If you love crunch, you’ve gotta give these crispy Homemade Potato Chips a try! They’re incredibly easy to make — you simply need Russet potatoes, distilled white vinegar, and neutral oil for frying — and whatever seasonings you want to flavor them with. Keep it simple with Kosher salt, or add fresh herbs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, paprika, anything! You can even make them sweet by sprinkling on a litte cinnamon sugar.
Serve potato chips as a side dish or snack alongside sandwiches, soup, or salad. They’re phenomenal with burgers (try it with our homemade patty melt recipe!
Our 3 big tips for success? First, invest in a mandoline. Evenly (and very thinly) sliced potatoes yields crispy chips! Second, don’t skip the soaking step. The potatoes need to be rinsed in water and then soaked for 1-2 hours with vinegar. Finally, be patient. The chips need to fry for a good 5-8 minutes per batch at a temperature of 300-325F.
Follow these steps and we’re certain you’ll get that glorious crunch we all crave. Love potatoes?! Us too! Be sure to try our Duck Fat Potatoes or these Roasted Potato Wedges with Chimichurri next. Or check out all our easy potato recipes!
Ingredient Notes
- Russet potatoes: Washed, peeled, and sliced into ⅛ – 1/16-inch rounds. A mandolin slicer will help keep the slices uniform thickness, though a sharp knife is fine. We recommend Russet, as they have a high starch content, which makes them super crispy. If you don’t have Russet, we recommend Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Distilled white vinegar: Soaking in vinegar helps the potatoes remain crisp even after they cool.
- Light, neutral oil for frying: We recommend grapeseed oil, avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
- Kosher salt: Though a flavored salt (such as truffle salt) would be great too!
Other ideas for seasoning homemade potato chips: chopped fresh herbs (like rosemary or parsley), chopped garlic, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, grated Parmesan, Old Bay seasoning, or go sweet and season with cinnamon and sugar!
How To Make Homemade Potato Chips
- Prep the potatoes. Thinly slice using a mandoline into the thinnest possible rounds — 1/16th of an inch if you can! Be sure to use starchy potatoes, such as Russet!
- Rinse the potatoes. Immediately place the sliced potatoes in a large bowl, then cover with cold water. Drain the water, refill, and repeat until the water runs clear (or at least 4-5x).
- Soak the potatoes. Cover with water again, then add about ½ cup of distilled white vinegar and sit for 1-2 hours. This can be done up to 24 hours in advance.
- Dry the potatoes really well. Drain the potatoes, then dry very well, either on kitchen towels or multiple sheets of paper towels. Press down firmly to remove as much water as possible.
- Heat the oil. While the potato slices are drying, heat neutral oil in a large, deep pot. You’ll need about 3-4 inches of oil. Set over medium-high heat and bring upt o 300-325F.
- Fry the potatoes. Carefully lower about 20-30 chips at a time into the ho oil. You’ll need to work in batches. Cook until light to medium golden brown, about 5-8 minutes per batch. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined wire rach.
- Season the chips. While still warm, sprinkle generously with Kosher salt and any other flavorings, such as fresh herbs. Toss to gently distribute the seasonings, then enjoy immediately!
FAQs
While russet potatoes are commonly used for potato chips, you can experiment with other varieties like Yukon Gold or red potatoes. Keep in mind that the texture and taste may vary slightly, but the chips should still turn out delicious.
Yes, you can bake the potato slices instead of frying them for a healthier alternative. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C), spread the potato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy.
Homemade potato chips are best enjoyed fresh, but you can store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. However, they may lose some of their crispiness over time.
Reheating potato chips won’t restore their original crispiness, but you can warm them up in the oven at a low temperature (around 250°F or 120°C) for a few minutes to make them slightly crispy again. Be careful not to overheat them, as they may become too dry.
Expert Tips
- Watch the temperature of the oil! If the oil is too hot, the chips will burn quickly. If it’s too cool, the chips will be greasy. Using a thermometer will help you monitor the temperature.
