Tiffany Haney
Cooking chips in a hot air fryer is a quick and easy way to make a delicious snack or side dish. The process is simple: cut your potatoes into chips, season them, and then cook them in the air fryer. However, there are many ways to season and prepare your chips, and different types of potatoes and chip shapes will require different cooking times and temperatures.
How to cook chips in a hot air fryer
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Potato type | Maris Piper, Rooster, or any waxy variety |
| Potato preparation | Peel potatoes, cut into 1cm strips, soak in cold or boiling water for 10-30 minutes, pat dry |
| Oil | Corn oil, sunflower oil, sunseed oil, groundnut oil, beef tallow, olive oil, cooking spray |
| Seasoning | Salt, cornflour, paprika, garlic, parmesan, dried herbs, pepper, vinegar |
| Air fryer settings | 180°C (350°F) for 20-30 minutes, shaking the basket every 10 minutes |
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What You'll Learn
Potato preparation
Scrub and Peel (Optional): Start by giving the potatoes a good scrub under running water to remove any dirt. You can choose to peel the potatoes or leave the skin on for a more rustic look and texture.
Cutting Technique: Cut the potatoes into uniform-sized pieces to ensure even cooking. Aim for a thickness of around 1 centimetre, which is the sweet spot for crispy-on-the-outside and fluffy-on-the-inside chips. You can cut them into finger-sized chips or rectangular blocks, depending on your preference.
Soaking (Optional): While not mandatory, soaking the potatoes in cold water for about 30 minutes can help remove excess starch. This step is especially useful if you want to avoid your chips sticking to the air fryer basket. After soaking, be sure to pat the potatoes dry before proceeding.
Boiling (Optional): Some people choose to partially boil the potatoes before air frying. This can help speed up the cooking process in the air fryer and make the potatoes fluffier. However, it is not a necessary step, and you can achieve excellent results without boiling.
Oil and Seasoning: Drizzle or toss the potatoes with oil to coat them evenly. You can use olive oil, sunflower oil, or even beef tallow for extra flavour. Add your favourite seasonings, such as salt, cornflour, paprika, garlic, or herbs. Don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations to find your perfect flavour profile.
Remember, the key to successful potato preparation is consistency in cutting and ensuring the potatoes are dry before adding oil and seasonings. This foundation will help you achieve crispy, golden, and fluffy chips that are hard to resist!
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Oil and seasoning
The amount of oil you use will depend on how many potatoes you are cooking. For 800g of potatoes, you can use 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. If you want to add extra flavour, you can use beef tallow (rendered beef fat) instead. You can also use olive oil, groundnut oil, or sunseed oil.
If you want to minimise calories, you can use a few sprays of cooking spray instead of oil. However, this will make the chips drier and possibly too crispy.
To ensure your chips are evenly coated, place them in a large bowl and toss them in the oil. You can also add your seasoning at this stage. Sea salt is a popular choice, but you can also add cornflour, paprika, or dried herbs. If you want to add cheese, it's best to add it towards the end of the cooking process.
If you want to prepare your chips in advance, you can freeze them after coating them in oil and spices. First, freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet for four hours, then store them in bags in the freezer for up to four months.
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Cooking time and temperature
The cooking time and temperature for your chips will depend on the type of chip you want to make. For example, skinny chips will take less time, while chunky chips will take longer. The cooking time will also depend on the type of air fryer you have. Some air fryers have a basket, while others have shelves, which will affect the cooking time.
If you are using an air fryer with a basket, you can place all the chips in at once and cook them for 20 to 30 minutes at 180°C (350°F), shaking the basket every 10 minutes. You can also cook your chips at 200°C for 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, turning halfway.
If your air fryer has shelves, you will need to cook the chips in batches, placing them in a single layer and cooking for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden and cooked through.
It is important to note that you should not put raw potatoes in an air fryer. Instead, you should soak or par-boil them before air frying. Soaking the potatoes will help remove excess starch, resulting in chips that are perfectly brown and crispy. You can also par-boil the potatoes to make them fluffier. However, some people have found that they can cook the potatoes without soaking or par-boiling, and they still come out cooked in the middle before the outside gets too brown.
Additionally, you can toss the potatoes in oil, cornflour, and seasoning before placing them in the air fryer. This will add crispness and a gorgeous golden colour to your chips.
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Shaking and turning
Shaking the basket of your air fryer is an important step in ensuring your chips cook evenly and achieve that perfect golden brown colour. Depending on the model of your air fryer, you may need to shake the basket every 10 minutes or so. If your air fryer has an automatic rotation function, you can skip this step as the chips will be turned and cooked evenly without your intervention.
The frequency of shaking the basket can also depend on the type of chips you are cooking. For example, skinny chips will take less time to cook than chunky chips, so they might require more frequent shaking to prevent burning. It's important to keep an eye on your chips and give the basket an extra shake or two if needed.
When shaking the basket, it's a good opportunity to check on the progress of your chips and ensure they are cooking evenly. You can also use this opportunity to spray or drizzle them with oil to enhance that crispy texture. If your chips start to look too brown before they are fully cooked, you can try lowering the temperature or reducing the cooking time for the next batch.
In addition to shaking the basket, some recipes recommend turning the chips halfway through the cooking process. This can help ensure even cooking and browning on all sides of the chips. You can use tongs or a spatula to carefully turn the chips, being careful not to break them apart.
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Serving suggestions
Air fryer chips can be served as a side dish with a variety of meals. They go particularly well with a juicy steak or a hearty pie. You could also serve them with a Sunday roast or a chicken dish.
If you're looking for a more indulgent option, why not try dipping them in spicy bang bang sauce, BBQ sauce, or classic burger sauce? Or, for an extra-hearty dish, smother them in homemade gravy. For an extra crispy treat, you could even turn them into poutine, salt and pepper chips, or pizza fries.
If you're serving them as a snack, try them in a chip butty, or on some homemade bread or brioche buns. They can also be enjoyed on their own as a tasty snack, especially when cooked fresh.
For a healthier option, you can serve air fryer chips with some tofu, or with chicken as part of a low-calorie meal.
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Frequently asked questions
It takes between 20 and 30 minutes to cook homemade chips in an air fryer. The time varies depending on the thickness of the chips and the type of air fryer.
Any potato will work, but waxy varieties are best. Maris Piper potatoes are recommended by some sources.
First, scrub the potatoes and peel them if desired. Cut the potatoes into strips of roughly equal thickness, around 1 centimetre thick. Soaking the potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes will help to remove some of the starch, resulting in chips that cook better and get perfectly brown and crispy. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry before drizzling with oil and tossing to combine.
It is recommended to cook the chips at 180°C (350°F) in an air fryer. If you want crispier chips, adjust the cooking time instead of the temperature.
You can add flavourings such as garlic granules, paprika, grated parmesan, dried herbs, cornflour, or salt and pepper.
