Do you enjoy eating salt & pepper chips? Me too, but you are most likely imagining the thin potato chips that you get in a bag when I asked that question, but did you know there is another kind of chips that you can enjoy. Think fish and chips. This type of chips are better known by most of us as French fries, and these salt and pepper chips taste just as great. So, how do you make them at home? Well, there are several different methods of cooking that you can try.
Sea Salt and Pepper Chips in the Oven
One of my favorite ways to make chips is to bake them in the oven. This method is one that is healthier for you to consume because the chips are not cooked with oil. This means that the oil is not absorbed into the potato, and you can have a healthier snack.
I like to dip my chips into either ketchup of lemon garlic mayonnaise, so I will include the recipe for the mayo here so that you can try it as well. To make the chips, you will need to start by preheating the oven to about 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and dry your potatoes, and then cut them into strips that resemble the size of a fry. You can make them into wedges or shoestring fries, but simple chips are what I prefer for this recipe. If you are short on time, you can use frozen French fries as well.
Lightly grease a baking sheet, and then arrange the chips so that they do not overlap. If you have more fries than you can fit on one baking sheet, use two. Bake for 15 minutes, and then switch the position of the baking sheets. Bake for another 15 minutes, and check to see if the fries are done. Depending on how thick you cut the chips, you may need to bake them for another 15 minutes or so. When they are fork tender, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, toss them, and enjoy.
For the lemon garlic mayonnaise, you will need to combine one tablespoon of lemon juice, two cloves of minced garlic, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, and one cup of mayonnaise. Season it with sea salt and black pepper, and let it sit for five minutes in the refrigerator before serving it.
Skillet Salt and Pepper Chips
If you are looking to make chips using less oil, you can consider making them in a skillet. In a seasoned cast iron skillet, you will be able to crisp them and brown them without much of a hassle. If you have never made salt and pepper chips in a skillet, then try out this simple recipe.
Start by cutting about three potatoes into about ½-inch strips. Then, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. If you do not have a cast iron skillet, any skillet will work. Place the potatoes into the skillet, and cook until they are browned on all sides. Make sure that the potatoes are tender before removing them from the pan. This should take about 25 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.
Deep Fried Salt and Cracked Pepper Chips
If you order French fries at a restaurant, you are most likely going to get the deep fried variation because they are ready within minutes of putting them into the fryer.
You start with plain potatoes and cut them into ½-inch slices.
As you are preparing the chips, heat the oil so that it hot when you are ready to start cooking. Then, simply put them into the fryer basket, and lower them into the oil for about five minutes.
Since you are submerging these fries in oil, you can try to use canola oil or a low cholesterol oil, but no matter what you use, the fries will be covered in oil when they are finished cooking.
One way to reduce the amount of oil that you consume is to place them on a plate that is lined with paper towels so that the oil drains onto it. When the fries are finished draining, season them with salt and pepper. I like to use cracked pepper when I deep fry chips because the larger pepper pieces add more flavor to the dish.
Air Fried
Have you ever tried chips that were prepared in an air fryer?
Well, if you like the taste of fried food, this is the next best thing, and it omits the oil that you want to leave out of your diet. With an air fryer, the air can fully circulate the food that you are trying to cook, so the chips will cook evenly, crisp, and brown without oil.
In addition, most air fryers are designed so that you do not have to flip the food that is being cooked, which can cut down on the amount of time that it takes to prepare the food. When the fries are done, you can season them with salt and pepper.
Variations to Try
Salt and pepper mix well with chips, but you can also combine other seasonings together to create a whole new taste. For example, some of my favorite variations include:
Italian Chips – To make this variation of fries, you will need to sprinkle the fries with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese when they are cooked. Serve the fries with marinara sauce to complete the Italian flavor.- Jerk Chips – After you salt and pepper the fries, sprinkle them with jerk seasoning to give them a little bit of a kick.
- Southwest Chips – Salt and pepper these chips as you would with any salt and pepper chips, and then sprinkle them with some red pepper flakes, chili powder, and cumin. Since you are kicking up the heat with this one, serve it with ranch dip.
