Best Homemade Potato Chips

Three ingredients and a little bit of time is all it takes to make fresh homemade potato chips.

Potato chips are one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes (with Twice-Baked Potatoes coming in a close second). With their satisfying crunch, amazing salty flavor and light and crispy texture, chips hit all the right snack notes. Being a foodie, I had to find out if I could make this king of the snack food at home and have them turn out as satisfying as a freshly opened bag of chips.

After frying and slicing up many a potato, the answer is: Yes! With a bit of planning and some time, you can turn your kitchen into snack central and give those bags a run for their money.

To ensure you get maximum chip satisfaction from your homemade potato chip adventure, let me provide some tips to make sure you score chip gold:

1. Stick with Russet potatoes to truly replicate your favorite chip. These potatoes tend to be a good size, fairly uniform shape and stand up to the high heat needed to get that crunch that makes a perfect chip.
2. Have all your equipment ready to go before you start frying. Chips take about 4 minutes to fry so you don’t want to be running around looking for a wire rack to place them on or paper towels to catch the drips.
3. For cooling the chips, place a baking sheet on a flat surface with a wire rack (like this cooling rack) on top of the baking sheet. Line the rack with paper towels to help soak up extra oil from frying, making sure chips stay crisp and don’t become soggy.
4. Use a mandolin (like this one) to cut the potatoes into uniform, thin slices. This is a staple kitchen tool and unless you can hand cut a perfect thin slice many times, it really is the key to getting that perfect chip crunch. I set my mandolin to 1/16 inch and my chips get that perfect bite and beautiful golden color.
5. Use a heavy duty pot or wok that has higher sides for frying. I’ve found my Dutch oven to be a perfect frying tool and I use it for all my frying needs.
6. Don’t skimp on the oil. I know 2 inches looks like A LOT of oil, but trust me, once you’re frying the chips, they’ll start to curl and will need the deep oil to make sure you get all the chip fried and not just the flat parts.
7. Don’t rush. Again, chips cook in about 4 minutes so don’t add more to the oil than you can remove within a few seconds.
8. Periodically check the oil temperature by using a cooking thermometer (we like this one because it clips to the side and you can easily read the temperature from the top of the thermometer). If the temp is below 375 degrees Fahrenheit, allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes before adding any more potatoes.
9. These will be the most amazing potato chips you’ll ever have. But keep in mind, since they do not have the added preservatives that most bagged chips have to maintain freshness, they will only keep the crunch and flavor if they’re stored in an airtight container for about 2-3 days.

Homemade Potato Chips

Contributor: Stephanie DeMarr

Three ingredients and a little bit of time is all it takes to make fresh homemade potato chips.

• Author: Stephanie DeMarr
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 2-3 minutes each, approximately 45 minutes per batch
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 3 cups 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

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• 2–3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• Vegetable oil (for frying)
• Salt, to taste

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Instructions

1. Place the thinly sliced potatoes in a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain the water from the bowl and rinse potatoes with fresh cold water, then place on a flat surface lined with paper towels or cloths and cover with additional paper towels or cloths. Press firmly on the potatoes to dry them as much as possible and allow to sit at least 15 minutes
2. While potatoes are drying, heat at least 2 inches of oil in a Dutch oven or deep heavy bottomed pot until the oil temperature is 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set a wire rack onto a baking sheet and top with paper towels.
3. Working in small batches, gently remove potatoes from towels and place in the Dutch oven for 2 minutes, then flip over for an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove using a metal slotted spoon, tapping as much oil off as possible. Place on towel-lined rack. Immediately sprinkle a small amount of salt over the chips while they cool on the rack.
4. Place cooled chips into a large bowl and gently toss with a bit more salt to ensure all sides are seasoned. Repeat steps with remaining potatoes until all have been fried. Serve chips with your favorite dip or on their own. Store any remaining chips in an airtight container for no more than 3 days.