How to Cook Chips in an Airfryer

The air fryer is a quick and healthy way to make many of your favorite snacks. Since it uses air to fry instead of oil, you can enjoy air-fried chips without any of the guilt of regular chips. Even better, there are many different types of chips that you can make. Try regular or sweet potatoes, beets, kale, or even tortilla chips. Whatever type you choose, you can add tons of flavor with your favorite spices and even some tasty dips.

Ingredients

Potato Chips

2 full-sized potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Any additional seasonings desired

Beet Chips

2-3 beets
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Any additional seasonings desired

Kale Chips

8 ounces (230 g) of kale leaves
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Tortilla Chips

1 package medium tortillas
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Potato Chips

1
Preheat the air fryer to about 320 °F (160 °C). Check the manual that came with your air fryer for a list of the recommended temperatures and times. If there is an included recipe for chips, follow those guidelines for the temperature. If not, go ahead and just set it to 320 °F (160 °C) to preheat. Air fryers vary, but this temperature is pretty standard for chips.^{[1]XResearch source}
- It usually takes about 10 minutes for an air fryer to heat up.
2
Slice 2 potatoes to about ¹⁄₈ inch (0.32 cm) using a knife or mandoline. Potatoes and sweet potatoes both make delicious chips in the air fryer. You can choose your favorite or make a mixture. Some good choices include russets and Yukon Golds. Plan to use about 1 potato per person, but feel free to make a little extra for leftover snacks.^{[2]XResearch source}
- There’s no need to peel the potatoes, but if you want to, go ahead and do that before slicing them.
- Scrub your potatoes with water to get any dirt off and then place them on a cutting board.
- You want them to be pretty thin so that they’ll get nice and crispy. If you have a mandoline, use that to help you get a thin, uniform cut.
- If you don’t have a mandoline, that’s totally fine. Just use a sharp chef’s nice to thinly slice up your potatoes.
- Don't use baby potatoes to make chips. They're just not big enough to make good chips.
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3
Toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil and 1 tsp (6 g) of salt in a medium bowl. Place your potatoes in a bowl that is big enough for you to have room to shake the potatoes up. Now’s your chance to add your favorite flavors! Spritz the chips with a little cooking spray or olive oil spray so that spices will stick to them. If you want to keep it simple, just add a pinch of salt, shake, and you’re ready to air fry.^{[3]XResearch source}
- If you don't have an oil mister, that's totally fine. Just sprinkle about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil over the sliced potatoes.
4
Cook the chips for 22-30 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes. Now you’re ready to cook! If your air fryer has a basket, place the chips in it. They don’t have to be in 1 layer. If you have an air fryer with a tray, place your potatoes on the tray, making sure to only have 1 layer. The total cooking time is 30 minutes for regular potatoes, but you’ll need to flip the chips every 5 minutes to make sure they cook evenly.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Sweet potatoes cook more quickly, so they typically only take about 22 minutes.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If the chips are on a tray, use tongs to flip them over. If you have a basket, you can just take the basket out and give it a good shake every 5 minutes to rotate the chips. Since chips on baskets and trays cook a little differently, just remember it's fine to have a little overlap in the basket, but best to just make 1 even layer on a tray.
- If you have a small air fryer or are making a lot of chips, you might have to cook in batches. Remember, you never want to overcrowd your air fryer, no matter what you’ve got cooking. If the chips are completely covering one another, you have too many in the basket or on the tray.
5
Take the chips out of the fryer when they’re crispy and let them cool. Check on the chips when they’re done cooking to see if they look and feel crispy enough for you. If you want them extra crispy, give them a few more minutes to fry. Carefully take them out of the fryer and let them rest for a few minutes on a paper towel. ^{[6]XResearch source}
- The paper towel will soak up any extra oil as the chips cool.
6
Season the chips again after cooking for added flavor. Now for the really fun part. You can add any flavors you like, so feel free to get creative. If you want a little spice, try adding some cayenne pepper. For a smoky taste, add a little cumin. Sweet potato chips might even be good with a little cinnamon and sugar.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Other ideas include garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and ranch seasoning.
- You could splash the chips with a little bit of malt vinegar or even balsamic vinegar if you like them a little tangy.
- If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Beet Chips

