What You Should Know About Making Homemade Potato Chips In The Air Fryer

Potato chips are the perfect snack to satisfy a savory craving, but they also have so many uses, including adding crunch to a sandwich or serving as the top layer of a casserole. These days, you can buy just about any flavor of potato chip on store shelves — and even revive stale chips in your air fryer — but if you want a lighter snack that isn't deep-fried in oil, you can easily make your own potato chips in the air fryer. However, there will be a few key differences between the air-fried potato chips and traditional deep-fried ones, including their color and crisp. Plus, air-fried chips don't use as much oil, so they have fewer calories and less fat.

The trick to making chips that taste similar to the store-bought, deep-fried version is to use russet potatoes and slice them incredibly thinly. They should be no more than about 1/16 of an inch thick. The chips will need a thin layer of oil, which not only helps them crisp up but also allows any seasonings to stick while the chips fry. And while cooking your chips, make sure to check them frequently — and shake them around a few times — to prevent them from overcooking.

The biggest difference between the two is the nutritional value. Depending on the oil and exact method, air-frying your chips can reduce their fat content by as much as 75%. However, air-fried chips don't cook quite as evenly as deep-fried chips, so their color might not be as even, and the chip's surface area could have different levels of crunch.

To make sure the chips are crispy, oil is a must — but so is letting the chips soak in water. Russet potatoes are loaded with starch (unlike waxy potatoes, which are better for roasting), and when starch gets heated, it can present itself as a funky, sticky texture on the surface of the potato. To prevent this, peel the potatoes, slice them up, and then soak them in cold water for a few minutes. Rinse the potatoes, then repeat the process. The water should run clear when it's drained from the potatoes, meaning there is no remaining starch, so you might have to rinse them several times. From there, pat them dry before adding any oil.

Cook the potatoes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. But check them as they cook. After 10 minutes, shake the air fryer basket to help the chips cook evenly, and repeat this at the 15-minute mark.