Crispy and healthy homemade Air Fryer Potato Chips made with only 3 ingredients. It’s an easy and guilt-free recipe as you’ll only need a small amount of cooking spray. Season them up the way you like. This crunchy snack tastes so good and you’ll never buy store-bought potato chips again!
This air fryer potato chips recipe is so good and foolproof. Cooking the potato slices at a low temperature first and finishing with a higher temperature in the air fryer is the best way to make the super crispy and crunchy potato chips without burning. Simple tips will guarantee success EVERY TIME!
Healthy air fryer potato chips recipe
Who doesn’t like potato chips? They are crispy, crunchy, and addictive! But the store-bought potato chips are high in fat and sodium. By making them at home, you’ll have full control of the fat level and seasonings. You can now enjoy them without feeling guilty. Plus, it’s so much cheaper than buying at the store!
Cooking potato chips in an air fryer is a game-changer! It allows you to get the crispy texture without the need to deep-frying the chips in tons of oil!
How to make Air Fryer Potato Chips
Step 1: Thinly slice the potatoes
The best potato chips start with evenly sliced thin pieces. Although you can use a knife to cut the potatoes, a mandolin slicer makes life much easier, and you’ll get the even thickness for each piece. I like thin and crispy chips and recommend slicing the potatoes about 1/8-inch thick. (See the photos below. You can also use a vegetable peeler to make them very thin).
Step 2: Soak potato slices in cold water
Place potato slices into a large bowl of cold water. Let them soak for about 30 minutes. This process helps to get rid of the excess starch, which could cause dark spots during cooking.
Step 3: Dry potato slices
After that, rinse the potatoes in running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Let them sit for 10-15 minutes to make sure they are completely dry.
Step 4: Cook the potato slices in the air fryer
Spray the cooking spray on the potato slices and place them into the air fryer basket. Cook them until crispy and golden brown.
Step 5: Season the potato chips
Season with salt or the seasoning of your choice!
Tips and tricks
- Baking potatoes are the best, especially Yukon potatoes or Russet potatoes. Both of these potatoes have a high starch content making them ideal for potato chips. Yukon potatoes have a smooth, wavy texture allowing them to hold shape when fried. Russet potatoes are rough and bumpy, helping them crisp up easier when fried.
- Make sure the potato slices are very thin and uniform in thickness. By doing this, you will produce chips that are crispy and cooked evenly.
- It’s important to soak sliced potatoes in cold water before air frying. This helps draw out the starch which results in a crispier potato chip.
- Adjust the cooking time depending on the size of your potatoes and your air fryer. Some air fryers run hotter than others, cooking the potatoes faster than you’d like. If your potatoes are larger you will want to turn the air fryer to a lower temperature that will cook them evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. By avoiding this you will allow your potato chips to crisp, cook evenly and avoid undercooking.
What potatoes are good for making air fryer chips?
Baking potatoes are the best for making potato chips. Some popular ones include Russet, Maris Piper, King Edwards, or you can use all-purpose potatoes such as Yukon Gold.
How long do you cook potato chips in an air fryer?
After testing this recipe multiple times, I find it’s best to cook them at 300°F (150°C) for 16 minutes and then raise the temperature to 400°F (200°C) for the final 3-5 minutes. It produces very crispy chips without much browning or burning.
Shake and stir after 8 minutes, and then check and shake every 2 minutes after 16 minutes. It takes about 20 minutes in total to cook 30 slices ( 1/8-inch thick).
Note: The cooking time depends on the thickness of the potatoes and how full the basket is.
Troubleshooting: why are my air fryer potato chips burnt or soggy?
The two biggest problems with cooking potato chips at home are that they burn quickly or are soggy in the middle. Some simple tips will help you to avoid the issue.
Slice the potatoes thinly and evenly: Uneven slices can cause some potatoes to overcook and burn while others are still soggy. Thicker slices take longer to cook, and are more easily to get dark spots on the surface while the middle is still soggy. Using a mandolin slicer is the best way to avoid this problem.
Dry your potato slices completely: If there’s still some moisture on the surface when adding the slices into the basket, they’re more likely to get soggy. Also make sure you rinse them properly and get rid of the starch before you dry them.
Don’t fill your basket too full: I find it’s best to cook one potato at a time (slices from one potato). When the basket is too full, the chips get cooked unevenly, making some burnt while others are still soft and soggy.
Monitor carefully during the final high-temperature cooking: I recommend checking every 2 minutes after 16 minutes to avoid burnt chips and dark spots.
Flavor variations
Now is the fun part! Besides simple salt flavor, there are so many delicious flavor combinations for your air fryer potato chips. It’s time to get creative!
The key is to add the seasoning as soon as the chips come out and are nice and hot. This will make sure that the seasoning sticks to the chips. Here are some ideas:
- Salt and vinegar: Sprinkle the freshly cooked potato chips with salt and vinegar powder.
- Parmesan and herbs: Sprinkle the chips with freshly grated parmesan cheese, dried herbs and chopped parsley.
