Chips are the reason most people buy an air fryer in the first place, and the method changes depending on whether you're starting from frozen, fresh-cut or oven chips. We ran all three methods side by side on the same day to compare results directly.
Frozen Chips
No oil needed — the coating on most frozen oven chips already contains enough fat to crisp. Cook at 200°C for 15–18 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes for even colour. In our test, frozen chips came out closest to chip-shop texture of the three methods, largely because the factory par-fry already sets up the right internal structure.
Fresh-Cut Chips
Soak cut potatoes in cold water for 20 minutes to remove excess surface starch, pat thoroughly dry, toss in a tablespoon of oil, then cook at 190°C for 20–25 minutes, shaking twice. Skipping the soak is the single biggest reason fresh-cut air fryer chips turn out gluey rather than crisp — the starch needs to be rinsed off, not just cooked away.
Oven Chips
Air fryers crisp oven chips faster than a conventional oven — expect 12–15 minutes at 200°C rather than the 20+ minutes the bag suggests, since that guidance is written for a full-size oven that takes longer to preheat and circulates air less directly.
Getting an Even Crisp
Whichever method you use, the basket needs enough space for chips to sit in a single, loosely spread layer rather than piled up — overcrowding is by far the most common reason chips come out unevenly cooked, with the bottom layer steaming rather than crisping.
Common Mistakes
Using too much oil is almost as common a mistake as too little — a heavy coating actually stops chips crisping properly because it takes longer to render off, leaving a greasy rather than crunchy finish. One tablespoon per full basket of fresh-cut chips is the right ballpark; frozen chips generally need none at all.