to the fries at the end (and adds a little richness too). You can use a neutral flavored oil if you’d prefer.
- Cheese: Something strong like parmesan or pecorino, finely grated, is a nice touch but it’s optional.
Air fryer fries – how to get it right
- Check if your frozen fries have air fryer instructions on them – many brands do now! If so, follow that cook temperature and time rather than the instructions in my recipe.
- Don’t worry if they overlap in the air fryer – In a larger air fryer they may not overlap much, in a smaller one they will. In my own experience, if you’re using frozen fries, they will crisp up pretty well regardless because they tend to be coated in starches which provide extra crispiness. My own compact Philips air fryer can handle these perfectly well despite a lot of overlap. Just be sure to shake them a few times while they cook.
- And my usual reminder that all air fryers are different, and this is more and more true as they get larger and different styles come on to the market. The fan strength will be different in all of them. So check in as you cook when you make these for the first time!
Dual zone air fryer pairings…
If you have a dual zone air fryer, these dishes would pair perfectly with your rosemary fries to complete the meal in the air fryer.
Air Fryer Rosemary Fries
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen fries
- 1 Tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsps parmesan or similar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 200C / 390F.
- Meanwhile, place the butter, rosemary and garlic in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring regularly, until the butter is just melted. The garlic and rosemary might start to get fragrant but you don't need them to sizzle or cook.1 Tbsp rosemary, 1 tbsp butter, 4 cloves garlic
- Pour the butter, garlic and rosemary mix into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place your fries in the air fryer and cook until crispy – around 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Once done, immediately add them to the mixing bowl and toss to get them all coated with the rosemary and garlic. Add half of the cheese, if using. Add salt to taste.1 lb frozen fries, 2 tbsps parmesan or similar cheese
- Pour onto a serving dish and add the remaining cheese on top. Serve immediately.
Equipment