- Slice the potatoes as uniformly as possible! This ensures even cooking.
- Remove chips as they’re finished cooking. Smaller chips may cook more quickly than larger chips – remove them as best you can as they finish cooking.
- Want even crispier potatoes? Fry them twice! For this method, you’ll want their first dip in oil to be at a lower temperature (around 300F) for about 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined wire rack, then increase the temperature to 350-375F. Fry again until crispy and golden brown, then drain on paper towels and season with Kosher salt.
- Do not fry potato chips in olive oil. The smoke point is too low and the oil will smoke rapidly and burn.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: Chips are one of those things that are best right after frying. However, you can soak the potatoes 1 day in advance before cooking.
- Leftovers and storage: While homemade chips are best enjoyed the day they’re fried, they’ll keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature. We do not recommend freezing potato chips (lol, can you imagine?! They’d be crushed almost immediately!).
If not eating potato chips immediately, allow to cool completely, then transfer to storage containers lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
How To Serve
Homemade potato chips are a fantastic snack on their own, but you can also enjoy them with your favorite sandwiches, burgers (try our juicy turkey burgers next!), or alongside homemade dips, such as French onion dip, salsa, or guacamole. I am definitely the person who adds chips of any variety to my deli sandwiches. Would be delicious wedged between turkey and avocado in our California Club Sandwich!
And don’t overlook how delicious chips are when added to a salad! Think of them as a crouton replacement, simply for added crunch.
Seriously unbeatable. If you make this Homemade Potato Chip recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Crispy Homemade Potato Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 large Russet potatoes washed, peeled, and sliced into ⅛-1/16 inch rounds (we recommend using a mandoline for precision), about 1½-2 lbs
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 6-8 cups light, neutral oil such as grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or canola oil
- Kosher salt or other flavored salt, for seasoning (such as truffle salt)
- Other serving suggestions: chopped fresh herbs, chopped garlic, grated Parmesan, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, or go sweet with cinnamon and sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the potatoes. As soon as you thinly slice the potatoes, place them in a large bowl and cover with cool water. Drain the water, refill, and repeat until the water runs clear and you’ve released a lot of the excess starches. We recommend at least 4-5 rinses.
- Soak the potatoes. Cover the potatoes with cool water once more, then add about ½ cup of distilled white vinegar. Allow the potatoes to soak at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Alternatively, you can cover the potatoes and place them in a fridge 1 day in advance.
- Heat the oil. When ready to cook, begin heating the oil. Add enough oil in a large deep pot to go up about 3-4 inches. Set over medium-high heat until you reach between 300-325F. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Dry the potatoes. As the oil comes up to temperature, drain and dry the potatoes very well. Place the potatoes on either a kitchen towel or multiple sheets of paper towels, ensuring they’re in an even, single layer, then place another kitchen towel (or paper towels) on top. Press down firmly to dry.
- Fry the potato chips. Working in batches, carefully lower about 20-30 potatoes at a time into the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until a light to medium golden brown, about 5-8 minutes per batch. Use a spider to carefully transfer the cooked potato chips to a paper towel lined wire rack. Note: smaller chips may cook more quickly than larger chips – remove them as best you can as they finish cooking. Immediately sprinkle with Kosher salt (or flavored salt), then repeat with remaining potatoes. Chips will continue to crisp as they cool. Serve immediately or enjoy within 1 day.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are an estimate and based on the full amount of oil (of which there will be tons leftover after frying).
- Make-ahead: Chips are best enjoyed immediately after frying, however, the potatoes can be soaked in water and vinegar 1 day in advance.
- Leftovers and storage: If not eating potato chips immediately, allow to cool completely, then transfer to storage containers lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Enjoy within 2-3 days.
- Instead of seasoning with Kosher salt, consider seasoning with truffle salt, garlic salt, onion salt, or a ranch seasoning blend.
- Do not fry potato chips in olive oil. The smoke point is too low and the oil will smoke rapidly and burn.
Nutrition
Photography by Alana of Your Home Made Healthy.
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