1
Set the air fryer to about 320 °F (160 °C) and let it preheat. The temperature might depend on your air fryer, but 320 °F (160 °C) is pretty standard. Set your air fryer to that temp and let it heat up for about 10 minutes. Many air fryers will indicate with either a light or a beep when they are ready.^{[8]XResearch source}
- If your air fryer manual recommends a different temperature for chips, use that temperature instead.
2
Cut 2-3 beets to about ¹⁄₁₆ inch (0.16 cm) with a mandoline. You can use golden or purple beets, whichever you prefer. A mixture of the 2 is also great. If your beets are on the smaller side, you probably need 3 of them to make enough for 2 people. Otherwise, 2 will be fine. Plan to use a beet per person. Using your mandoline, slice the beets thinly so that you’ll be able to get crispy chips.^{[9]XResearch source}
- You can use a sharp chef’s knife if you don’t have a mandoline.
Place the beets in a medium bowl and spritz them with a little oil, just enough to dampen them a bit. If you have an olive oil mister, that will work perfectly. Otherwise, you can use cooking spray or just add a small splash of any type of oil you like (avocado, peanut, etc.). Add a little salt and pepper and shake the bowl a bit to make sure all of the beets are covered.^{[10]XResearch source}
4
Cook the beet chips for 30 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes. Place beets in the air fryer basket or on the cooking tray. It’s okay if they overlap in the basket a little; just make sure they’re not overcrowded. If any chips are completely covered by others, you have too many chips cooking at the same time. You’ll cook them for about 30 minutes total, but pause the timer every five minutes to either shake the basket or use tongs to flip the beets.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Frequently rotating the beets will ensure that they cook nice and evenly.
- If you like your beet chips extra crispy, add a couple of additional minutes to the cooking time.
5
Serve immediately and save leftovers in an airtight container for 2 days. Take the beets out of the air fryer and place them in a bowl or on a plate. You can either eat them right away or let them cool for a few minutes. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.^{[12]XResearch source}
- Beet chips are yummy on their own, but you could also serve them with your favorite dip to boost the flavor even more. A dill dip or hummus would be delicious with beet chips.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Kale Chips

Air fryers take a few minutes to get hot, so give make sure you allow time for it to get up to the correct temperature. Go ahead and set it to 375 °F (191 °C) while you get the kale ready. ^{[13]XResearch source}
This will make enough kale chips for 2 servings. If you would like to make extra, simply add some more kale. After you've washed the kale, tear it into bite-sized pieces. ^{[14]XResearch source}
Kale can be a little bitter and rough if you don't massage the leaves a bit before cooking. Add a small splash of olive oil onto the leaves and use your hands to rub it gently into the kale. This just takes a few seconds but will definitely help you make the most delicious kale chips.^{[15]XResearch source}
4
Season the kale with 1 tsp (6 g) each of salt and pepper. After the oil is rubbed in, sprinkle the kale with your favorite seasonings. Keep it simple with salt and pepper, or jazz it up a bit with an Everything Bagel seasoning.^{[16]XResearch source}
- You can add any other flavors you like, too. Red pepper flakes will give the kale a nice kick, for example. Just season according to your own taste preferences.
5
Cook the kale leaves in batches at 375 °F (191 °C) for 6 minutes. The kale will shrink quite a bit, but 8 ounces (230 g) takes up a lot of room in the air fryer. Place about 1/3 of the kale into the basket and cook for 6 minutes. Shake the basket every 2 minutes to make sure the chips cook evenly. If you can't shake the kale leaves, you have too many in the basket. Take some out to give the chips more room to cook evenly.^{[17]XResearch source}
- If your air fryer has a tray, that's fine. Just spread the kale chips in 1 even layer to cook.
- Repeat this process until you've cooked all of the kale.
6
Remove chips when they are crispy and serve immediately. Once the chips are cooked the way you like them, take them out of the air fryer and place them in a bowl or on a plate. They taste best when hot, so sprinkle with a little more salt to add extra flavor and serve them up. You can season them according to your taste.^{[18]XResearch source}
- If you do happen to have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Tortilla Chips

Most air fryers will make delicious tortilla chips when you set the temp to around 350 °F (177 °C). If your manual offers different guidelines, you should use those instead. Allow your air fryer to preheat for about 10 minutes so that it’s nice and toasty when you’re ready to fry up the tortillas.^{[19]XResearch source}
2
Cut 6 tortillas into triangles. The medium-sized tortillas work really well for chips, so grab a package of those (they will typically say medium or soft taco size on the package). 6 tortillas will make enough chips for 2-3 people; if you’re cooking for a crowd you can add extra. Stack the tortillas on top of each other and cut them into quarters. That easily turns them into triangles.^{[20]XResearch source}
- A pizza cutter is the perfect tool to use for cutting the tortillas. If you don’t have one, a knife will work fine, too.
- You can use any type of tortillas you like. Corn, flour, and whole wheat are all great options.
3
Spray or brush the tortillas with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp (6 g) of salt. You can use any type of oil that you like. Olive, canola, and avocado oil are all great choices. Spritz the tortillas or use a pastry brush to lightly cover them with oil. Sprinkle on a little salt and you’re ready to cook.^{[21]XResearch source}
- You can add any other seasonings that you like, too. Garlic salt and cumin are good options. Sprinkle on as much as you like!
Put the tortillas in the basket or on the tray of the air fryer. It’s fine if they overlap, just make sure not to completely cover any of them with other chips. Start the air fryer and then check the chips after 4 minutes. If you’d like them a little crispier, go ahead and flip them over and cook for a couple more minutes.^{[22]XResearch source}
5
Serve with your favorite salsa or dip. Remove the chips from the air fryer and place them in a bowl. You can eat them plain, but they taste awesome when you pair them with a dip. Some tasty choices are:^{[23]XResearch source}
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Hummus
- Bean dip
- You can save leftover chips in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days.
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Tips

Every air fryer is different, so it might take a couple of tries to figure out how long you like to cook your chips.
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Flavor options for chips are endless, so play around with spices and herbs until you find your favorite.
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