Homemade Kettle Chips

Nothing beats the crispy, salty, crunch of homemade kettle chips. This simple recipe is sure to satisfy your snacky cravings!

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What are kettle chips?

Kettle chips are similar to potato chips. They’re both thinly cut, crunchy potato slices. The difference is in how they are prepared. Homemade kettle chips are deep-fried in small batches, whereas commercial potato chips are fried in huge batches using a conveyor belt system.

How to make homemade kettle chips

1. Peel

I start by peeling the potatoes with my potato peeler. However, this step is totally optional. If you don’t mind the skin, then feel free to leave it on!

2. Slice

Next, slice the potatoes as thinly as possible. I like to use my mandoline for super thin and uniformly sliced pieces. Uniform slices guarantee that each slice will cook at the same rate as the rest of the batch.

A mandoline makes quick work of the potatoes, but make sure you watch your fingers! The blade is wicked sharp and it’s so easy to cut yourself if you aren’t careful. Ask me how I know. If your mandoline comes with a guard, use it! If it doesn’t, you can use a cut-resistant kitchen glove.

It’s not absolutely necessary to use a mandoline, and you can definitely do this with a knife if you have a steady hand, it’ll just take longer.

3. Soak then dry

After slicing, place the chips in a bowl of cold water. Leave them to soak for about 30 minutes. This will draw out the starch and make for a crispier chip! Then roll them in a clean kitchen towel to dry them well.

4. Fry

Fill the pot with 2-3″ oil and heat it to 350° F. I used olive oil because it’s what I always have on hand, but any light-tasting cooking oil should be fine. When the oil comes to temperature, I always test one chip just to make sure. It should sizzle nicely, but not too aggressively.

Fry them in small batches. You don’t want it too full because you want to make sure you leave enough space to flip the chips. They will stick together if you pack them in too densely. Stir them frequently so they cook evenly on both sides.

Remove the chips from the oil when they’re light golden brown. They go from light golden brown to dark brown and burned pretty quickly, so keep an eye on them as they near the end! They also will brown a little more when you take them out of the oil.

5. Salt

Set the finished kettle chips aside on a paper towel and immediately sprinkle them with your favorite salt. You want to salt them while they’re still damp with oil because it’ll help the salt stick to them.

These kettle chips are addictive! You’ll want to make them for parties, family gatherings, and movie nights. There’s nothing like them when they’re fresh.

Seasoning options for homemade kettle chips

I prefer the simplicity of plain salt for seasoning, but you can use a variety of seasoning blends to suit your taste. A quick search online will pull up a ton of chip seasoning blends, or, if you prefer, you can make your own with seasonings you already have!

What flavor would you try?

Shop this post

• potato peeler
• mandoline
• cut-resistant kitchen gloves
• cast iron pot (I use the larger one in this set)

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