Chips are a dinnertime staple, whether you are serving hearty burgers or something lighter like salmon, but they often end up soggy instead of crisp and golden. This is because potatoes naturally contain a lot of moisture, and that water can easily turn to steam as they cook – so even if you use an air fryer, your chips might come out disappointingly limp.
However, Fiona, a food expert and founder of the Bitesize Traveller, has shared a really easy way to improve the texture of your chips: you simply need to pat them down before cooking them. She said: “If your potatoes are still wet before being placed into an air fryer, this can cause your potatoes not to crispen up. You can avoid this by thoroughly patting dry your potatoes before you place them in the air fryer.”
Spending just 10 seconds patting your chips dry with a tea towel or some kitchen paper helps remove excess surface moisture.
Since steam is what stops the skin from crisping up, drying them properly gives you a much better chance of achieving that perfect golden crunch.
This simple cooking technique greatly improves the texture of your chips no matter if you are making them from scratch or using a frozen bag.
However, making homemade chips is actually really easy, and does not require much time or even many ingredients. You do even need to use any oil if you own an air fryer.
How to make chips crispier without oil
You will need:
- 400g of potatoes
- One teaspoon of paprika
- A quarter teaspoon of garlic granules
- A quarter teaspoon of onion granules
- Salt and pepper
Method:
To begin, cut the potatoes in half and then slice them lengthwise to make thin chips. It is completely up to you if you want to keep the skin on or peel them.
Next, place your chips in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for 20 minutes. This helps remove excess starch, which can cause them to brown too quickly and burn on the outside before the inside is fully cooked.
Meanwhile, turn on the air fryer, set it to 200C, and let it preheat for 10 minutes. When your chips are ready, drain them in a colander and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels or a tea towel.
Once the chips are completely dry, empty them into a bowl and add the smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss everything together, so the chips are fully coated.
Place the chip in the air fryer, and make sure they are evenly spaced out as overcrowding them will also cause them not to cook properly.
Then, place in the air fryer and cook for 15 minutes. When the time is up, give them a shake in the air fryer basket or tray, then cook for another 15 minutes.
Check on the chips to see if they are crispy, and cook at 10 minute intervals until you get the texture you like.
When they are ready, your chips should be golden and perfectly seasoned while having a satisfying crunch when you bite into them.
If you wish, you can make these homemade chips in the oven but you will need to add one tablespoon of olive oil when seasoning them to help them become as crispy as the air frying recipe.