- Barbecue Chips – Sprinkle barbecue seasoning on top of the fires. You may want less salt and pepper on this variation, but you will love the flavor of the spice.
Chinese Chips
I really love Asian flavors, but it is not something that you often find in chips. The flavors of sesame and ginger really add depth to this dish. It is not a spicy dish, but it does have a small amount of heat to it that is quite delicious. For this recipe, you will need:
- Packaged fries (these can be made from potatoes as well if you prefer)
- Two teaspoons of salt
- One teaspoon of black pepper
- Three tablespoons of olive oil
- Two minced onions
- One diced green pepper
- Two finely chopped chilies
- Four cloves of minced garlic
- One tablespoon of crushed ginger
- Two teaspoons of sesame oil
- Two teaspoons of dark soy sauce
- Two teaspoons of Chinese five spice
Cook the chips according to the instructions on the packaging. If you are making the fries from potatoes, cut three to four potatoes into ½-inch slices and cook them in the oven for about 30 minutes or so. While the fries are cooking, you can pour the two tablespoons of salt into a wok and heat it for about 10 minutes. This step is not necessary, but it will help to flavor the fries. Afterward, pour the salt into another bowl so that it can cool.
Using the same wok, heat the olive oil. Then, stir-fry the onions, the peppers, the chilies, the garlic, and the ginger. Sauté these ingredients for about five minutes or until the onions are transparent and the peppers are soft. Pour in the soy sauce and the sesame oil, and mix thoroughly. Next, add in the chips that you have been baking in the oven.
Make sure to coat the chips well with the mixture, and then season them with the salt, black pepper, and Chinese five spice. You can just sprinkle the chips with each one, but I prefer to mix the three spices together before sprinkling it over the fries. Once seasoned, allow the fries to cook for a few minutes more in the wok to help meld the flavors together. Serve and enjoy.
Salt and Vinegar Chips
If you are like me, you love salt and vinegar chips. I have found that adding pepper to these chips adds another layer of flavor that is simply delightful. For this recipe, you will need:
Two to three large potatoes- One tablespoon of olive oil
- ¾ of a cup of white vinegar
- One tablespoon of salt
- Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and while it is heating up, start cutting the potatoes into chips that are about ½ of an inch thick. Place the potatoes, the vinegar, and the salt into a large pan. Fill the pan with water, and cook the fries for about 12 to 14 minutes.
The potatoes will soften a bit, but they will not be cooked. Drain the chips, and toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Depending on your taste, you can add more vinegar as well. Arrange them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, and bake them until they are golden brown. This should take about 30 minutes. Don’t forget to flip the fries during the baking process so that they cook evenly.
Chili Lime Chips
To turn up the heat, try this recipe for chili lime chips. You will need to start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Cut two large potatoes into fries, and place them on a baking sheet. Then, drizzle the fries with about two tablespoons of olive oil and squeeze two limes over them as well.
Next, sprinkle the fries with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes; this time will vary based on the thickness of the fries that you cut. For ½-inch fries, 45 minutes should be about what is required to fully cook the potatoes.
A Unique Spice Seasoning to Try
Since I loved making all of these variations of chips at home, I decided to make a go-to seasoning that I could use. Instead of searching the cabinet for 10 different seasonings, I can simply locate one. This is not only a great seasoning to use on chips, it tastes great on burgers, chicken, and more as well. To make this seasoning, you will need to combine the following spices:
¼ of a cup of salt- Two tablespoons of paprika
- One tablespoon of garlic powder
- One tablespoon of garlic salt
- ½ of a tablespoon of cumin
- ½ of a tablespoon of black pepper
- ½ of a tablespoon of basil
- ½ of a tablespoon of parsley
- One teaspoon of chili powder
- ½ of a teaspoon of celery salt
This amount of spice will fill a six-ounce container, so if you like the way it turns out, you may want to double the recipe so that you always have plenty available in your kitchen.
Final Thoughts
Enjoy eating salt and pepper chips? We have covered quite a few variations in this guide, so I hope that you found a flavor of chips that you approve of. Whether you bake, fry, or pan fry your chips, make sure that you try the unique mix of seasonings that I have included above. You’ll love it!
