Air Fryer Potato Chips (2024)

These Air Fryer Potato Chips are crispy, crunchy, and completely addictive. They use less oil too, meaning you can feel good about enjoying more of them, more often!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Potato Chips Recipe

• It’s Better for You. At any given moment, you’ll find a minimum of four bags of different chips in our pantry. Sometimes, a meal just doesn’t feel complete without a handful of chips, so I set out to create a healthier option (just like I did with Air Fryer French Fries, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, and Air Fryer Onion Rings). This recipe uses very little oil, meaning the air fryer potato chips calories and fat are generally lower than what you’d get from a store-bought variety.
• No Deep Fryer Required. Air fryers are fantastic for making crispy chips and are so much easier (and better for you) than a deep fryer. No messy pot of oil, no splattering, easy clean up.
• No Soaking. Thanks to my easy rinsing steps, you don’t need to soak the potatoes to make crispy chips. This means you’ll be eating them even faster! Air fryer potato chips cook in about 15 minutes.
• You’ll Be the Hit of Every Gathering. No matter what type of event you’re attending (or hosting), homemade potato chips are a slam-dunk snack to share (as are Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks). You can serve them as a side, dip them with The Best Guacamole Recipe or Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip, or enjoy them straight from the air fryer.

How to Make Air Fried Potato Chips

The Ingredients

• Russet Potatoes. Because they contain less moisture than other types of potatoes and are starchy, Idaho (russet) potatoes are best for making air fried chips. They’re also rich in fiber and antioxidants (healthy chips? I’ll tell myself yes). Have a lot of Yukon gold potatoes? Try Air Fryer Potatoes!
• Olive Oil. Olive oil helps the air-fryer chips become crispy and keeps them from burning. You need very little for this air fryer recipe.
• Salt. Because potato chips aren’t complete without that salty goodness.
• Black Pepper. An optional addition to kick it up a bit.

The Directions

1. Slice the Potatoes. Repeatedly rinse and drain the potatoes, until the water runs clear. Dry them.
2. Add the Oil and Seasonings. Toss to coat.
3. Air Fry. Air fry potato chips at 325°F for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining potatoes. DIG IN!

Recipe Variations

• Salt and Pepper Air Fryer Potato Chips. Add a few grinds of fresh black pepper (one of our favorite flavor variations). Air fryer potato chips salt and vinegar would be tasty too!
• Ranch Air Fry Potato Chips. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of ranch seasoning mix to the potatoes (I love the Trader Joe’s blend). If you prefer a stronger ranch flavor, you can sprinkle additional ranch seasoning over the top of your cooked potato chips right after they come out of the air fryer.
• Spicy Air Fryer Potato Chips. Turn up the heat! Season your potato chips with 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Sour Cream and Onion Air Fryer Potato Chips. Toss your chips with 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
• Barbecue Air Fryer Potato Chips. For that delicious BBQ seasoning flavor, use 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/8 teaspoon chili powder, and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. (A perfect air fryer potato chip seasoning for a crowd!)
• Dill Air Fryer Potato Chips. Craving Air Fryer Pickles? Give your potato chips a pickle spin by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh dill, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Store chips in an airtight storage container or ziptop bag for up to 1 week.
• To Freeze. Freeze chips in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or ziptop bag (remove all the air) for up to 3 months. Let thaw for a few minutes on the counter before serving.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Potato Chips

• Burger. A Blue Cheese Burger, Vegan Burger, or Turkey Burgers would taste delicious with chips.
• Chicken. Serve chips with crowd-pleasing chicken recipes like Chicken Tenders Recipe, Honey Garlic Chicken Wings, or Baked BBQ Chicken.
• Seafood. Try Salmon Croquettes or Air Fryer Shrimp with homemade potato chips. Fish and Chips would also be tasty with these potato chips (swap the fries in the recipe for the chips).
• Sandwich. Pair these chips with a Meatloaf Sandwich, Steak Sandwich, or BLT.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

• Air Fryer. Perfect for making air fryer potato chips! While I made Ninja air fryer potato chips, any air fryer should work well.
• Mixing Bowls. I love the variety of sizes in this set of glass mixing bowls.
• Mandoline. Easily slice your potatoes into thin chips.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Use a Russet Potato. Dry, starchy potatoes like russets (also called Idaho potatoes), instead of waxy potatoes like red potatoes, work best for fries. Yukon gold potatoes are an acceptable substitute, as they are somewhere in between waxy and starchy. Save your waxy potatoes for Roasted Red Potatoes.
• Slice the Potatoes Paper Thin. A mandoline slicer really is the only sure way to achieve this. I recommend 1/16 of an inch (or 2 mm).
• Rinse the Potato Slices with Water. This removes starch, which enables the potato chips to crisp. I found that you don’t need to soak the potatoes for an extended period as some recipes recommend. Just rinse the slices until the water runs clear.
• Don’t Crowd the Basket. I found I could air fry two staggered layers of potato chips with great results. After more than 2 layers, the chips were not as crisp.
• Make them Crispy. To ensure your chips are crispy, be sure to completely dry your potatoes before you start cooking. Also, make sure you rinse them long enough for crispy air fryer potato chips. Using too much oil could also make your potato chips less crispy.