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New to making air fryer chips? Looking for an easy, no fail recipe? It’s easier than you think! In fact, you can make the best air fryer chips faster than you can order from a takeaway. And they’re healthier too! Sound good? Read on for my foolproof recipe and helpful tips.
Struggle with timings and temperatures?
What if I told you it’s possible to master timings and temperatures AND have the knowledge to convert any fan oven timing and temperatures into air fryer settings? That’s be GREAT right?
Well you can have it all my friend! Fill out the form below to grab your FREE air fryer conversion chart, and 10 secrets to mastering timings and temperatures… whatever your air fryer!
Homemade air fryer chips
Homemade is almost always better. Air fried chips are no exception! They’re light, fluffy, golden and crisp. What more could you want from them?!
I don’t currently use my air fryer that often, but I do use it to make chips and air fryer fries. I find it incredibly convenient and much faster than having to preheat the oven! The same goes for a air fryer jacket potatoes and air fryer roast potatoes too. They’re just brilliant for cooking potatoes!
And if you pair them with baked parmesan chicken or air fryer sausages, it’s like having a takeaway but SO MUCH BETTER!
It’s also perfect when it’s too hot to switch on the oven. (Think about those crazy 30ºC+ Summer days!)
They pair well with so many different foods too! I’ve especially enjoyed crispy air fryer chips with my Gran’s ham and cheese quiche!
In fact, they’d be ideal additions to a weekly meal plan.
Do air fryers make good chips?
That would be a very firm yes!
Air fryers make wonderful homemade chips with little to no work on your part. Simply prepare your potatoes, tip into your air fryer and switch it on. You’ll be delighted with how crispy they become!
You can even make delicious takeaway style chips, like these salt and pepper chips. Frozen chips and homemade chips also work well, yielding great results.
Air fryers are about so much more than cooking great chips though. Check out this tasty round up of over 40 UK air fryer recipes for more inspiration!
Do you need to parboil chips before air frying?
No you do not. In this easy air fryer chips recipe you simply peel, cut, oil and season them before tossing straight into the pan. And they’re still ready in just 35 minutes!
How long should chips take in the air fryer?
This depends entirely on what you’re cooking and how big or small they are.
Frozen chips for example, will cook for a different length of time to homemade air fryer chips.
On average, air fryer chips take somewhere between 30 and 40 minutes. However, some varieties (like frozen thin cut fries) will cook much faster.
The biggest cooking time difference comes from size. The smaller or thinner the chips, the faster they will cook. The bigger or thicker the chips, the longer they will take. This concept also applies to oven chips, like these sweet potato wedges.
Ingredients and substitutions
Confused about what ingredients to buy? Not sure about a substitution? Needing only 3 ingredients, there is nowhere to hide in this recipe. Here’s what you need to know…
- Potato – Floury potatoes work best for air fried chips but any variety can be used. Floury potatoes (such as Maris Piper or King Edward) tend to give fluffier middles than the waxy varieties.
- Oil – I think olive oil gives the best flavour. But feel free to use what you have in your cupboard, as it won’t affect the actual cooking – only the flavour. (For example, vegetable, sunflower and rapeseed oil would all work fine.)
- Salt – Sea salt makes for the best air fryer chips. Not only to you get great flavour but it adds texture too. Table salt will work if you don’t have sea salt.
Recipe tips and troubleshooting
This might be a simple recipe but we are human and we make mistakes! Here are some helpful tips to ensure you make the best air fryer chips first time round.
- Use floury potato varieties for perfect air fried chips. (Maris Piper, Kind Edward etc.)
- Cut your chips a similar size, they’ll cook more evenly. If they’re different, you’ll get some perfect, some underdone and some burnt. Not ideal!
- Leave the skin on for more rustic air fryer chips.
- ALWAYS wash your chips before cooking to remove excess starch. Starch holds moisture inside the potato, not good for fluffy middles!
- When gauging your portions, remember chips shrink a little during cooking.
Time management
Have limited time? Struggle with recipe timings? Or juggling around other things? Here’s some helpful time managing info to make your life easier.
- The smaller/thinner you cut your chips, the faster they will cook.
- The fewer portions you have in the air fryer, the faster they will cook. If it’s filled to the brim it will take longer.
