The Best 4 Ways To Reheat French Fries

I love french fries and always want to take the leftovers home, but the next day fries are normally far from satisfying after being reheated.

So I set out searching for how to reheat french fries the best way. Spoiler alert…my favorite way to reheat them is in the airfryer. I know, you’re probably thinking – where’s the anticipation? I thought I’d give you my favourite methods ranked in order to reduce your scroll time so you can get eating ASAP. When it’s time to eat fries, it’s time to eat!

There are 3 other ways you can reheat fries that still result in a crispy, delicious result. In this article, I give you the best methods to use for each and talk about how to reheat french fries so they taste just like they did the first time.

Why you’ll love these methods

Easy: All of these methods for reheating fries are super easy and some are even done in just a few minutes.

Just like the first time: Unlike when you use the microwave and the fries turn out all soggy and gross, the methods I discuss in this post create perfectly re-crisped French fries after reheating.

Looking for other reheat guides? Check out my blog post on the 7 Easy Ways to Reheat Rotisserie Chicken, my fail-proof way to reheat salmon, my fave way to reheat chicken wings in the air fryer, and for my baked pasta lovers, the best way to reheat baked ziti.

How to Reheat French Fries in the Air Fryer

As I mentioned above, the air fryer is by far the best way to reheat French fries. Not only is this method fairly fast, but the fries turn out crispy, taste like they were just deep-fried, and there is very little prep or clean up. Here are the steps you should take for perfectly reheated fries in the air fryer:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
2. Add about 1 cup of fries to the basket and spread them into a single layer.
3. Cook at 400°F for at least 5 minutes.
4. Shake the basket and feel a few of the fries to see if they are feeling crispy yet.
5. Continue to air fry the French fries until they feel crispy. Mine normally take around 10 minutes, but it also depends on the size of the fries. If they are shoestring fries they may only take 6-7 minutes. If they are steak cut fries, they may take 15-20 minutes.

How to Reheat French Fries in the Oven

Roasting

If you don’t have an air fryer, another great method for reheating fries is in the oven. While this process takes a little more time and uses more energy, the results of the reheated fries are tasty and crispy. Here is the process I used:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet, lay the cold fries in a single layer.
3. Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the fries.
4. Shake the pan or use a pair of tongs to turn the fries and bake another 5-10 minutes or until crispy.

How to Reheat French Fries under the Broiler

A faster way to reheat fries in the oven and make them crispy is by using the broiler. If you choose this method, you must watch the fries very closely the entire time they are in the oven so they don’t burn. And trust me when I say that it only takes a few seconds and poof! You have burnt fries! However, this method does create hot crispy fries and is a great reheat method. Here is what I did:

1. Turn on your broiler.
2. Using a rimmed baking sheet, lay the cold fries out in a single layer.
3. Place the baking sheet with the fries under the broiler.
4. Allow to cook 3-5 minutes, making sure to watch closely for any browning or burning.
5. Remove the pan and stir the fries around, they put them back into a single layer and place them back under the broiler for another 3-5 minutes.

These are my homemade garlic fries which reheat like a dream with these methods. They also remain super crispy thanks to the garlic butter.

How to Reheat French Fries in a Skillet

This is the last method but honestly, I like it better than using the oven when I have just a small batch of fries to reheat. Using a non stick fry pan or cast iron pan is a quick and easy way to crisp up leftover fries and there is very little to clean up. Here is what you can do:

1. Preheat a skillet over medium-medium high heat.
2. Add around 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cold fries into the skillet so the fries are laying in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. (This will depend on the pan size you use.)
3. Allow the fries to cook for a few minutes, then flip them in the pan either by flipping the pan or using a pair of tongs.
4. Flip the fries around every 2-3 minutes until you start to hear their crispness knocking on the pan as you flip them. When you hear that, the fries are finished and ready to eat. The amount of time it takes will depend on the size of the fries you are reheat.

Conclusion

In the end, leftover French fries don’t have to be eaten mushy and don’t have to be thrown in the garbage. Instead, using one of these quick and easy methods for how to reheat French Fries will give you perfectly crispy leftover fries every time! Enjoy!

Love the look of these? This is my take on the viral ‘Animal-style fries‘ from In-N-Out. The perfect movie snack that you now know how to reheat the leftovers with!