- BBQ flavor: In a small bowl, whisk together smoked paprika (2 teaspoons), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), onion powder (1/2 teaspoon), salt (1/8 teaspoon), and chili powder (1/2 teaspoon). For the BBQ seasoning, you can add the seasoning for the last 3-4 minutes of the cooking time so that they can stick better to the chips. Use your hands to rub them in if necessary.
- Other popular seasonings include ranch, taco seasoning, etc.
You can also serve them with your favorite dips for your next party!
How to store and how long do air fryer potato chips last
Let them cool down completely and store them in an airtight container or sealed zip-top bags. These homemade air fryer potato chips will last about 10 days at room temperature.
FAQ
Should I arrange potato chips in a single layer in the air fryer?
We recommend that you arrange your potato chips in a single layer in order to allow them to cook properly. However, if you’re running out of time, you can double them up here, just ensure you toss them a few times while they are cooking.
How to serve air fryer potato chips
All you have to do for you and your guests to enjoy air fryer chips is cook, take them out, cool them and enjoy.
Do I need to preheat my air fryer?
This depends on your air fryer. Most air fryers don’t require preheating, but you can preheat your 2-3 minutes, which helps your recipe get the crispiness you’re after.
Why are my air fryer potato chips not crispy?
The first thing to look at is, were your potatoes completely dried before you put them in? If they were still a bit wet, then this will cause them to undercook and not get crispy. Another reason could be that you put too many in at once or they were cut too thick.
What is the best temperature to cook potato chips in an air fryer?
The most ideal temperature to cook your potato chips is at 200C/400F.
If You Like This Recipe Try Out These Air Fryer Recipes
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Air Fryer Potato Chips turn out in the comments below!
Crispy Air Fryer Potato Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium potato Yukon gold or Russet*
- cooking spray
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the potato and peel the skin. (I like to peel the skin for the better look of the chips, but you can leave it on if you prefer.)
- Slice the potato into thin rounds using a mandolin slicer or a sharp knife. Aim to cut them about 1/8 inch thick.
- Soak the potato slices in cold water for about 30 minutes. Then drain and rinse them a couple of times to remove the starch.
- On a flat surface, place a layer of paper towel, and then place the potato slices on top in one single layer. Add another layer of paper towel to dry the potato slices. Let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes until the slices are completely dry.
- Preheat the air fryer to 300°F (150°C). It usually takes about 3 minutes to be ready.
- Spray cooking spray on both sides of the potato slices. Add the potato slices to the air fryer basket, trying to spread out evenly. (If you cook more than 1 potato, cook them in batches, and only add about 30 slices at a time)
- Set the timer to 16 minutes. After 8 minutes, take out the basket and gently shake the chips. Use tongs to separate any chips that are stuck to each other.
- Put the basket back, and after another 8 minutes, take out the basket again and shake.
- Now increase the temperature to 400°F (200°C), and set the timer to 5 minutes. Put back the basket. Watch very closely, and check every 2 minutes until the chips are crispy and golden around the edges. If there are only a few chips with soft centers, put them back and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Sprinkle with salt or the seasoning of your choice.
Notes
- I used Yukon gold for this recipe, but you can use other potatoes such as Russet and King Edwards, etc.
- Add the seasoning as soon as the chips come out and are nice and hot. This will make sure that the seasoning sticks to the chips.
Nutrition
Editor note: Originally published Dec 5, 2019 and updated March 31, 2021.
Dale brandt says
Very good chips made a batch then tweaked it
Today’s chips crispy and not burnt.
izzycooking says
Hi Dale, great to hear that. Thanks for letting me know!
Rebecca Bowles says
Excuse me. Cooking spray is oil!
ELi lenoff says
It’s a very fine amount of oil instead of being cooked in a pot of oil
Rosemarie Grabowski says
Can the potatoes be cooked in a rotating basket versus in a flat pan?
izzycooking says
Yes, you can cook them in a rotating basket. The cooking time may vary, and you can check it more frequently to make sure everything’s cooked properly.
Ruth says
Can you make these chips in a Cuisinart, (toaster oven style) air fryer?
izzycooking says
Hi Ruth, it works with the toaster oven style air fryer too.
Nate says
Was hyped to see an oil free chips recipe….. and then got to the cooking spray part. le sigh
Jen says
These were delicious and easy, perfect with our black bean burgrs! Thank you.
Izzy says
Hi Jen, glad that you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
Arlene Potter says
My chips blow over to the corner of the air fryer into a big pile when I do this – am I doing something wrong? They all seem the same size and thickness.
Renee Hirsch says
Sounds good and I will try it but most air fryers tell you not to use oil sprays as they will damage the basket of the air fryer and you cant buy replacement baskets. They suggest using oil in a sprayer not commercial oil sprays, but I have found these need to contain a lot of oil for the sprayer to work properly. Perhaps that is what you meant. Otherwise they suggest drizzling with oil but this probably uses more oil. Another alternative would be to brush oil onto the potato but this would be much more time consuming.
Joanne says
I have tried several recipes and none came out good. The air fryer chips burned or were undercooked. These were perfect! I used red potatoes and a veggie peeler. I am so grateful.