Super Crispy Easy Homemade Potato Chips

Why Do You Soak Potatoes in Water Before Frying?

Soaking potatoes in water before frying helps remove excess starch which is the key to the crispiest homemade potato chips and french fries. The removal of starches helps to keep potatoes from sticking to each other while they fry. It also renders a lighter-colored chip. If you’re strapped for time, a 30-minute soak still makes crispy potato chips as you can see below. 

What’s the “Double-Fry” Method for Potatoes and is it Worth It?

The double-fry method is when potatoes are first cooked in a lower temperature oil (usually 325°F) and removed when lightly blonde in color, but not browned. They’re left to cool for a while on the counter, in the fridge, or freezer and then fried a second time at a higher temperature (usually 350-365°F) until golden brown. This method renders a super crispy-on-the-outside, and fluffy-on-the-inside potato. 

While French fries definitely benefit from the double-fry method, I don’t think it’s worth the time or effort to fry potato chips twice. Especially, if you’re already soaking them to help remove the starch. I’ve tested the different methods below so you can judge for yourself. 

Double-Fried Potato Chips vs. Single-Fried Potato Chips Comparison (Below)

⊕Soaked Overnight 

Double frying potato chips seems unnecessary to me. In the far left image below, the darker chips have been double-fried versus the single-fried potato chips in the middle image which are lighter. The far right image shows the chips compared next to each other in a closeup. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves and you can decide if double-frying is worth the extra step. The best potato chips in my opinion are soaked overnight and fried only once. 

Single-Fried Potato Chips Soaked for Just 30 Minutes Only (Below)

⊕Soaked 30 Minutes Only

You’ll notice the potatoes that have only soaked for 30 minutes are darker than the potatoes that are soaked overnight (in the above images). If you have more starch in the potatoes (which turns to sugar) then you’ll end up with a much darker chip. However, these potatoes are still just as delicious even when they’re quite a bit darker. Basically, if you’re, short on time and don’t care how your chips look, a 30-minute soak single-fried chip hits the spot. 

Easy Homemade Potato Chips Ingredients

• 1 potato per person (Yukon gold, Idaho, Russet, or red potatoes), washed and soaked
• neutral frying oil
• sea salt
• paprika, shawarma seasoning, or BBQ spice rub (optional)

How to Make The Best Homemade Potato Chips

Making homemade potato chips is really easy. First, decide how thick or thin you want the potatoes, then use a mandoline (or very sharp knife) to make consistent slices. 

1. Slice the potatoes.  Using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes paper-thin and place them into a colander or large mixing bowl. *I like to use Yukon gold, but you can use Idaho, Russet, or even red potatoes too.
2. Rinse and soak potatoes. Rinse the sliced potatoes under cold running water to remove the excess starch until the water runs clear. Allow the potatoes to soak for at least 30 minutes, or even better up to overnight in cold water in the refrigerator.  *If you’re doing a quick 30-minute soak, place a king-size ice cube in the water with the potatoes.
3. Dry the potatoes. Pat the potatoes dry using a clean kitchen towel to remove all of the moisture.
4. Fry the potatoes.  Preheat a pot with neutral frying oil to 350°F/176°C and fry the potatoes in batches turning them over and stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy.
5. Strain the potato chips + serve. Remove crispy potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate, or wire rack and salt (and season) them immediately, Enjoy!

What Kind of Oil is Best to Fry Homemade Potato Chips or French Fries in?

As long as you use a neutral (high smoke point) frying oil, you’ll get really crispy results. Any of the oils below work really well.

• grapeseed oil 
• peanut oil
• avocado oil
• sunflower oil
• duck fat
• pork fat
• beef tallow
• for a smokey flavor add a slice of bacon or prosciutto to the cooking oil

Let’s get started!

