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Crispy, cheesy and infused with rich truffle flavor, these air fryer polenta fries are the ultimate gourmet snack or side dish. Made from creamy polenta chilled and sliced into fry-sized pieces, then air fried until golden, these are perfect for dipping in a garlicky truffle mayo. Whether you’re serving them as an appetizer or alongside your favorite main, they’re a unique and satisfying alternative to standard fries. You won’t believe how easy these are to whip up.
Air fryer polenta fries are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and packed with cheesy, garlicky truffle flavor. Serve with truffle mayo for a next-level snack or side.
Also try delicious mushroom focaccia bread as a side dish. These steak nachos are also really good, or you might like colorful rainbow roasted carrots.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to make: Just cook, chill, slice, and air fry.
Full of flavor: Truffle oil, parmesan and herbs make these fries anything but boring.
Crispy texture: The air fryer delivers perfect golden edges.
Impressive but simple: They look fancy but don’t take much effort.
Great for dipping: Truffle mayo takes them over the top.
Air Fryer Polenta Fries Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Polenta: Forms the base of the fries with a creamy texture once cooked.
Chicken stock: Adds depth of flavor to the polenta.
Garlic: Builds savory flavor throughout the dish.
Salted butter: Helps create richness and smoothness.
Mozzarella cheese: Adds melty, mild flavor to the polenta base.
Truffle salt: Infuses truffle flavor directly into the mix.
Parsley: Offers a pop of color and fresh herbal note.
Sea salt flakes: Sprinkled on top for extra crunch and flavor.
Parmesan cheese: Sharp, salty and perfect for topping the fries.
Truffle oil: Used before and after air frying for an aromatic, earthy finish.
Sour cream and mayonnaise: Form the creamy base of the truffle mayo.
Truffle salt: Double down on that truffle goodness.
Garlic paste: Adds a smooth and mellow garlic hit to the dip.
How to Make Crispy Baked Polenta Fries
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the polenta: Simmer stock with garlic and butter, then stir in polenta, mozzarella, truffle salt and pepper until thick.
Chill and shape: Pour into a lined baking sheet, sprinkle with parsley, smooth out and freeze.
Slice and prep: Cut into fries, brush with truffle oil and sprinkle with parmesan and sea salt flakes.
Air fry: Cook in batches, flipping once, until golden and crisp.
Make the dip: Whisk together all truffle mayo ingredients.
Finish and serve: Toss fries with remaining truffle oil and parmesan, garnish with parsley and serve with dip.
Substitutions and Variations
Use vegetable stock: For a vegetarian version.
Add spice: A pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne in the polenta adds heat.
Swap the dip: Try aioli, spicy mayo or spicy ketchup if you don’t have truffle ingredients. Homemade marinara is another idea, or even hot honey!
Serving Suggestions
With a burger: Pair these polenta fries with a smoked cheddar bacon stuffed burgers, cheeseburger wellington or pizza sliders.
With meat: Pair them with an Italian steak or Instant Pot pork chops.
How to Store Polenta Truffle Fries
Store: Keep them in a covered container and eat within 2 days.
Freeze: Although potato fries don’t freeze well after cooking them, polenta is freezer-friendly. Put the polenta fries on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until completely frozen. Then you can transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag. They will be good for about 2 months.
Thaw: Either thaw overnight or reheat from frozen.
Reheat: Reheat them in an oven or air fryer until piping hot. You can cook them from thawed or frozen too, if you allow extra reheating time.
Top Tips
Don’t overcrowd: Fry in batches so they crisp evenly.
Freeze until firm: Chilling helps the fries hold their shape.
Use good truffle oil: A little goes a long way in building great flavor.
Cut evenly: Uniform fries cook more consistently.
Air Fryer Polenta Fries FAQs
There are various types of polenta to choose from. Polenta, which is basically ground cornmeal, is popular in Italy, especially in the north. It is usually made with corn yellow cornmeal although fine-ground white or yellow cornmeal are sometimes used. These days there are more types to choose from, including pre-cooked and instant polenta. The finer the grind, the creamier the finished recipe will be. For air fryer parmesan truffle polenta fries, use quick-cooking or instant polenta, not the fine-ground traditional type which is soft and creamy.
You can with a couple of substitutions. Switch the chicken stock for vegetable stock for a vegetarian result. If you want to make it vegan, simply use vegan-friendly cheese alternatives rather than the mozzarella and parmesan. You can also use a vegan sour cream alternative for the truffle mayo dipping sauce, as well as a vegan mayonnaise alternative.
Polenta Fries Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Polenta Fries
Equipment
- Saucepan Medium
- Baking Sheet 10 x 8-Inch
Ingredients
- 1 Cup polenta, quick cook
- 3 Cups chicken stock
- 2 Teaspoons garlic, minced
- ¼ Cup salted butter
- 4 Ounces mozzarella
- 2 Teaspoons truffle salt
- ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon parsley, Italian, freshly minced
- 1 Teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 4 Ounces parmesan cheese, block
- 1 ½ Tablespoons truffle oil
For the Truffle Mayo
- ½ Cup sour cream
- 1 Cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon truffle oil
- 1 Teaspoon truffle salt
- 1 Teaspoon garlic paste
Instructions
- Add chicken stock and minced garlic to a medium saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the butter. Lower to a simmer and stir in the polenta, grated mozzarella, truffle salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
- Line a 10 x 8-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour polenta into the baking sheet. Sprinkle parsley over the top. Smooth polenta to cover the baking sheet entirely.
- Let cool, then place into the freezer for 2 hours.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Remove the baking tray from the freezer. Carefully pull the parchment paper up to lift the polenta out of the tray. Use a sharp knife and cut into 1-inch thick x 4-inch long rectangles.
- Brush each polenta fry with truffle oil and sprinkle parmesan cheese and sea salt flakes over the tops. There should be truffle oil and parmesan cheese left over after this step
- Place fries into the air fryer basket in a single layer with ½” spacing. Cook for 10 minutes. Flip after 7 minutes. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding as this may affect the cooking time. Check to be sure the fries are golden brown.
- Meanwhile, prepare truffle mayo. Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk well.
- Toss fries with remaining truffle oil and parmesan cheese. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with truffle mayo dip.
Notes
Freeze until firm: Chilling helps the fries hold their shape.
Use good truffle oil: A little goes a long way in building great flavor.
Cut evenly: Uniform fries cook more consistently.
Nutrition
These fries are crunchy, savory and packed with flavor from every angle. The creamy polenta base, crisped to perfection in the air fryer, holds all that truffle richness and cheesy goodness. Dip them into the garlicky truffle mayo for a satisfying bite that tastes gourmet with minimal effort. Whether you’re serving these at a dinner party or just treating yourself to a next-level snack, air fryer polenta fries are sure to impress.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I love this recipe, it’s so easy and it was so fantastic! My kids loved it too!
The perfect fries. Tastes so good and the texture is divine.
Recipes like this make me happy I have an air fryer. These are so more-ish!
Polenta is quite new to me but this recipe makes it so accessible. I love making this, every week!!
I love trying different kinds of fries to change things up. These came out perfect in the Air Fryer.
These look so good. Adding it to what I need to try with my new air fryer.
I love polenta! I just got on air fryer and excited to try these