CopyCat McDonald’s Air Fryer Fries

Ingredients

8 cups cold water
3 tablespoons kosher salt (divided)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 medium russet potatoes
2 tablespoons beef pan drippings (from 1 pound of 80 percent ground beef)
2 tablespoons peanut oil

Directions

Pour the cold water into a large bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Then mix in the sugar, white pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Set the bowl aside.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Then peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips.

Place the potato strips into the large bowl with the prepared liquid. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. Drain and rinse the potatoes under cold water in a colander. Using paper towels, pat the potatoes as dry as possible. Set the potatoes aside on a large plate.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink. After you’ve finished cooking the ground beef, transfer the beef drippings to a small bowl. Save the ground beef for later use.

Pour the peanut oil into a small bowl.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the potatoes from the plate to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet so that the pieces are side by side.

Using a pastry brush, coat the fries with the beef drippings and then the peanut oil. Evenly sprinkle the fries with the remaining tablespoon of kosher salt.

Lightly coat the basket of your air fryer with cooking spray and set heat to 330°F.

While the air fryer is preheating, place the baking sheet of fries in the freezer for about 5 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the freezer. Place 1/4 of the potato strips into the air fryer basket and cook them for 4 minutes. Do not place the baking sheet back in the freezer.

After 4 minutes, flip the fries in the basket with a spatula to brown all sides evenly. Continue to cook the fries for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the fries are crispy and slightly brown. Transfer the fries to a cooling rack.

Repeat steps 11 and 12 for the remaining potato strips. Serve immediately.