Air-fryer Curly Fries with Chipotle Aioli

My first memory of eating French fries was at our local Jack in the Box. The Jack in the Box was a big deal when it opened because it was the only fast-food place in town. My friends and I would ride our bikes downtown, and for just a couple of bucks get a burger, a strawberry milkshake, and those divine salty, greasy fries! That was Heaven for this ten-year-old. I drove by that Jack in the Box earlier this week but sadly, it is no longer there.

I do still love a good French fry. That being said, I know these deep-fried delicacies are not the best thing for me, so I have been experimenting with healthier versions in my air fryer. My air fryer is not a separate appliance but is a setting on my Breville Smart Oven. Air frying is essentially convection cooking where the air is circulated around the food by a fan which allows it to get crispy all over. Roasting can create somewhat of a similar effect, but you won't get that overall crispness that air frying brings.

For these crispy, curly fries I used my spiralizer, though if you don't have a spiralizer, you could just do long strips of potato with a vegetable peeler. I served these with a homemade chipotle aioli, and they were a big hit! I have also listed some other variations of aioli below you may enjoy.

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Air-fryer Curly Fries with Chipotle Aioli

A healthier version of fries with a zippy chipotle chile aioli.

Course dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Air-fryer, Air-fryer French fries, Chipotle, Chipotle Aioli, Sprializer, Sprializer fries

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 spiralizer or sharp vegetable peeler If you use a peeler and your fries or thinner your cooking time may be reduced.
• 1 air-fryer or convection oven
• 1 air fryer basket or mesh rack
• 1 immersion blender For the aioli - you could whisk by hand but trust me - invest in one it's worth it.
• 1 wid-mouth jar

Ingredients

For the Fries

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. black pepper
• ½ t. garlic power
• ½ t. smoked paprika

For the Chipoltle Aioli

• 1 large egg at room temperature
• ½ t. lime juice
• 1 t. rice wine vinegar
• ¼ t. dijon mustard
• ¼ t. sea salt
• 1 clove granulated garlic
• 1 c. sunflower oil
• 1 T. of chipotle adobo sauce or use part of one cut finely diced

Instructions

For the Potatoes

• Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes then spiralize them using the larger spiralizer setting. If you do not have a spiralizer, use a vegetable peeler to make long, thin, strips.
• In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika and stir to combine.
• Toss the potatoes in a large bowl with the olive oil coating well. Add the spices and toss a few more times to distribute.

For the Aioli

• While the potatoes are cooking, make the aioli. Add all of the aioli ingredients into a wide-mouth jar and allow to settle for a couple of minutes.
• Using an emersion blender, place your stick blender in the jar and press it firmly to the bottom. Turn it on and keep it pressed against the bottom of the jar for at least 10-15 seconds.
• Once the aioli starts to emulsify and thicken, slowly move the stick blender up and down to fully combine the ingredients.
• Add the chipotle and pulse a few more times to combine. Store any unused aioli in a glass jar in the fridge for up to one week.

Notes

Variations of Aioli

 

Basic Garlic Aioli: Substitute lemon juice for the lime juice and eliminate the chipotle.

 

Pesto Aioli: Substitute lemon juice for the lime juice and add a couple of teaspoons of pesto in place of the chipotle.

 

Truffle Aioli: Substitute lemon juice for the lime juice, eliminate the chipotle, and substitute 1-2 t. truffle oil with the sunflower oil. (Be careful. A little goes a long way here!)