These air fryer potato chips come out thin, golden, and properly crunchy, and the whole batch is ready in about 16 minutes of cooking. Homemade chips have one stubborn problem though: the thin edges scorch before the centres dry, so you end up with chips that are burnt and bendy at once. My first few batches had exactly that issue, until I split the cook into two temperatures. That one change fixed it.
A gentle first stage dries the slices out, and a short hot stage sets the crunch and gives that golden colour. If you are new to this, baking in an air fryer is simpler than the oven, and chips are a good place to start.
Quick answer: Slice russet potatoes to about 1/16 inch, soak 25 minutes, then dry them well. Toss with a little oil and salt and air fry at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes to dry them out, then 390°F (200°C) for 3 to 6 minutes to crisp and colour. Rest a few minutes so they finish crisping.
How to make air fryer potato chips?
It is simple to make potato chips in an air fryer. You need just a few ingredients and a mandoline for even slices. The full printable version with quantities is in the recipe card below.
Ingredients for air fryer potato chips
- 2 medium russet potatoes (about 8 oz each)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to finish
- Black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes and leave the skin on for flavour and a little structure. Slice them about 1/16 inch thick on a mandoline. Even thickness matters more than anything else.
- Soak the slices in cold water for 25 minutes, changing the water once, until it runs nearly clear. This rinses off the surface starch that makes chips stick together and steam.
- Spread the slices on clean towels and pat both sides completely dry. Any water left on the surface turns to steam and softens the chip, so do not rush this step.
- Toss the dry slices with the oil and half the salt until they have a thin sheen. Too much oil pools and fries unevenly, so go light.
- Lay the slices in a mostly single layer and air fry at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes, shaking once halfway. They will look pale and slightly floppy at this point, which is right.
- Raise the heat to 390°F (200°C) and cook 3 to 6 minutes, shaking every 2 minutes. Start pulling chips the moment they turn pale gold, since thinner pieces finish first. Stop before deep brown, or they taste scorched.
- Rest the chips 3 to 5 minutes so they finish crisping, then finish with the rest of the salt and serve.
You can find the full printable potato chips recipe in the card below.
Why two temperatures work
A potato slice is mostly water held in a starch network, so a chip needs the water removed and then the surface browned. Most recipes try to do both jobs at one temperature, which forces a compromise: hot enough to crisp is hot enough to burn the edges, and gentle enough to be safe never quite dries the chip. At 300°F the slices lose their moisture without taking on colour. The quick lift to 390°F browns and crisps them in a couple of minutes. To turn any oven recipe into a basket setting, our air fryer calculator does the maths, and the times and temperatures chart is handy for the rest of your baking.
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Which potatoes are best for chips?
Russet potatoes are best. They are starchy and low in moisture, which is exactly what crisps. Yukon Gold work too and taste a little richer, but they hold more water, so they need a slightly longer cook and come out a touch softer. Sweet potatoes make lovely chips as well, though their natural sugars brown fast, so watch them closely and pull them a little earlier. Whichever you choose, slice thin and keep every slice the same thickness.
Are air fryer potato chips healthy?
They are a lighter chip than the deep-fried bag. Air frying needs only a thin coat of oil, so they carry far less fat than store-bought or deep-fried chips. A few easy choices keep them lighter still:
- Less oil: a couple of sprays is enough to crisp and brown them.
- Leave the skins on: they add a little extra fibre and texture.
- Go easy on salt: season to taste once they are out of the basket.
- Pick your potato: sweet potato chips add vitamins and a natural sweetness.
Tips for perfectly crispy chips
- Slice thin and even. A mandoline is the one tool worth owning here.
- Dry the slices hard after soaking. Surface water becomes steam, and steam is the enemy of crunch.
- Do not crowd the basket. Cook in batches so air can move around each slice.
- Pull chips as they turn pale gold, not deep brown. The line between golden and burnt is short.
- Season while the chips are warm so the salt and any spice blend cling.
Flavour variations
Plain salted chips are hard to beat, but these blends are measured so you are not guessing. Toss the dry seasoning over the chips the second they come out, while they are still warm:
- Salt and vinegar: 1 teaspoon vinegar powder plus 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
- Sour cream and onion: 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon buttermilk powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried chives, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Smoky barbecue: 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, a pinch of cayenne.
- Garlic Parmesan: 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Spicy Cajun: 1.5 teaspoons Cajun seasoning and a light dusting of cayenne.
Storage & re-crisping
Let the chips cool completely first. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Skip the fridge, which adds moisture and softens them.
To re-crisp: give them about 2 minutes at 300°F (150°C) in the air fryer, then let them cool again. That short reheat drives off the moisture they picked up sitting around.
Frequently asked questions
QDo I have to soak the potatoes?
You can skip it if you are short on time, but a 25 minute soak rinses off surface starch, which gives crispier chips that do not stick together. With russets especially, the soaked batches come out more evenly crisp. See what you can and cannot bake for more basket basics.
QWhy use two temperatures instead of one?
The low first stage at 300°F dries the slices without burning the thin edges, and the hot second stage at 390°F crisps and browns them quickly. One temperature forces a choice between scorched edges or chewy centres, and two avoids both.
QRusset or Yukon Gold potatoes?
Russets crisp best because they are starchy and low in moisture. Yukon Gold work too and taste richer, but they hold more water, so they need a slightly longer cook and come out a touch softer.
QCan I make them without oil?
Yes. They still crisp, just with less browning and a drier bite. Even a few sprays of oil noticeably improves colour and texture, so use a little if you can.
QCan I use sweet potatoes?
Yes. Sweet potatoes have more sugar so they brown faster, which means watching them closely in the second stage and pulling them a little earlier to avoid scorching.
QHow do I keep them crisp after cooking?
Cool them fully, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. To bring back the crunch, give them about 2 minutes at 300°F in the air fryer and let them cool again.
If you make these, let me know how they turned out in the comments. Hungry for more from the basket? Try our air fryer sweet potato fries, pair the chips with crispy frozen chicken wings for game day, or build a light dinner around air fryer frozen salmon. You can browse the full set of air fryer snack recipes too.
You can also follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more easy air fryer baking recipes.
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