Homemade potato chips: why make them when you can buy so many varieties? Well, it's fun to make your own and they are SO GOOD. It's always rewarding to make something that you could buy and it turns out even better than the store-bought version. These chips are flavorful, crispy, salty, and oh so delicious. You'll never need to buy chips again after you try these!
Jump to:
- Ingredient Notes:
- Equipment Notes:
- How to Make Thin and Crispy Potato Chips:
- How to Store Homemade Potato Chips:
- Should You Soak Potato Chips Before Frying?
- What Kind of Potatoes are Best for Making Chips?
- Recipe Variations:
- How Long do Homemade Potato Chips Last?
- Other Recipes You'll Love:
- Recipe:
- Homemade Potato Chips
Ingredient Notes:
- Potatoes: I used a special variety of gold potatoes called huckleberry gold for this recipe but any starchy potato will do. Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes will work best.
- Frying Oil: A high temperature oil is necessary for making homemade potato chips so that the oil can get hot enough without smoking. Peanut oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil are a few options that will work great.
- Salt: Every good potato chip needs a touch of salt. You can salt your homemade chips with any salt you desire. The grain size of the salt you choose will change the flavor and texture of your chips but you can adjust it to your liking. Flaked sea salt, kosher salt, flavored salts, and table salt will all work.
Equipment Notes:
- Mandolin Slicer: A mandolin(e) slicer is the ideal tool for making perfectly thin potato slices. It is reliable and makes consistently thin slices that cook evenly. A food processor with an adjustable blade will also work. You can also use a sharp knife to slice your potatoes, but it will be much more difficult to achieve consistency.
- Cast Iron Pan or Deep Skillet: A deep pan is necessary for making your own homemade potato chips because once the potatoes are added to the oil, the oil will bubble quite a bit. Make sure your pan can accommodate the bubbling without spilling over.
- Small Fine Mesh Strainer or Mesh Skimmer: A mesh skimmer or fine mesh strainer works great to scoop potato chips out of the hot oil. The mesh allows excess oil to drip off of the chips before placing them on the cooling pan. A slotted spoon will also work.
- Deep Fry Thermometer: A deep-fry thermometer, candy thermometer, or high temperature thermometer is essential for getting the frying oil to the right temperature. If your oil is too hot, the chips will burn. If the oil is too cold, the chips will become soggy.
- Sheet Pan with Paper Towels: A sheet pan with paper towels sops up the extra oil and keeps your potato chips crisp and not soggy. Parchment paper can also be used, but it won't soak up the oil as well as paper towels.
How to Make Thin and Crispy Potato Chips:
Slicing your potatoes very thin is the key to making crispy potato chips. Not only do they need to be thin, they need to be sliced evenly as well. I don't know about you, but I can't slice anything evenly. That's where a mandoline slicer saves the day! It slices the potatoes ultra-thin and perfectly even and is so easy to use. It's kind of a miracle, really. But slicing the potatoes thin isn't the only necessary step for making crispy chips. Here are a few tips to make the best chips:
Slice potatoes thin with mandoline slicer.
Slice them as thin as you can!
Rinse the starch off the potatoes. Swish them around in a large bowl of ice water until the water runs clean.
Dry the potatoes very well. Let them sit on a clean kitchen towel for 20 minutes until the outsides are dry.
Get your oil hot, but not too hot. 300 degrees F is perfect. You can test it by sticking the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. If bubbles form around the spoon, the oil is probably ready, but you should also test it with a deep fry thermometer.
Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add potatoes to oil. If potatoes brown right away, oil is too hot. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Remove with a fine mesh strainer or fryer scoop/skimmer
Place chips on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Continue cooking until all potatoes have been fried once.
Lower heat to medium. Place once fried chips into pan, working in batches. Cook for 30-45 seconds or until chips are just starting to brown. Remove with a fine mesh strainer or fryer scoop/skimmer and place on paper towel-lined sheet pan.
Sprinkle with sea salt. Let the chips cool and enjoy!
Pro tip: Make sure the oil is at just the right temperature. If it's too hot, the chips will burn. If it's too cold, the chips will get soggy. You can fry up a test chip if you're not sure!
How to Store Homemade Potato Chips:
One of the hardest things about making homemade potato chips is getting them crispy without burning them. Once you get them crispy, you want them to stay crispy! If you follow all the instructions above, including letting them cool all the way before storing, storage is fairly simple!
You can store them in any air-tight container or zippered bag to keep them fresh. Make sure you close the containers/bags completely every time you take some out. Leaving them open too long can let moisture in and make the chips soggy. Store them in a cool, dry place like any other pantry item.
Should You Soak Potato Chips Before Frying?
Yes! But, why soak the potatoes? The soaking/rinsing removes excess starch from the potatoes. Removing the excess starch from the potatoes helps keep them from sticking together. It also helps prevent premature browning before the chips are cooked all the way. Excess starch on the outside of the chips browns quickly due to the Maillard reaction. The starch can burn and leave a bitter taste on your chips. Nobody wants that!
Once you've rinsed your chips fully, make sure you dry them well. Lay a clean kitchen towel on a sheet pan and place the potatoes in a single layer on the towel. Cover with another towel and pat dry. Let them sit for 20 minutes or so until they are good and dry before frying.
