Good ol’ potato chips are a simple pleasure. Air Fryer Potato Chips mean you can feel good enjoying more of them, more often!
At any given moment, you’ll find a minimum of four bags of different flavored chips in our pantry.
Sandwiches (like Air Fryer Grilled Cheese) are one of our go-tos for fast lunches, and a sandwich doesn’t feel complete without a handful of chips.
The air fryer is a wizard at making copycat healthy versions of deep-fried favorites like Air Fryer French Fries and Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks.
Air fried potato chips are the next frontier!
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Potato Chips
Air fryers make fantastic chips, provided you follow these simple tips:
- Use a Russet Potato. Dry, starchy potatoes like russets (also called Idaho potatoes), instead of waxy potatoes like red potatoes, work best for fries. Yukon golds are an acceptable substitute, as they are somewhere in between waxy and starchy.
- Slice the Potatoes Paper Thin. A mandoline slicer really is the only sure way to achieve this. I recommend 1/16 of an inch (or 2 mm).
- Rinse the Potato Slices with Water. This removes starch, which enables the potato chips to crisp. I found that you don’t need to soak the potatoes for an extended period the way some recipes recommend. Just rinse the slices until the water runs clear.
- Don’t Crowd the Basket. I found I could air fry two staggered layers of potato chips with great results. After more than 2 layers, the chips were not as crisp.
How to Make Air Fried Potato Chips
These easy no soak air fryer potato chips are crispy, crunchy, and use very little oil.
You can serve them as a side, dip them with The Best Guacamole Recipe or Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, or enjoy them the way we do: hot out of the air fryer as a pre-dinner snack.
Chips take about 15 minutes in the air fryer.
Every air fryer cooks a little differently, so keep an eye on your batches until you have a good feel for timing. (I made Ninja air fryer potato chips using this model).
The Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes. Sliced thin and cooked until crispy, potatoes transform into perfect, crowd-pleasing chips. We’re using Idaho (russet) potatoes for this recipe, which contain less moisture than other types of potatoes. They’re also rich in fiber and antioxidants (healthy chips? I’ll tell myself yes).
- Olive Oil. Olive oil helps the potato chips become crispy and keeps them from burning. You need very little for this air fryer recipe.
- Salt. Because potato chips aren’t complete without that salty goodness.
- Black Pepper. An optional addition to kick it up a bit.
The Directions
- Slice the potatoes with a mandoline, then place them in a large bowl of cold water. Rinse and drain them. Rinse them again, until the water runs clear. Lay the potatoes on a towel and pat dry.
- Add the dry potatoes to a dry bowl, topping them with oil and seasoning. Toss to coat.
- Add to the air fryer basket. Air fry potato chips at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes, tossing every 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining potatoes. DIG IN!
Recipe Variations
- Salt and Pepper Air Fryer Potato Chips. Add a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
- Ranch Air Fry Potato Chips. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of ranch seasoning mix to the potatoes (I love the Trader Joe’s blend). If you prefer a stronger ranch flavor, you can sprinkle additional ranch seasoning over the top of your cooked potato chips right after they come out of the air fryer.
- Spicy Air Fryer Potato Chips. Turn up the heat! Season your potato chips with 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Sour Cream and Onion Air Fryer Potato Chips. Toss your chips with 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Barbecue Air Fryer Potato Chips. For that delicious barbecue flavor, use 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/8 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Dill Air Fryer Potato Chips. Craving Air Fryer Pickles? Give your potato chips a pickle spin by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh dill, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store chips in an airtight storage container or ziptop bag for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze. Freeze chips in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag (remove all the air) for up to 3 months. Let thaw for a few minutes on the counter before serving.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, scrub your potatoes.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Potato Chips
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Air Fryer. Perfect for making air fryer potato chips!
- Mixing Bowls. I love the variety of sizes in this set of glass mixing bowls.
- Mandoline. Easily slice your potatoes into thin chips.
The Best Air Fryer
With a wide temperature range and dishwasher-safe parts, this air fryer is a rockstar! It has multiple cooking functions for all your air frying needs.
I can hear that golden crunch from here!
Frequently Asked Questions
While I have only tested this recipe with russet potatoes, I think it would work well for air fryer sweet potato chips. If you decide to try, I’d love to hear how it goes.
If you prefer, you can swap the olive oil for a similar cooking oil like avocado oil or canola oil.
- 2 small Idaho, russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), scrubbed with peels on
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper optional
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With a mandoline, slice the potatoes crosswise into VERY THIN rounds—1/16-inch thick. Place in a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Rinse, moving the potatoes around, then drain. Rinse once more, repeating as needed until the water runs clear, not white (this removes the starches so the chips can crisp). Spread the potatoes onto a layer of paper towels or clean kitchen towels and pat dry. Dry the bowl.
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Return the now dry potatoes to the dry bowl and top with the oil, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper if desired. Toss to coat, ensuring all of the slices are seasoned.
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Preheat your air fryer to 325 degrees F. Spread the potatoes in the bottom of the basket in an even layer so that you have no more than two layers of potatoes overlapping. Air fry for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are dark golden at the edges and crisp, tossing them with tongs every 5 to 7 minutes so they cook evenly. If some chips finish earlier than others, remove them to a plate as they are ready. Repeat with remaining potatoes. For two potatoes, I end up doing four batches total.
- TO STORE: Store chips in an airtight storage container or ziptop bag for up to 1 week.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze chips in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag (remove all the air) for up to 3 months. Let thaw for a few minutes on the counter before serving.
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gPotassium: 355mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 1mg
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