One of our favorite things about going out is ordering a big basket of fries to share with the table — or to mindlessly nibble on at the bar while the bartender keeps the cocktails coming. But sometimes, we want that goodness from the comfort of our linen sectional, with a Nancy Meyers movie on the small screen. And let’s face it: takeout French fries just aren’t the same. They get cold and saggy by the time they make it home, and even if you warm them up in the oven, the texture is still nowhere near that of piping hot fries fresh out of the deep fryer. Luckily, air fryer French fries are an impressively close second.

There are a few secrets to truly awesome air fryer French fries. First, size and shape are key, so take your time when julienning the potatoes to get the perfect thickness. Second, when blanching the potatoes, always make sure the water is seasoned enough. Potatoes love salt (of all foods, they can handle the most and still stay palatable), so don’t be afraid to make your blanching water as salty as the sea — especially since the tubers only stay in the water for three minutes.

Finally, air fry the julienned potatoes in batches and spread them out on the tray, so they really crisp up and don’t just steam. Once all the batches are finished, you can warm them up all together in the air fryer for a few minutes before sprinkling them with our favorite, crunchy flake salt.

The result? Super crispy fries full of fresh potato flavor. And boy, are they good with ketchup! In fact, we were going to make a fancy sauce for these fries in the test kitchen … but we loved them with ketchup so much, we ate the entire batch before we could even begin dreaming up another sauce. (Oops!) No matter what you dip them in, these french fries will be fantastic for everything from backyard happy hours to burger night to sharing with the (dining room) table.

Our tip: Watch your fingers when julienning the potatoes! All their starches can make them slippery, so wield your chef knife with care.