What Kind of Potatoes are Best for Making Chips?
Starchy potatoes (Russets, Yukon Golds, Huckleberry Golds, etc.) are the best potatoes for making chips. You might be wondering why starchy potatoes are the best when you're supposed to rinse the starch off. But, high starch potatoes also have a low moisture content which is ideal for frying.
Waxy potatoes like red potatoes are low in starch but high in moisture. The high moisture content leads to soggy chips. So when you're thinking of making chips, go for the starchy potatoes!
Recipe Variations:
Classic salted potato chips are simply delicious. But, you can spice it up a bit with these different flavors:
- Sprinkle some Homemade BBQ Seasoning on your chips instead of salt for a sweet and savory chip.
- Add some garlic powder or onion powder to your salt for an extra flavor boost.
- Add some chili powder or cayenne pepper for a smoky and spicy chip.
- Grind some fresh black pepper for salt and pepper chips.
- Dip them in flavored sour cream or your favorite dip.
How Long do Homemade Potato Chips Last?
Homemade potato chips are best if eaten within a week. But if you store them properly, they can last much longer (if you don't eat them first). I found some that were about a month old hidden in my pantry and you know what? They were still delicious. Now you know just about everything there is to know about making homemade potato chips. Let's get cooking!
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Other Recipes You'll Love:
Recipe:
Homemade Potato Chips
Equipment
- deep cast iron skillet or other deep skillet
- fine mesh strainer or fryer scoop/skimmer
- wooden spoon or deep fry thermometer
- sheet pan with paper towels
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb huckleberry gold potatoes (or other starchy potato like Yukon gold or russet)
- 32 oz frying oil (peanut oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, etc.)
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and slice as thin as mandoline slicer will go. I use the very first notch which is just below 1/16" thick.
- Place sliced potatoes in large glass bowl and cover potatoes with cold water. Move potatoes around in the water with your hands to rinse the starch from the potatoes.
- Dump out water and repeat rinsing with cold water until water in the bowl is clear and not starchy.
- Lay a clean kitchen towel on counter or sheet pan. Lay potatoes in a single layer on the towel. Cover with another clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Let potatoes sit for 20 minutes to dry.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat to approximately 300°F. Oil is ready when the handle of a wooden spoon bubbles when placed in the oil.
- Line 2 sheet pans with paper towels and set aside.
- Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add potatoes to oil. If potatoes brown right away, oil is too hot. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove with a fine mesh strainer or fryer scoop/skimmer and place on paper towel-lined sheet pan. Continue cooking until all potatoes have been fried once.
- Lower heat to medium. Place once fried chips into pan, working in batches. If the chips brown right away, oil is too hot. Cook for 30-45 seconds or until chips are just starting to brown. Remove with a fine mesh strainer or fryer scoop/skimmer and place on paper towel-lined sheet pan. Sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat until all chips have been fried twice.
- Inspect chips before storing to make sure all chips are crisp and cooked through. Chips with soft centers will make the rest of your chips soggy. Store in an airtight container or zippered bag at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
-
- I used a special variety of gold potatoes called huckleberry gold for this recipe but any starchy potato will do. Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes will work best.
-
- A high-temperature oil is necessary for making homemade potato chips so that the oil can get hot enough without smoking. Peanut oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil are a few options that will work great.
-
- You can salt your homemade chips with any salt you desire. Flaked sea salt, kosher salt, flavored salts, and table salt will all work.
-
- A mandoline slicer is the ideal tool for making perfectly thin potato slices. It is reliable and makes consistently thin slices that cook evenly. A food processor with an adjustable blade will also work. You can also use a sharp knife to slice your potatoes, but it will be much more difficult to achieve consistency.
-
- A deep pan is necessary for making your own homemade potato chips because once the potatoes are added to the oil, the oil will bubble quite a bit. Make sure your pan can accommodate the bubbling without spilling over.
-
- A mesh skimmer or fine mesh strainer works great to scoop potato chips out of the hot oil. The mesh allows excess oil to drip off of the chips before placing them on the cooling pan. A slotted spoon will also work.
-
- A deep-fry thermometer, candy thermometer, or high-temperature thermometer is essential for getting the frying oil to the right temperature. If your oil is too hot, the chips will burn. If the oil is too cold, the chips will become soggy. You can fry up a test chip if you're not sure!
-
- A sheet pan with paper towels sops up the extra oil and keeps your potato chips crisp and not soggy. Parchment paper can also be used, but it won't soak up the oil as well as paper towels.
Nutrition
Jump to:
- Ingredient Notes:
- Equipment Notes:
- How to Make Thin and Crispy Potato Chips:
- How to Store Homemade Potato Chips:
- Should You Soak Potato Chips Before Frying?
- What Kind of Potatoes are Best for Making Chips?
- Recipe Variations:
- How Long do Homemade Potato Chips Last?
- Other Recipes You'll Love:
- Recipe:
- Homemade Potato Chips
Annie says
You are welcome to use whatever cooking fat suits your lifestyle best. I find the best results for potato chips come from canola oil. But I'd be interested to know how they turn out for you with a different oil!