Best Ever Super Crispy Homemade Potato Chips

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• Author: Kelly
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 Servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Crispy, crunchy delicious homemade potato chips are always delicious and inexpensive to make. Flavor them with paprika, BBQ dry rub seasoning, or other favorite spices. Just be sure to fry up more than you think you’ll need because they’re really good. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 potato per person (Yukon gold, Idaho, Russet, or red potatoes), washed and soaked
• neutral frying oil
• sea salt
• paprika or other spices to flavor the fried chips (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark even when your hands have flour all over them

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Instructions

1. Slice the potatoes.  Using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes paper-thin and place them into a colander or large mixing bowl. *I like to use Yukon gold, but you can use Idaho, Russet, or even red potatoes too.
2. Rinse and soak potatoes. Rinse the sliced potatoes under cold running water to remove the excess starch until the water runs clear. Allow the potatoes to soak for at least 30 minutes, or even better up to overnight in cold water in the refrigerator.  *If you’re doing a quick 30-minute soak, place a king-size ice cube in the water with the potatoes.
3. Dry the potatoes. Pat the potatoes dry using a clean kitchen towel to remove all of the moisture.
4. Fry the potatoes.  Preheat a pot with neutral frying oil to 350°F/176°C and fry the potatoes in batches turning them over and stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy.
5. Strain the potato chips + serve. Remove crispy potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate, or wire rack and salt (and season) them immediately, Enjoy!

Notes

• If you’re doing a quick 30-minute soak, place a few ice cubes in the water with the potatoes.
• Make sure your potatoes are really dry before frying them, or the oil will splatter otherwise.
• Experiment with the thickness of the chips.  We made them 3 ways to see what we liked best. 
• Flavor the chips with natural spices or seasonings like smoked paprika, chili seasoning, turmeric, etc.
• Store any leftover chips in an airtight container, but know that these chips do not hold like store-bought chips. (If you’re like us, you won’t have any leftovers anyway!)

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Rest Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Nibbles + Bits
• Method: Deep Fried or Air Fryer
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup

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How to Make Crispy Homemade Potato Chips step-by-step recipe photos 

Crispy Homemade Potato Chips tips + tricks + FAQ’s

• Who invented potato chips?  Legend has it that famed chef, Mr. George Crum who was of Native American and Black descent, invented the potato chip in 1853 at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, NY.  It’s also said that Mr. Crum’s sister invented it by accident when she dropped a sliced potato into hot oil.  But these stories have mostly been debunked.  And there are at least 5 other people that lay claim to inventing the humble potato chip.  Most food historians actually agree that the chip wasn’t invented in Saratoga and maybe not even in America at all. However, there is an article from the New York Herald in 1849, which writes “fame of ‘Eliza, the cook,’ for crisping potatoes,” adding that “scores of people visit the lake and carry away specimens of the vegetable, as prepared by her, as curiosities.” Sadly, like so many other black chefs and cooks of this era, they either didn’t receive credit for their culinary creations and revelation and/or it was lost to history. This is the case with Eliza.  There is no last name on record for her and all else is lost to history until someone finds more (which I really hope they do). In America, the potato chip seems to have its roots in the black community like so many other favorite recipes in our culture. 

• Are potato chips bad for you? Yes and no. We all know that boiling or baking potatoes are healthier ways to enjoy this potassium-rich vegetable. But sometimes you just want a crispy potato chip or french fry though! Am I right?  These natural homemade potato chips are made with only 3 ingredients: potatoes, grapeseed oil, and sea salt.  And while we don’t eat them often, we enjoy them guilt-free when we do. We know exactly what’s in them. You won’t find a list of artificial cancer-causing dyes, sugars, artificial flavorings, or preservatives in these chips. That said, there’s probably some room for concern if potato chips are high up on your regular food intake. Our regular diet mainly consists of whole foods (some healthier than others, yes!). But, we don’t eat a lot of processed stuff in general. So, we don’t mind a reasonably sized portion of homemade potato chips from time to time. It’s important to keep up with science and educate yourself. Especially if you have health issues or dietary restrictions. A study was done some years back that discovered a carcinogenic substance called acrylamide in fried chips and french fries (among other foods). As it turns out there is no link between dietary acrylamide and cancer (at present).  I’d encourage everyone to read more here because I really believe in healthful eating and the power of making the most informed decisions about your own health. If you have water retention, heart, liver, or kidney issues, or even cancer I wouldn’t recommend this recipe. But if you were choosing between this or a bag of chips from the store, I’d choose these any day of the week. Because at least if you cook them at home, you decide if (or how much) they get salted at all and whether or not you use organic potatoes and the oil that’s used to fry them in. When you cook anything at home you have more control. You can even use an air fryer to make this potato chip recipe and they’re great!