Potato Chips Air Fryer Recipe

Ginny McMeans

Ginny McMeans

Published:

April 11, 2021

Last Modified:

May 8, 2024

Potato chips air fryer style are crispy, crunchy, and a healthier snack! Air fry potato chips in minutes and it’s even faster when they are potato skin chips.

A bowl full of homemade potato chips with their skins on.

Making air fry potato chips is a healthier alternative to regular chips.

You still get crunchy chips, but an air fryer uses way less oil. All the crisp and crunch with far less fat!

One of the major tips is to cut the potatoes thinly.

How to cut potatoes thinly

The easiest way to cut potatoes thinly is by using a mandoline. A mandoline slicer has a sharp blade that makes it easy to quickly and thinly slice fruits and vegetables.

I linked to an adjustable slicer right above here but you can certainly buy a mandoline that is not adjustable. The slices might be a little thicker though.

They should be thin so they become crispy like a chip.

You can also use a very sharp knife to cut the potatoes, but a mandoline is much faster and gets the slices thin and uniform.

Bowl full of homemade potato chips with dipping sauces behind.

3 Ingredients

Use only three ingredients to make vegan potato chips! Here’s what you need for this recipe:

  • Russet Potatoes – Fresh and firm russet potatoes are the classic choice for making chips. Soaking the slices in a water bath helps remove a lot of the starch content which gives you a crispier chip.
  • Salt – Salt is used in both the water bath to soak the potatoes and to sprinkle on the cooked chips.
  • Olive Oil – One of the best parts of air frying is that you really don’t need much oil! Just a little bit to coat the chips. Only a fraction of what is needed for traditional frying.

Do you have to soak the potatoes

Yes! That will make your chips crispy. Soaking takes a lot of the starches out of the potatoes. You’ll see what I mean when you see that the water is not clear anymore after soaking.

The water removes the sticky starches so that the chips won’t stick together when cooking and also have a chance to get crispy and crunchy.

Three ingredients with an air fryer behind.

How to air fry potato chips

Making vegan potato chips air fryer style is surprisingly easy! Slice the russet potatoes thin, soak in water, dry and oil, then air fry. See the simple steps below:

  • Salt Water Bath: Combine water and salt in a large bowl. Add the thinly sliced potatoes to the salt water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry the potato slices
Two photos for slicing and soaking thin potato slices.
  • Oil Potato Slices: While the air fryer is preheated, add the soaked and dried slices to a large bowl. Drizzle the slices with oil and toss to coat.
Two photos of drained & oiled slices and patting them dry.
  • Air Fry: Add the oiled potato slices in an even layer to the preheated air fryer basket. Air fry at 330°F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Layered sliced potatoes in an air fryer.
  • Season and Serve: Sprinkle the hot potato skin chips with salt right away. Otherwise, they will taste like plain potatoes which can be fine but salting the chips will make them more like store bought ones.

FAQ’s

How do I keep air fryer potato chips from getting soggy? 

To ensure crisp and not soggy potato chips, make sure you pat the soaked potato slices dry.

The easiest way to do this is by placing the soaked slices between layers of paper towels. Any leftover moisture will make it harder for them to crisp up.

How do you store them?

Store homemade potato chips in an airtight container at room temperature. Storing in a container will prevent moisture exposure which helps keep the chips crispy longer.

How long do they last?

Leftover homemade potato skin chips will last for about 4-5 days at room temperature.

Do I have to leave the skins on?

No, not at all. Just peel the potatoes first and continue as directed in the instructions.

Tilted bowl filled with fried vegetable snacks.

How do I keep my potatoes from burning

There are a few tricks to get your chips crispy but not burnt. 

  • Don’t overfill your air fryer. You want the chips to be in an even layer – you may need to cook in batches. 
  • Redistribute the chips near the end of cooking. Doing this helps ensure they cook evenly without some pieces getting burned. The chips are done when they are golden brown.
  • Depending on your air fryer and potato thickness the cook time will vary. Keep an eye on your chips while they cook.

Flavor variations

While I love making classic potato chips to serve with my favorite dip, it’s super fun to try flavor variations!

Here are some of my favorite flavor variations, but get creative and try your favorite spice blends. Let me know your favorite in the comments!

When tossing the potato chips in a seasoning blend, you want to toss the chips while they are still hot so the seasoning sticks.

  • Salt and Vinegar Powder: Recreate your favorite store bought salt and vinegar chips by sprinkling the hot air fryer chips with the powder.
  • BBQ flavor: I’ll give a recipe
  • Ranch: After air frying, toss the hot potato chips with your favorite vegan ranch dip mix.
  • Taco, Chili or Fajita seasoning: Toss the oiled potato slices in a taco or fajita blend before or after air frying for a fun Mexican spin! Perfect for a spicy kick.
Overhead view of golden potato chips in a bowl

A bowl full of homemade potato chips with their skins on.

Air Fry Potato Chips Recipe

Ginny McMeans
5 from 5 votes
Homemade potato chips air fryer style are crispy, crunchy, and a healthier snack!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Soaking time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 Servings

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Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt – for water
  • 4 cups russet potatoes – 2 large russet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt – to taste

Instructions
 

  • Pour water into large bowl, add salt and stir until salt is dissolved
  • Thinly slice the potatoes to ⅛ inch thick. Using a mandoline is highly recommended.
  • Soak the potatoes in the saltwater for 30 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towel. ** see notes
  • Preheat the Air Fryer to 330°F. It takes about 5 minutes.
  • Add potato slices to large bowl.
  • Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and stir to coat.
  • Layer the potatoes in the preheated air fryer. ** see notes
  • Cook the potatoes at 330°F for 20-25 minutes or until desired browning. Make sure to shake the basket halfway through cooking.
  • Season the potatoes with salt when done cooking.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Video

Notes

* Drying – it’s easiest to line a large cookie sheet with paper towel and layer the potatoes between sheet of paper towels
** Cooking potatoes that are close to the same size is best, if possible. And layering in a single layer takes a little longer, but they cook more evenly.

Nutrition

Serving:1Serving, Calories:149kcal, Carbohydrates:27g, Protein:3g, Fat:4g, Saturated Fat:1g, Sodium:2066mg, Potassium:626mg, Fiber:2g, Sugar:1g, Vitamin A:2IU, Vitamin C:9mg, Calcium:35mg, Iron:1mg

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Ginny McMeans

Ginny McMeans

Hi, my name is Ginny and it is fantastic that you have come to visit and see my recipes. I have a positive attitude and can’t seem to be in nature enough. My North American bird count is 678 and I’m always watching for mammals and insects too. My head is stuffed full of recipes that I want to create and life is just to dang short. The recipes feature healthy and delicious vegan food that you can enjoy now or freeze for future meals.

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