- Allow at least 45 minutes for cooking. Air fryers and potatoes all vary and this could affect the cooking time.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Easy homemade wedges recipe
- Crushed baby potatoes
- The ultimate easy potato salad recipe
- Crispy roast potatoes recipe
- Air fryer cheese on toast
- Air fryer honey carrots
Air Fryer Chips – Step by Step Picture Recipe
(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to serve 2 people.
- 500g (17.6 oz) Floury Potatoes *
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
*Maris Piper and King Edward are good, floury, varieties.
Essential equipment
- Chopping Board
- Vegetable Peeler
- Sharp Knife
- Large Bowl
- Kitchen Roll
- Air Fryer **
**I use a Tefal Actifry Original.
Instructions
Firstly, if your air fryer needs preheating and you have a temperature setting, set it to 200ºC/392ºF now.
Then peel your potatoes (500g | 17.6 oz) on a chopping board with a vegetable peeler, or leave the skin on for more rustic air fryer chips.
Next, using a sharp knife, slice your potatoes into evenly sized chips.
Remember, the smaller/thinner you cut them the faster they will cook. The larger/thicker you cut them the longer they will take. I cut mine to approximately 8cm long by 1cm thick.
Now tip your chips into a large bowl and cover with cold water. Mix them well and drain away the water. This removes all that excess starch which makes for bad air fried chips!
Repeat this process until the water runs clear and is no longer cloudy.
The next step is to thoroughly dry all your chips with kitchen roll. This is important, don’t skip it!
Now your chips are washed and dried, we’re ready to add flavour. Pop them back into the (dried) bowl and pour over the olive oil (1 tbsp) and sea salt (1/2 tsp). Mix until every chip is evenly coated.
All that’s left to do is pop them into your air fryer and switch it on!
My air fryer is self rotating so I can set it and forget it. If yours doesn’t rotate, you will need to give them a shake every 8-10 mins so they cook evenly.
Fry for around 35 minutes. They should be crispy, golden and cooked through.
Keep a close eye on them towards the end of the cooking time as all air fryers vary.
And there you have it! Perfect homemade air fryer chips to enjoy with your dinner. Feel free to add a little more salt if you desire.
How do you make air fried chips taste better?
Once you’ve perfected your air fryer chips, you might like to change up the flavour by adding your favourite seasonings! Here are a few ideas to get you started…
- Paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Chip seasoning
- Your favourite dried herb (oregano, basil etc)
Loved this recipe? Pin it!
Super Easy Air Fryer Chips - Printable Recipe
Yield: 2
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Want to make beautifully crisp golden air fryer chips? This super easy recipe makes the best air fryer chips in an easy, no fail way!
Ingredients
- 500g (17.6 oz) Floury Potatoes *
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Essential Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Vegetable Peeler
- Sharp Knife
- Large Bowl
- Kitchen Roll
- Air Fryer **
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer (if you need to) to 200ºC/392ºF. Peel the potatoes and slice into evenly sized chips. (Mine were 8 x 1cm)
- Place the chips into a bowl, rinse in cold water then drain. Repeat until the water is no longer cloudy and runs clear.
- Completely dry your chips using kitchen roll then place back into a dry bowl.
- Pour over the olive oil and sea salt. Mix until all chips are evenly coated.
- Tip the chips into your air fryer and switch it on. If yours isn't a self rotating air fryer, you will need to shake your chips every 8-10 mins so they cook evenly.
- Fry for 35 minutes until crisp and golden. Note that all air fryers vary and, if your chips are larger or a different variety, they may take longer. Scatter with a little more salt if you like.
Notes
*Maris Piper and King Edward are good, floury, varieties.
**I use a Tefal Actifry Original.
See the main post for a more detailed, step by step picture recipe.
Be sure to read the sections Ingredients and Substitutions, Recipe Tips and Troubleshooting and Time Management for lots of helpful information before you begin making this recipe. You can find them in the main body of this post.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 292Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 607mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.
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Other tasty air fryer potato recipes
About Emma Mason
Emma is a professional blogger. Utilising over 20 years of cooking experience, she’s passionate about makingyourlife easier,one recipe at a time! Drawing on her 12+ year background in recipe research and development, photography, copy writing and marketing, Emma has turned kitchenmason.com into a successful career. Known as ‘the organisation queen’ among friends, she is passionate about creating easy to follow recipes that anyone can follow and enjoy. She lives in Nottingham (UK) with her husband, daughter and 2 naughty cats. In her spare time she can be found reading a good book, training at the dojo preparing for her black belt grading, or dreaming up the next crazy colour combo for her hair!
