Air Fryer Smiley Fries

Air fryer smiley fries are quick and easy to make, and guaranteed kid-approved! Once you try air frying smiley fries I guarantee you’ll never cook them any other way!

How to cook smiley fries in an air fryer

Air frying is my favorite way to cook frozen smiley fries. It gets them perfectly crisp and golden in mere minutes. It is such a quick and easy way to cook them, the kids’ dinner can be on the table in no time.

And the best part is you don’t even need to turn your oven on (and wait for it to heat up etc. etc.).

Air frying is so much quicker and more convenient than oven baking, I also love that you can flip the food easily with a quick shake of the basket rather than having to flip all the fries over individually.

There are some frozen foods that I only use my air fryer to cook these days, because the results are just so much better than when they are cooked in an oven!

Smiley fries are one of these, but also air fryer frozen potato wedges, air fryer tater tots, air fryer pizza rolls, and air fryer curly fries will never again be cooked in an oven at my house!

Scroll down for the printable recipe card for these air fryer smiley fries, or read on for all the details.

What do you need?

1. An air fryer.

I have a Philips XXL air fryer*, but any powerful brand of air fryer should give the same results. If you have a less powerful air fryer you may need to increase the cook times a little.

Also you can, of course, cook these smiley fries in the oven. See below for the oven cooking method.

2. Your favorite brand of smiley fries.

We often get McCain Smiles, but any brand of potato smiles or smiley face potatoes will do. My kids certainly don’t care 😆

Directions

How to cook smiley fries in the air fryer

Step 1: Preheat air fryer to 360°F/180°C. This step is not required for all air fryers. However, I have found I tend to get better results using a preheated air fryer when the cooking times are short, so I do usually preheat mine when air frying food like fries (even though my brand doesn’t officially require preheating).

Step 2: Place the smiley fries in the air fryer basket. No need to place them in a single layer, but if they are piled up they will need to be shaken during cooking to redistribute them and ensure that they cook evenly. No oil spray is needed. 

Step 3: Air fry smiley fries for 8-12 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes to redistribute them, until they are golden brown and crispy. 

How to cook smiley fries in the oven

To cook smiley fries in the oven:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F/ 200°C (or 360°F/180°C fan bake).
• Place smiley fries on a baking sheet
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes flipping the over half way through the cooking time.

Serving

Serve smiley fries with your kids’ favorite dipping sauce and watch them disappear (the fries, not the kids)!

Here are some ideas for what you can serve with these potato smiles (hint, save time and cook them together in the air fryer):

• Air fryer fish sticks
• Air fryer sausages
• Air fryer pizza rolls

Storing and reheating

Store any leftover smiley fries in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, and use within 3 days.

You can reheat the smiley fries in the air fryer, air fry for 3-4 minutes until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat them in the microwave, for 1-2 minutes on high (though they won’t be as crispy as if you reheat in the air fryer).

Air Fryer Smiley Fries Recipe Card

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• Air fryer frozen pizza
• Air fryer frozen hash browns
• Air fryer waffle fries
• Air fryer broccoli bites
• Air fryer frozen foods