Light, crisp, and perfect for snacking, these oven baked Potato Chips (a.k.a. Potato Wafers) are a healthier alternative to the deep-fried version. This Potato Chips recipe is simple to make at home and doesn’t require any specialty equipment!
About Potato Chips Recipe
Potato chips are a favorite among many folks. The ones which we get in the market are mostly deep fried.
We also like fried potato chips, but most of the time we just want to snack on healthier, less oily stuff.
I usually make potato chips at home, both fried as well as baked. Not to say that we don’t buy ready-made chips from the market, which we do on occasion.
This recipe is a healthy alternative to regular fried potato chips. Some prep work is required, so make these once you are free from all your chores.
I also make sun-dried potato chips in a similar way, but for that recipe, no oil is added and they are dried in the sun instead of baked.
How To Make Potato Chips
Preparation
1. in a bowl, add 3 cups of water + 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir so that the salt dissolves.
2. Rinse the potatoes first. Then peel and slice potatoes using a mandoline or a slicer directly in the bowl containing water.
I used 3 large potatoes weighing 550 grams, or about 20 ounces. It is far easier to use a mandoline or a slicer for slicing the potatoes because the slices have to be thin.
Don’t slice with a knife as thick slices do not become crisp when baked, but they still taste good.
3. Slice all the potatoes and immerse them in the water. They should remain immersed in the salted water.
Blanch Potatoes
4. Bring 6 to 7 cups of water + 1 teaspoon of salt to a rolling boil over medium heat.
5. Drain all the water from the bowl and carefully add the potatoes to the boiling water.
6. Blanch the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat.
7. Switch off the heat, cover the pot, and allow the potatoes to stay immersed in water for 3 to 4 minutes.
8. The potatoes should be translucent after the blanching process is over.
Prepare Potato Chips For Baking
9. Drain all of the water from the potatoes well using a colander or strainer.
10. Add all the slices to a bowl.
11. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and ½ teaspoon of salt, or add as required.
12. Gently mix very well so that the oil coats the potato slices evenly. You can add up to 2 tablespoons of oil in total.
Bake Potato Wafers
13. Place the chips in a lightly oiled baking tray keeping ½ cm space in between the slices.
Bake potato chips in a preheated oven at 250 degrees Celsius/480 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes. Do keep a check as oven temperatures vary.
I baked in batches since I have a small oven. If baking in batches, there is no need to brush oil on the baking tray again.
High temperatures work best, as when I have baked these at lower temperatures, they did not have the light crisp texture.
14. Once they look crisp and are light golden to golden, then remove potato chips from the oven.
As soon as they are cooled, store the potato wafers in an air-tight jar or box. They get cooled within a minute. You can make them more golden if you want.
Serve these crisp, thin, and light baked potato chips as a snack or an accompaniment to your favorite dips, sandwiches, or wraps.
Feel free to sprinkle more salt as needed on the baked potato wafers.
Expert Tips
- Type of Potato: Be it French Fries or for any crispy potato snack like these potato wafers, it is best to use starchy potatoes – like Russet, Yukon Gold, Maris Piper, Idaho etc. Potatoes having less starch won’t become crispy and give you the best texture.
- Seasonings and Herbs: If you want, you can season these crispy potato wafers with your favorite herbs and spices. We prefer the classic, plain salted potato chips.
- Deep Frying: You can also deep fry the potato chips instead of baking them. While deep frying, just ensure that there is no moisture in the potato chip slices after blanching. Make sure to wipe and dry them with a clean kitchen towel or paper napkins.
While frying, the oil should be sufficiently hot (approximately 160-177° C, or 325-350° F) so that the potato chips do not soak up too much oil and instead become nice and crisp. - Slicing: Slice the potato thinly as thin potato slices make the best potato chips. If you have one, this is a great time to use a mandoline.
- Air-fried option: These potato chips can also be easily air fried instead of baking.
- For Navratri Fasting: You can make these potato chips for any Hindu fasting or Navratri fasting, but use edible rock salt (sendha namak) instead of regular salt.
FAQs
Let me preface this by saying that “healthy” is a complex, loaded term that means many things to many people. With that said, oven-baked potato chips are without a doubt healthier than fried potato chips.
Uh-oh, it sounds like your oven wasn’t quite hot enough. I suggest you invest in an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature you set it to is the temperature it actually ends up cooking at.
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Potato Chips (Baked Potato Wafers)
Ingredients
For soaking potatoes
- 3 potatoes – 550 grams, large-sized
- 3 cups water – for soaking potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
For blanching
- 6 to 7 cups water – for blanching
- 1 teaspoon salt
Materials needed
- 2 large bowls
- 1 mandoline slicer
- 1 large baking tray
- 1 colander or strainer
Instructions
Blanching potatoes
- In a bowl take 3 cups water + 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and mix so that the salt dissolves.
- Rinse potatoes very well in water first a few times.
- Now peel and slice potatoes using a mandoline or a slicer directly in the bowl containing water.
- Slice all the potatoes and immerse them in the water.
- Then in a pot or pan, on a high heat bring to a rolling boil 6 to 7 cups water + 1 teaspoon salt.
- Drain all the water from the bowl and carefully, gently add the potato slices to the boiling water.
- Blanch the potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat.
- Then turn off the heat, cover the pot and allow the potatoes to be immersed in water for 3 to 4 minutes.
- The potatoes should look translucent after the blanching process is done.
Preparing potato chips slices
- Again drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander or strainer.
- Then transfer all the slices in a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt or add as required.
- Gently mix very well so that the oil coats the potato slices evenly. You can also add 2 tablespoons oil.
- Then place them in a lightly oiled baking tray keeping ½ centimetre space in between the slices.
Baking potato chips
- Bake potato chips in a preheated oven at 250 degrees Celsius/480 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Do keep a check as oven temperatures vary. I baked potato chips in batches since I have a small oven.
- Once they look crisp and are light golden to golden, then remove from the oven.
- As soon as they are cooled, store potato chips in an air-tight jar or box. They get cooled within a minute.
- Serve potato chips when required as a snack.
Notes
- Instead of baking you can also deep fry or air-fry the potato chips in batches.
- Use potatoes that have a higher starch content like Russets, Maris Piper, Idaho and Yukon gold.
- Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible. If possible use a mandoline slicer or potato slicer.
- Feel free to season and spice the potatoes with your choice of ground spices, herbs mix and seasonings.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Potato Chips recipe from the archives, originally published in April 2015 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
