Print

Air Fryer Potato Chips

Print Recipe

Homemade potato chips made in the air fryer with just a touch of oil — crispy, golden, and ready in under 40 minutes. The key is ultra-thin slicing, a starch-removing soak, and thorough drying before cooking.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large Russet potatoes (or Yukon Gold for a richer, butterier flavour)
  • 1–2 tsp olive oil or avocado oil
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Optional seasonings: smoked paprika, garlic powder, vinegar powder, onion powder, dried rosemary

Instructions

  1. Wash the potatoes but do not peel. Using a mandoline set to its thinnest setting (1.5mm or less), slice the entire potato from end to end. Discard the first and last few irregular rounds.
  2. Place all sliced rounds in a bowl of cold water with a generous pinch of salt. Soak for 15–20 minutes to remove excess surface starch — the water will turn cloudy.
  3. Drain and dry the potato slices thoroughly. Spread on clean kitchen towels and press down firmly with another towel. Let air-dry on a rack or flat surface for an additional 5 minutes until completely dry.
  4. Transfer to a bowl and add just enough oil to barely coat each slice. Toss with your hands so every surface has a very light film. Season with salt only at this stage.
  5. Preheat air fryer to 325°F (165°C). Arrange a single layer of chips with no overlapping — maximum 15–20 chips per batch. Air fry for 12–17 minutes, checking every 3–4 minutes during the final stage.
  6. Once edges begin to turn deep amber-brown, check every 30 seconds. Remove chips individually with tongs as they reach a golden colour and place on a wire rack. Chips will crisp further as they cool — pull them golden, not deep brown.

Notes

A mandoline slicer is strongly recommended — consistent 1.5mm thickness is nearly impossible by hand and uneven slices lead to mixed results.

Do not skip the soaking step; it removes surface starch that would cause chips to stick together and cook unevenly.

Add spice seasonings after cooking, not before — most seasonings burn at the temperatures needed to crisp the chips.

The window between perfectly golden and burnt is about 60 seconds — stay close during the final minutes and remove chips individually as they finish.

Salt and Vinegar: Soak slices in white vinegar instead of water, then dust with malt vinegar powder and flaky salt while hot.

BBQ Smoky: Toss hot cooked chips in 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp brown sugar, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne.

Sour Cream and Onion: Dust hot chips with onion powder, garlic powder, dried chives, a touch of citric acid powder, and fine sea salt.

Find it online: https://airfrycentral.com/air-fryer-potato-chips/